Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel (NAFSA Bi-Regional in San Juan, Oct '12)
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The traditional enrollment funnel has crumbled beyond recognition, as an increasing number of prospective students do not identify themselves as a prospect prior to applying for admission. The new model for marketing blends several aspects of "operations" such as academic credential evaluation and funds verification. When all things (like academic program, tuition, location…) are more or less equal, humans (and especially international students) will choose the path of least resistance. In an intensely competitive marketplace, the host campus (in the U.S. or elsewhere) with the simplest admissions process may very well prevail.
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Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel (NAFSA Bi-Regional in San Juan, Oct '12)
- 1. Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel cheryl@FundsV.com RE-DEFINING THE ENROLLMENT FUNNEL NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference 16 October 2012 in San Juan, Puerto Rico * Cheryl DarrupBoychuck, USjournal and FundsV * Pamela Barrett, i-graduate and Barton Carlyle * Dickie Hargrave, University of North Texas * Parvin Bagherpour, Houston Community College * Sharon Butler, peerTransfer Potentials Aware Source Interested Contacts Traditional Prospects Qualify Funnel Applicants Court Admits Convert Matrics Close NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference, 16 Oct 2012 1
- 2. Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel cheryl@FundsV.com Potentials A Aware Source Interested Contacts Redefined B Prospects Qualify Funnel Applicants Court Admits Convert Matrics Close Keep it simple! Potentials Aware A A. Student-to-student testimonials via YouTube, Interested webinars and country-based web pages Contacts B. Rapid conversion to applicant: skipping past contact B cards to go straight to pre-application Prospects C. Increasing yield by simplifying application process and avoiding misunderstanding by assisted application Applicants (application clinics etc.) D. Pre-arrival communication driven by Welcome Center and Student Ambassadors (in their language and just- in-time information when they need it eg. housing, insurance, meningitis) Admits E. Enrollment assistance for sponsored students to make their course selection a simple and sure process. ESL / conditional admission information session and counseling for a smooth transition to a UNT degree program. Matrics NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference, 16 Oct 2012 2
- 3. Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel cheryl@FundsV.com Potentials A Aware Interested Source Contacts B Qualify Dictated by Prospects the student Applicants Court Admits Convert Matrics Close Insight from the ISB on International Enrollment Management NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference, 16 Oct 2012 3
- 4. Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel cheryl@FundsV.com What is the International Student Barometer? The International Student Barometer (ISB) is the largest annual study of international students in the world, with feedback from over 170,000 respondents each year, now more than 1.4 million responses since 2005 The ISB has run at more than 700 institutions in 24 countries Price versus Value, 2012 Tracks decision-making, expectations, perceptions and experiences of currently enrolled international students at participating institutions Institution-specific results compared against comparator groups, national and international benchmarks Reporting confidential and customised to each institution, public data is aggregated 7 Copyright © IGI Services 2009 Participants Global ISB 2011 Australia Malaysia Canada Netherlands Estonia New Zealand Finland Singapore Germany South Africa Price versus Value, 2012 Hong Kong Sweden Ireland UK Italy USA 209,422 international students responded to the 2011 survey from 238 institutions in 16 countries 8 NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference, 16 Oct 2012 4
- 5. Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel cheryl@FundsV.com USA Participants ISB 2011 Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis University of Cincinnati Kent State University SUNY: Stony Brook, FIT, Albany, New Paltz, Oswego, Plattsburgh Arizona State University Colorado State University Michigan State University Price versus Value, 2012 Western Michigan University De Paul University Iowa State University University of Pittsburgh George Washington University Drexel University Northeastern University 9 Long Island University (Response 19,035 ) Copyright © IGI Services 2009 Dimensions of the ISB questionnaire Pre-arrival Experience Other: Price versus Value, 2012 Destination Arrival Learning Choice Living Agents Application Support Funding sources process Social Media BREAKDOWNS BY: Age Gender 10 Nationality Level of study Subject/major Location Copyright © IGI Services 2009 NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference, 16 Oct 2012 5
- 6. Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel cheryl@FundsV.com Value of insight in enrollment management Recruitment drivers: Students’ perceptions of destination Decision making factors Drivers of recommendation Retention drivers: Student Satisfaction Copyright © IGI Services 2012 What factors are important in study destination choice? USA Teaching quality Qualification reputation Institution reputation Reputation of education system Personal safety Price versus Value, 2012 Department reputation Importance Research quality of the Earning potential academic program Cost of living Cost of study Ranking position USA ISB University (5,277) Scholarship/Bursary 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Sample: International students, USA vs Global Question: How important were the following factors when deciding where to study? (% important) Wave: ISB Fall 2011 Copyright © IGI Services 2009 NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference, 16 Oct 2012 6
