Why So Many College Emails Sound The Same

How often have you read or said something like, “We have a welcoming and supportive community.” Or, “We can give you more opportunities here.” Or, “96% of our students are employed in a job they love or continuing their education within a year of graduating.”

The problem with statements like those is they’re extremely broad and general, and they don’t offer any real context. You end up sounding like a lot of other colleges who are sharing similar information.

Not providing context is a big reason why so many college emails (and letters, postcards, and text messages) sound the same.

When I lead a recruiting workshop I explain that no matter what topic you’re discussing, prospective students and their parents need a clearly defined why or how from you, or a because. Those things give them a reason to pay attention and/or listen to you because you’re providing important details that help them better understand your statement or idea.

Providing context also does the following:

• It helps personalize your message by making it more relatable.

• It accelerates their understanding of your school and why it might be a good fit for them.

• When a student or parent understands the value and/or benefit behind something, they’re more likely to take action (oftentimes faster).

  
  

Somebody has to supply context and I want it to be you. If you don’t, you’re allowing others to shape and define the different parts of your school’s story.

Here are two practical ways you can put this strategy into action.

1. Getting a student to visit campus. When every school is asking them to do that, why should they take the time and visit your campus? Adding context fixes that. “The reason I want you to come and see campus Jeremy is because…” And in a separate message to the parents you might say, “If you’re able to bring Jeremy to campus for a visit, here are a few of the things you will learn more about and some of the key questions that will get answered.”

2. Instead of sharing stats about your class sizes or the student to faculty ratio, go and talk to some of your current first-year students and ask them to tell you what they’ve enjoyed most about their classes so far, as well as the interactions they’ve had with different professors. Are the professors personal and approachable? What are some of the fun or enjoyable things they've done in their specific major? Incorporate that student feedback into your message as social proof.  

Context is one of the hidden secrets of effective recruiting. Do it correctly and you’ll not only notice an immediate difference in the level of engagement you have, but it can also allow you to move a student/family through the recruitment process more efficiently.

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