Live Where Your Audiences Live: Engaging Students Virtually Throughout the Enrollment Cycle

1. Live Where Your Audiences Live: Engaging Students Virtually Throughout the Enrollment Cycle

2. Live Where Your Audiences Live: Engaging Students Virtually Throughout the Enrollment Cycle Marty Bennett Manager of International Partnerships, CollegeWeekLive Brittany Wright School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, GWU Erica Lutes Executive Director, Fulbright Belgium Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

3. Marty Bennett Manager of International Partnerships, CollegeWeekLive @CWLIntl @martybennett Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

4. Overview •What motivates (and prevents) international students to attend a foreign university? •What interactions influence international students’ choice of university? •Which aspects of the enrollment process do international students need the most help with? •How can admissions capture the attention of international students & their families 2ndAnnual Study on the Expectations of International Students Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

5. About the respondents More than 2,400 respondents from 164 countries Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

6. Institutional brand #1 reason to study abroad 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Interested in a particular university Currently attending international high school Private scholarship offered No higher education opportunities in home country Interested in studying with particular professor Government funding Siblings studied abroad No post-high school career opportunities No post-undergrad career oportunities Avoid home country tests and requirements No graduate education opportunties in home country Parents studied abroad What factors influence the decision to attend university outside of the home country? Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

7. Yet -most international students do not appear to be locked into one campus 17% 38% 21% 7% 4% 12% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 1 - 2 3 - 5 6 - 10 11 - 15 More than 15 Don't know How many colleges do students intend to apply to? Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

8. Funding and Safety are Top Concerns 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Funding Safety in surrounding area Safety on campus No friends or family nearby Language barrier My parents are concerned Cultural differences Other I don't have any concerns What are students' concerns about studying abroad? Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

9. Financial Decisions & Visa Process – where most help needed 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Financial decisions Applying for a visa Writing application essay Deciding where to apply Researching colleges Completing applications Moving to campus Traveling to colleges Deciding where to enroll Standardized test prep (ACT/SAT) English language prep (TOEFL/IELTS) Which aspects of the enrollment process do students need help with? Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

10. Prospective students highly value conversations with campus representatives & current students 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 University website College rankings Conversations with reps Student conversations Campus tour College search sites Brochures Guidance counselor Local education/U.S. office Independent counselor University Facebook How influential are the following experiences in the application decision? (1-5 scale, 5=most influential) Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

11. Prospective students highly value conversations with campus representatives & current students 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 E-mail Traditional college fairs Live chat (IM) Campus tour Phone Live video Webcast Social media Webcam call Text messaging Interest in using the following resources to communicate with college representatives (1-5 scale, 5=highest interest) Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

12. Intl Students Will Likely Not Visit Campus Before Enrolling 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% All schools My top schools Might visit one ormore No plans to visit Plans to visit campuses Before applying After acceptance Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

13. Recruiting Strategies (based on the findings) •Build your brand in target markets abroad •Adapt your website & communications to mobile devices •Use a variety of communication methods •Build strong relationships early with key international prospects •Involve parents in the communication flow •Offer assistance with campus visits to top prospects •Make funding information easily available Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

14. Value Across the Enrollment Cycle Recruit everywhere you can’t be physically 195 Countries Engageprospects through entire enrollment process Save cost over traditional recruiting methods Improve yield Amplify your institutional brand Reach new high school counselors Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

15. Europe & Eurasia Regional Forum Tbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014 School of Engineering & Applied Science Office of Graduate Admissions • 70% of graduate student population are international students • Core Markets: China, India & Iran • Growth Markets: Eurasia, South America, GCC, Southeast Asia, MENA • Exploratory Market: Indonesia, Sub-Saharan Africa • Online recruiting efforts are reflective of the accessibility prospective students have to technology and applications

16. Social Media Efforts Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

17. Graduate.seas.gwu.edu Graduate Admissions Website

18. Translated Pages for Parents Mobile Ready Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

19. Translated Job FAQ and Budgets Tertiary pages on website and flyers Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