- 7. Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel cheryl@FundsV.com What factors are important in study destination choice? Teaching quality Qualification reputation Institution reputation Reputation of education system Personal safety USA ISB (5,277) Department reputation Price versus Value, 2012 Research quality Expectations Earning potential around Cost of living financial Cost of study support Ranking position University Scholarship/Bursary 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Sample: International students, USA vs Global Question: How important were the following factors when deciding where to study? (% important) Copyright © IGI Services 2009 Wave: ISB Fall 2011 What factors/channels help students choose study destinations? USA Friends Parents League tables Institution website Current students Varies Teacher/tutor according to Online Directory/Guide to US H.E. Other family members market/country Alumni Agent Social Networking site (e.g. Orkut,… Careers advisor Prospectus Staff at a presentation USA ISB (5,286) Staff at fair Press article Sponsor Home government advisor Other advising service EducationUSA Adv. Cntr. Campus open day Employer Print directory Press advert Virtual open day Television/radio 0% 20% 40% 60% Sample: International students, USA vs Global Question: Which of the following factors helped you to choose your institution? (% helped) Wave: ISB Fall 2011 NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference, 16 Oct 2012 7
- 8. Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel cheryl@FundsV.com Top influencers over destination choice? Students from China in USA Chinese students in USA: Parents relatively more influential than for Chinese students globally Friends Parents Institution website Global ISB (15,604) USA ISB (2,414) Agent Current students 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Sample: Chinese students, USA ISB vs Global ISB Question: Which of the following factors helped you to choose your institution? (% helped) Wave: ISB Fall 2011 Top influencers over destination choice? Students from India in USA Indian students in USA: Friends and current students relatively more influential than Indian students globally Friends Institution website Parents Global ISB (4,959) USA ISB (864) Agent Current students 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Sample: Indian students, USA ISB vs Global ISB Question: Which of the following factors helped you to choose your institution? (% helped) Wave: ISB Fall 2011 NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference, 16 Oct 2012 8
- 9. Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel cheryl@FundsV.com Influencers over destination choice? Role of Social networks Facebook YouTube Global ISB (49442) Twitter -20% 0% 20% 40% 60% Sample: International students, Global ISB vs USA ISB Question: Are you aware of this university's presence on any of the following social networking sites? (% aware) Wave: ISB Fall 2011 Influencers over destination choice? Role of Social networks USA ISB (3392) Enabling me to communicate with other… Helping me to find local information Helping me to find out about course information Helping me to decide to study at this institution USA ISB (3392) Helping me with my arrival Enabling me to communicate with academic staff Helping me with my application Helping me to find accommodation 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% Sample: International students, Global ISB vs USA ISB Question: How helpful were the university's social networking sites in...? (% helpful) Wave: ISB Fall 2011 NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference, 16 Oct 2012 9
- 10. Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel cheryl@FundsV.com Satisfaction = retention How does the USA Compare? ISB indicates that international students in the USA are: More satisfied with the learning experience Particularly in those areas where students are engaged with the process and structures of their programs Less satisfied with the arrival dimension overall US institutions could do more in: Safety perceptions Integration, particularly at arrival Copyright © IGI Services 2009 Student satisfaction: A global perspective Country 1 Country 2 Country 3 USA Country 4 Country 5 Arrival Overall 87% 88% 86% 85% 81% 87% Learning Overall 83% 86% 84% 88% 85% 87% Living Overall 86% 87% 86% 86% 83% 88% Support Overall 87% 90% 86% 90% 83% 90% Overall Satisfaction 86% 89% 86% 88% 86% 90% Recommendation 75% 79% 79% 81% 82% 84% Sample: International students, Global ISB by destination country Question: Overall measures (% satisfied / % would recommend) Wave: ISB Fall 2011 Copyright © IGI Services 2012 NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference, 16 Oct 2012 10
