More Questions You Need To Ask Admitted Students

Which of your admitted students are close to making a decision, who’s struggling with making the wrong choice, and who still has a lot left to figure out?

If you’re going to effectively support students in their decision-making process by providing them with the relevant and timely information they want and need, you have to consistently ask various direct questions in your emails, texts, phone calls, or in-person. Do not sit back and wait for them to come to you.

For the remainder of this cycle, each week admissions counselors or anyone with a territory should be scheduling what I call intentional proactive outreach to their admitted student population (and the parents or family of). The amount you do will depend on how much time you have available. The decision of who you contact should be informed by different data points as well as actions that students are or are not taking.

With all that in mind, here are some additional questions I strongly encourage you to ask your admitted (but undecided) student population:

“What’s turning out to be the hardest part of this whole decision making process for you?”

“Besides money, what else are you still trying to figure out about our school in order to make your decision?”

“What’s been hardest to compare between schools?”

“What would make you feel confident that you’re choosing the right school?”

“What’s the biggest concern you have about adjusting to college life?”

“What kinds of resources or support at your future college matter most to you?”

The college search and the emotional decision making process associated with it is an evolving process that’s constantly in flux.

Please make it a priority, especially in the later stages, to ask deeper questions of your students and get them to communicate with you more than they are with your competition. You’ll be happy you did.

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