Institutions across the country are rethinking (or at least should be) strategies related to new student enrollment based on a delayed enrollment cycle.
The global pandemic has affected the normal ebbs and flows of a traditional yield season that had already been affected by recent NACAC/DOJ changes.
Declining high school graduation populations across the nation are no longer a secret and have been a strain on the higher-ed world for quite some time.
So stir in a little COVID-19 and boom, a strange new world! It is time to explore the final frontier, to seek out new life and new civilizations.
Transfer students…
Well, we all know that transfer students are not actually the final frontier, but for those institutions that are not exactly transfer-friendly, now is the time to make some serious changes.
Review transfer processes and procedures in an effort to simplify what has typically been a very cumbersome process.
Think about the process of being a transfer student at (enter institution here), and how that process moves along.
How are the transfer credit evaluations handled? How quickly do prospective transfer students have access to those evaluations? Is it time to update and possibly expand your articulation agreements?
While some institutions passively market to transfer students, we recommend aggressive and – dare we say – structured plans to attract transfer students be put in place.
Without a real strategy in place, colleges and universities across the country are missing out on what is considered to be one of the few growth markets for prospective students.
In dealing with both the short and long term effects of COVID-19, it is not enough for institutions or enrollment managers to only think of the impending budget cuts and tough decisions due to revenue shortages.
We all need to find a way to come out on the other side of this as strong as possible for 2020 and beyond. One way to do this is to “Boldly go where no man has gone before.”
Okay, okay we get it… transfers are not a new market by any stretch of the imagination. However, for some being intentional about your transfer student outreach is very new.
What was your transfer strategy BC (before COVID-19) and what can you do to streamline it in this virtual world?
Ready to take a look at cost-effective ways to move the needle with your transfer population?