- 11. Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel cheryl@FundsV.com Perceptions of value: Drivers of recommendation (USA) Undergraduate Masters Doctoral Employability (0.27) Employability (0.38) Good teachers (0.34) Course content (0.26) Careers advice (0.38) Work experience (0.34) Quality lectures (0.26) Course content (0.38) Careers advice (0.33) Careers advice (0.25) Work experience (0.37) Employability (0.33) Good teachers (0.25) Quality lectures (0.37) Course content (0.33) Work experience (0.24) Research (0.35) Research (0.32) Sample: International students, USA ISB Learning elements by level of study Question: ISB learning elements sorted by strength of relationship to student recommendation (r-value) Copyright © IGI Services 2012 Wave: ISB Fall 2011 Recommendations from ISB findings Improving student satisfaction (and retention) will depend on improving understanding of: The factors in student decision-making Important channels in decision making (influencers) Elements of the student experience that students most value Managing expectations by communicating effectively, particularly : • Outcomes of the education program • Cost and funding issues For more info: pamela.barrett@i-graduate.org Website: www.i-graduate.org/northamerica Copyright © IGI Services 2012 NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference, 16 Oct 2012 11
- 12. Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel cheryl@FundsV.com Potentials A Aware Anonymous Interested Source Contacts B Qualify Prospects R.O.I. Applicants Court = Convert Difficult Admits to track Matrics Close Why the rise in anonymity? • Personal Identity Management • Trends in Transparency • Decision Simplicity • Advertising-as-Interruption is dead NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference, 16 Oct 2012 12
- 13. Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel cheryl@FundsV.com http://www.forrester.com/Personal+Identity+Management/fulltext/-/E-RES60322 NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference, 16 Oct 2012 13
- 14. Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel cheryl@FundsV.com NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference, 16 Oct 2012 14
- 15. Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel cheryl@FundsV.com MyUniversity.gov.au Process > Promotion Price versus Value, 2012 NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference, 16 Oct 2012 15
- 16. Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel cheryl@FundsV.com NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference, 16 Oct 2012 16
- 17. Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel cheryl@FundsV.com Campus Case Study Dr. Parvin Bagherpour Houston Community College International Student Services PDSO and Associate Vice Chancellor for Intentional Student Services & Study Abroad Houston Community College is one of the largest institutions of higher education in the country with more than 70,000 students each semester, including 6,250 international students from 147 countries. HCC has more international students than any other community college in the country. Why they come… Open Door Institution Variety of Education Transfer Plan Accessibility Retention NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference, 16 Oct 2012 17
- 18. Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel cheryl@FundsV.com Effective Marketing Strategies Student Services – student satisfaction Networking with local colleges and universities Website Personalized Communication International Outreach Morphing Marketing, Operations http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/07/26/ evaluation-foreign-students-credentials-may-be-getting-short-shrift NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference, 16 Oct 2012 18
- 19. Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel cheryl@FundsV.com FundsV empowers consumers Secure bank account balance verifications Consumers point their data to authorized host Robust alternative to paper bank statements Minimizes opportunity to manipulate documents Host retains full authority in how to use the data What’s Next? Encourage host governments to recognize data feed Advance global standards, via new SWIFT message Tap into group-gifting and crowd-funding sources Integrate data transfer with actual transfer of funds NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference, 16 Oct 2012 19
- 20. Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel cheryl@FundsV.com NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference, 16 Oct 2012 20
- 21. Re-Defining the Enrollment Funnel cheryl@FundsV.com Lifetime Engagement Management RE-DEFINING THE ENROLLMENT FUNNEL NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference 16 October 2012 in San Juan, Puerto Rico * Cheryl DarrupBoychuck, cheryl@USjournal.com * Pamela Barrett, pamela@bartoncarlyle.com * Dickie Hargrave, Dickie.Hargrave@unt.edu * Parvin Bagherpour, pr.bagherpour@hccs.edu * Sharon Butler, sharon@peertransfer.com NAFSA Bi-Regional Conference, 16 Oct 2012 21
Editor's Notes
- I am Cheryl DarrupBoychuck, head of both USjournal and FundsV. USjournal and our family of 17 multi-lingual sites promote US campuses to international students, and FundsV provides a secure platform for prospective students to prove financial capacity online, rather than on paper. Pamela is our primary co-presenter; she is a senior consultant for International Graduate Insight Group, better known as i-graduate. She has more than 25 years of experience in international recruitment and marketing. In preparing this session, we reached out to colleagues for their perspective on how the traditional enrollment funnel has changed over the past few years. So we will also hear briefly from DickieHargrave, Assistant Director of International Recruitment at the University of North Texas. Dr. ParvinBagherpour, PDSO and Associate Vice Chancellor of International Student Services at Houston Community College; she is also chair of the Houston Forum of Advisors to Internationals. Finally, we have Sharon Butler, director of sales for peerTransfer, which facilitates tuition payments for international students. This complete slide deck is posted at SlideShare.net for your convenience. http://www.slideshare.net/USjournal/nafsa-biregional-in-san-juan-oct-12 And here is Dickie who will provide an overview of the “funnel” concept, and UNT’s perspective of it.
