Admissions teams at universities, business schools, and other higher education institutions face significant challenges in attracting students.
This is because it’s becoming increasingly difficult to attract, retain, and retain prospective students.
But is your approach still effective today? Are you achieving the visibility you need for all your efforts? Or the engagement you desire? Or are algorithms and constant platform changes reducing your effectiveness?
What are some of the most common challenges in attracting students?
1. The “ghost” students
A “ghost student” is someone who requests information about the institution through any of the available channels and then disappears after this initial interaction. They vanish, like a ghost.
These students initially showed interest in the institution, but lost it after this first interaction.
There are countless reasons for this behavior: it could be due to financial or family circumstances, a lack of follow-up from the institution, simply losing interest in their request, or the content they received failing to meet their expectations.
Whatever the reason, this prospective student doesn’t continue the process and therefore doesn’t ultimately enroll at the institution.
2. Immediacy
New generations, and therefore future students, live in an age of immediacy.
And that’s what they expect when they request or ask for more information from your educational institution. If they don’t receive a response to their needs in a short time, they feel frustrated and disappointed.
Of course, 24/7 immediate response is not an option.
The institution must manage student expectations and clearly indicate approximate response times on each channel to avoid this feeling of being unresponsive.
To this end, implementing tools such as an app that facilitates this agility can be very useful for improving conversion rates and preventing student frustration.
3. Students “lost” along the way
These are students who have shown great interest, with whom you’ve maintained more than one contact (they’ve moved beyond the initial stage of interest), and are just one step away from becoming pre-students. But for reasons unknown, one day their interest fades, and they “lose” their way through this final phase.
In other words:
- They don’t complete the registration process,
- They’re missing the necessary documentation to formalize their enrollment,
- They don’t make the corresponding payment,
- Or, in more extreme cases, they don’t show up at the beginning of the semester.
This can be a problem for the institution, as it may not be able to close registrations with the expected numbers. And if there’s a waiting list, these students may have already chosen other options at this point in the process.
These lost students may exist, but the institution’s goal will undoubtedly be to minimize their number. Above all, they cannot be “lost” due to a lack of support or a lack of clarity on the part of the institution at each stage of the process.
What solutions can I apply to these challenges to attract students?
- Analyze current communication channels to identify which ones convert best and pinpoint potential improvements to the recruitment strategy.
- Review the content offered across different channels and test alternative content, such as sending invitations to specific events that may be of interest.
- Anticipate students’ potential questions and information needs and provide a dedicated space with this content so they can access it without having to ask.
- Establish a space where students can ask questions and receive public answers, both from the center and by giving a voice to other authorized individuals, such as student ambassadors.
- Offer new communication channels that allow for the agility and immediacy that new students demand and that can be managed quickly during established hours.
- Provide detailed and personalized follow-up for each step the student must take and gather their feedback on this process to identify potential improvements.
How do I apply all of this?
As we mentioned earlier, having the right tools is a differentiating factor. And in the process of attracting students, in an increasingly segmented and competitive market, it certainly is.
To that end, having an app for prospective students like UNIFIT’s can be a great help in:
- Facilitating lead generation through the app’s own form.
- Communicating and disseminating all the necessary information at different stages of the lead’s journey through the calendar or push notifications.
- Obtaining feedback at different stages through the app’s surveys.
- Creating a space for dialogue with prospective students where they can ask questions and receive answers, both from the university itself and from ambassadors.
- Providing a private and immediate communication channel with students through chat.
Ultimately, facilitating the student’s decision-making process and showing them, from the very first contact, personalized follow-up tailored to their needs.
And also…
Once the candidate has become a pre-student, that is, already enrolled at the center, having an app is also a great help to correctly carry out the student’s student’s onboarding before their arrival at the center.
