Student-to-Student Connection

Often times in the recruitment process, we tend to find ourselves becoming overly encumbered with predictive modeling, retargeting pixels, and mass email invitations to upcoming open houses. There is a very human element that sometimes takes a backseat for one very good but unacceptable reason: It’s resource consuming.

I’m talking, of course, about using student workers.

It’s very important for the prospective students your school is attempting to recruit to see and hear from people who are like them. Typically, this ends up occurring either by having a student call team inviting students to visit campus or having student workers signing birthday cards.

The reason so many enrollment management supervisors tend to neglect this human element is because it can be difficult to find enough students that can competently do the job asked of them and, if your school can find enough students, it can become difficult to afford to pay them for their labors.

Here recently we’ve been trumpeting the reminder that content is king and in this instance we have another great reason why. Tap into that human element, that student-to-student connection without sacrificing too many hours or too many budget dollars: Narrow down to a few.

Select a few students that are involved in different aspects of campus life (different majors, student clubs/organizations, internships, etc.). Make sure they are quality communicators, as well. Then utilize their abilities to reach out to students:

• Have a great elementary education major? Help that student do a video blog of their student teaching at a local school.
• A budding film producer? Aid them in filming and editing a day in their life on your campus.
• And don’t forget about that English major with an emphasis in interpretive poetry. They, most assuredly, could tell your prospective students their ten favorite things about campus in a Dr. Suess-like rhyme.

By taking this route, not only are you allowing for a less resource-zapping opportunity to demonstrate that student-to-student connection, you’re also demonstrating the gifts and abilities your school has helped cultivate in these students, too. That’s a win-win!

Additionally, this content is fresh and will resonate with your prospective students in a way that compliments the also-necessary call-to-action emails and letters from the Dean of Students that your communication flow already produces.

If you’re interested in learning more distinct ways to find your institution’s voice while still staying resource-conscious, contact us!