- Dickie
- Dickie
- Dickie
- Twenty years ago, or so, the objective of the international student recruiter was to cast a wide net, and encourage as many students as possible to “flood” the funnel at the top, recognizing of course that only a relatively small percentage of those prospects would actually filter down into the “enrolled” segment. ROI (Return on Investment) was relatively straightforward: Calculate what you spend on promotions to yield a specific number of people in each of those segments, moving down the filter – and what they spent on tuition. Then subtract the net revenue from your promotional expenses, to arrive at your ROI. As Dickie mentioned, the very top part of the enrollment funnel has effectively dissolved. Many prospective students choose NOT to identify themselves prior to applying for admission. I read last week that 80% of them abandon their initial search activities before divulging their personal contact info. In other words, when they’re at their most open to suggestion and persuasion (during search), they are not taking the extra step toward commitment. They’ve gained a perception of your campus – but you’ve really gained nothing from them, as they “lurk” around your site or peek into your social media efforts.
- Personal Identity Management: Consumers are leaving an exponentially growing digital footprint across channels and media, and they’re discovering that they do in fact have the power to control their data. Trends in transparency have led students to research their options deeply and anonymously. Now that most information is digitized, that means that data is now globalized and turbo-charged. Research has shown that consumers crave “Decision Simplicity,” at a time when “advertising-as-interruption” is dead.
- First, this idea of “Personal Identity Management.” Consumers (including prospective students and their parents) are awakening to the fact that marketers use their online data for financial gain. This, combined with growing concerns about data security, means that individuals increasingly want to know when data about them is being collected, what is being stored and by whom, and how that data is being used. I think it’s a very healthy trend. But what does it mean for us, as international student recruiters?
- A few examples regarding trends in transparency: The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 mandates that each postsecondary institution in the United States that participates in Title IV student aid programs must post a net price calculator on its Web site that uses institutional data to provide estimated net price information to current and prospective students and their families based on a student’s individual circumstances. http://www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/leg/hea08/index.html
- Of course, technology will always be used in ways it was never intended. What’s important from the perspective of international student recruiters is that these tools do not prohibit non-U.S. students (or anyone within their sphere of influence) from accessing the data. Based on the parameters of the legislation, U.S. campuses are not required to develop net price calculators for international students. But some forward-thinking campuses have done it anyway. SUNY (that’s the State University of New York) at Plattsburgh is one example. Scholarships / financial aid are awarded based on the applicant's country of primary residence (and its economic category as defined by the World Bank), academic achievement, and SAT/ACT results (for freshmen only). Some who play around with the calculator will discover that we offer a more robust package to students from the Americas and the Caribbean. There's an institutional priority behind that decision, but that's why a student from Mexico would get more than a student from Sri Lanka. This calculator has been on our website for several years now. It is updated each year based on our estimated cost of attendance and the value of each component of our financial aid package. I worried that this level of transparency might negatively impact international student recruitment, but I'd rather have a student be aware of the real costs of attendance and actual financial aid eligibility *before* he/she enrolls rather than having them arrive without proper financial resources to continue and complete his/her degree.
- So now that net tuition values are readily accessible to the general public, several sophisticated tools have emerged. The U.S. Department of Education has created the “College Affordability and Transparency Center” to help students compare colleges on affordability and value. (By U.S. federal regulation, for-profit schools are already required to report similar information, including student earnings and debt, to the government.) Some of this information can be gleaned from federal records, but making it readily available to the general public is really what’s important to note.
- Of course, these types of cost comparators are not unique to the United States. The Australian government recently released In this example, the first year of a Bachelors Degree in Information Technology cost AUS$6,485 at the University of Queensland, AUS$6,757 at Griffith University, and AUS$7,836 at Queensland University of Technology. The site has been received with mixed reactions from the higher education sector, with some university representatives claiming that the data is not as accurate as it should be.
