EduMusings

Last Friday was “the” day for many prospective college students across the nation to send in their deposits and reserve their spots at the institutions that accepted them.  

Now, with decision day behind us, the hard work begins for many colleges and universities as they try to yield as many students as possible and avoid the dreaded “summer melt.”

summer melt

 n. a reduction in the number of students who enroll at a specific college or university in the autumn, as compared to those who earlier in the year confirmed they would attend. Also just melt or, rarely, summer thaw. Subjects: English,Education, Slang

 So what can you do to avoid the melt?

One approach that’s garnered a lot of attention this week is that of Berea College, which according to TIME pulls a remarkable 78% of its applicants.  Their secret? Free tuition.

However, what’s a school to do if free just isn’t in the cards?  

You may be able to learn a thing or two from those students that showed interested, but then opted for another institution. Becky Morehouse of Stamats today posts 7 questions for those students that have not matriculated.  Who knows, by asking these simple questions, you might stumble across an answer that will get them to reconsider, or at least tailor your messaging for future classes based on the responses. Her are Becky’s suggestions:

1. When you first applied for admission, where did THIS SCHOOL stand in your schools of choice? When you made your final decision, where did THIS SCHOOL stand?

2. When did you make your final decision not to attend THIS SCHOOL?

3. It’s important to get a read on how important various institutional characteristics rate in the student’s selection process—everything from academic reputation to personal attention to campus location and many more. It’s equally important to have students compare THIS SCHOOL to OTHER SCHOOL on included characteristics with:

   • THIS SCHOOL is better

   • OTHER SCHOOL is better

   • They are the same

4. How did the [timeliness, amount of information, accuracy, etc.] of the admissions process compare between THIS SCHOOL and OTHER SCHOOL?
   (and ask about key aspects of financial aid process too).

5. Because the visit is such a vital component of the final decision (it’s where students determine fit and feel), ask participants to provide their level of agreement with the overall perception of the visit as well as selected aspects, including:

   • I enjoyed my visit to THIS SCHOOL

   • As I met faculty and students at THIS SCHOOL I felt I would fit in

   • My campus tour helped me get a good feel for what life at THIS SCHOOL was like

   • Visiting helped convince me that THIS SCHOOL was a good fit academically

   • Visiting helped convince me that THIS SCHOOL was a good fit overall

   • After visiting THIS SCHOOL, I really wanted to attend

6. Why didn’t you choose THIS SCHOOL?

7. What one thing could THIS SCHOOL have done that might have convinced you to attend?

As Becky notes, “these aren’t the end all, be all, but they will serve as a good start. The important thing is that you take the time and make the investment to ask.”

However, understanding where you’re losing potential students could be useful information, especially if your school falls on this list of 258 institutions that still have room in their class according to the National Association of College Admissions Counseling.

In my opinion, the answers you get from once-interested, but non-matriculated students could also help inform your outreach to those students that have made deposits.  Perhaps there are some common misconceptions about your institution that need to be addressed?  Or maybe there’s another local institution that’s getting a lot of attention for some reason?  

Bottomline: Just because you have a deposit that doesn’t mean you’re no longer competing for share of mind.  Now is the time to continue the conversation with your future students whether it is through building online communities to allow students to connect with their future classmates, or sending out a well-timed email campaign reminding them of a few essentials they’ll need to bring for that first day on campus.  It’s time to remind them why they made their choice in the first place.