- We’re competing not only with a greater number of peer campuses here in the US, but campuses around the world are seeking to enroll the very same students we’re targeting. It’s increasingly difficult for campuses to differentiate themselves. And with the transparent nature of the marketing environment, prospective students must make their admissions decisions based on other factors. Like a simple admissions process. When all things (like academic programs, tuition, location…) are more or less equal, humans (and especially international students) will choose the path of least resistance. How easy is your admissions process? I think we’ll hear a lot more about “Operations as Marketing” and “Hustle as Strategy” in the coming months and years. The bottom line is, in an intensely competitive marketplace, the host campus (in the U.S. or elsewhere) with the simplest admissions process may very well prevail over those who ignore student preferences. Advertising-as-Interruption is over. I would even go so far as to say that *process* will surpass *promotion* in terms of importance in advancing global student mobility.
- The easy part for students is researching their options and deciding on a few campus alternatives. It gets complicated when the student actually applies. At this point, the student perspective is not pretty. International admissions has a long way to go to simplify their application procedures. You might be thinking, “Wait. I thought this was a marketing and recruiting session, not an international student services session. Operations is not my job…”
- I would argue, operations is everyone’s job. Forbes' research recently revealed that marketers try too hard to engage with consumers via social media, causing people to over-analyze purchase decisions. Marketers are generally pushing out too much information, making people more likely to change their minds about a product or service, be less confident in their choice and less likely remain loyal to the brand. I love this article, because it concluded that the only reason consumers tend to “like” a brand on Facebook or elsewhere, is so that they can get a discount – not because they’re fiercely loyal. The key to positively impacting purchase decisions and brand loyalty is to simplify the process.http://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickspenner/2012/07/02/marketers-have-it-wrong-forget-engagement-consumers-want-simplicity/ And with that, we’ll interject a campus case study from Houston Community College. Parvin?
- Parvin
- Parvin
- Parvin
- There has been some very strong criticism recently about the dis-connect between marketing and operations. In some cases, admissions standards of marketers and recruiters are not nearly as robust as operations (credential evaluators in particular) would like them to be. “We’re looking more at marketing and recruitment rather than the standards of credential evaluation that were long a hallmark of international admissions.” --Patty Croom, associate director of international admissions at Michigan State Universityhttp://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/07/26/evaluation-foreign-students-credentials-may-be-getting-short-shrift
- Let’s look at one example in the international admissions process that can be easily streamlined: The funds verification component. On some campuses, this part of the cycle is considered part of the International Student Services domain, not part of marketing and recruiting. What we’ve seen from USjournal clients, is that they’re encouraging prospective students to prove sufficient funds earlier in the admissions cycle, so they can devote more resources to prospects most likely to be approved for their student visas. From the host campus perspective, that certainly makes sense. But what about the student’s perspective? Years ago, prospective students (and their sponsors) certainly would have resisted. Now, however, the level of comfort has risen.
- FundsV provides a robust alternative to paper bank statements, or similar documents that are scanned and uploaded. We provide a secure and reliable way of empowering consumers (in many pockets of the world) to point their banking data, which already exists ‘in the cloud’, to their authorized host in order to prove financial capacity. With FundsV, the host no longer needs to "eyeball" those documents for authenticity; the data is transferred electronically, improving the efficiency and integrity of the process.From a technical perspective, FundsV is really an incremental advancement designed as an alternative to the current process for verifying funds – which hasconsiderable potential for fraud. FundsV minimizes the opportunity to manipulate financial documents, while the host retains full authority in deciding how to use the robust set of data.What’s next?
- There is no obligation to check, however, there is a requirements to not violate the law by doing business with a target or failing to block property.
- These trends really represent a tremendous opportunity for us as international student recruiters. First off, re-think the funnel. It’s obviously a piece that was designed from the perspective of the host campus. The funnel has changed dramatically from being institution-driven, to student-driven. We need to re-focus our approach to the student perspective. And Pamela has some pretty robust data from student surveys…
- Pamela
- Cheryl: In conclusion: You may have seen this from Fran Zablocki, project manager at mStoner, a higher-ed marketing firm. From the very first day that a prospect opens your admissions materials, they have a relationship with you. This is a one-to-one, lifelong relationship between the university and an individual, not a many-to-one relationship between different departments of a university and a prospect, a student, an alum, and a donor. When each stage of the relationship cycle is staffed by a different team, in a different silo, with a different technology, the institution's half of the relationship seems schizophrenic, forgetful, and thoughtless. Today's admissions prospect is next decade's donor! Lifetime engagement management also involves smoothing out the transitions that our audiences move through as they go from a prospect to a student and on to alumni and donor.
- Q and A