20. HobsonsConnect CRM HobsonsApplyYourself Online Communication Plans: Prospective & Applicants

21. Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

22. Erica Lutes, Executive DirectorFulbright Belgium Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

23. Videos Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

24. From the EdUSA Advising perspective: Social Media Goals •Become more accessible •Widen outreach •Make dynamic website •Promote events •Refresh website •Communicate through new open media channels Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

25. Results: Statistics 193interviews –660+videos available on our You Tube channel Channel Views: 602,000+ Channel Subscribers:1,200+ Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

26. Feedback “Well done to you and the Fulbright Belgium team for putting that short, to the point, and visually appealing video clip together” “I especially like the young women who participated in an LLM at Columbia, because you can sense her enthusiasm, which only feeds my own determination” “It allowed me to get a real feel for her experience” “So, if I have adifficult moment in the next couple of months where I wonder ifgoing on an LLAMA is reallyworth all the trouble, I know I just have to watch these interviews again to get a new boost of energy” “One of the main things I got from all of them was the clear message to start on time!” Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

27. Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

28. Engage prospective students multiple times throughout the enrollment process -and win them over •Meet new sophomores and juniors starting the search •Interact with seniors deciding where to apply •Target specific segments •Introduce enrolled students to campus resources •Improve yield -give admitted students a window to your school •Invite admitted students to meet with representatives & current students PROSPECTS INQUIRIES APPLICANTS ADMITS DEPOSITS Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

29. University of San Diego Case Study: Increasing yield and retention via… 1. Improving the admissions experience for students 2. Having meaningful conversations at the right time 3. Expanding their reach (international students) 4. Providing greater access (shaping the class) Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

30. University of San Diego Case Study: On-campus vs. Virtual Open House •On-Campus Open House Attendance: 87% from California Ethnic Diversity: Primarily Caucasian Cost: $18,900 Staff time: 3 months •Virtual Open House Attendance: More out of state & international students Ethnic Diversity: greater increase Cost: $1,290 Staff time: 3 weeks 194 Registrants from USD Outreach 1,132 new leads Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014 Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

31. University of San Diego Case StudyVirtual vs. On-campus Open House •Virtual Open House: Attendance: 45 states and 104 countries Northeast 11.0% Southeast 6.5% Midwest 9.8% Southwest 8.0% West (includes AK & HI) 34.8% Non-U.S. 29.8% Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

32. University of San Diego Case StudyOn-line Opportunities: Applicants and Admits –Applicants: Chats with counseling staff –Admits: Theme Chats with Staff and Students Honors students Out of state Torero Life Academics & Undergraduate Research University Ministry Changemaking Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

33. University of San Diego Case Study: On-line Opportunities: Deposits –Summer Orientation: Webcasts & using Always On chats 4 Webcasts from May-August: Get Classes: Registration with Dean’s Office and Faculty Advisors Get Down to Business:Paying your Bill, Getting Your Financial Aid & Avoiding Long Lineswith Financial Aid, One Stop and Student Accounts Get Ready:Parent Webinar on Supporting Your Student During the College Transition with Parent Relations and Student Wellness Center Get Excited: Countdown to Arrival with Student Affairs Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

34. University of San Diego Case Study: Their Success •Yield increased by 2% from Fall 2012 •Enrolled second largest class in USD’s history for Fall 2013 •Yield rate continues to go up for Fall 2014 class Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

35. Engage Students on Their Preferred Communication Channels Live chat example, Western Michigan University •This example shows Western Michigan admissions engaging with a student about their intended major Mobile & Tablet Accessible Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

36. Expand Access to InternationalHigh School Counselors & Advisers CollegeWeekLiveHigh School Connect •Enables 2-way communication with US/Intl High Schools, EdUSA Advising Centers •Build new relationships with high schools & their counselors Honduran High School Students & Counselor engaging with colleges using CollegeWeekLive Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

37. Greatly Expand Reach Harness a Growing Audience •Students from 195 Countries •660 high school counselors & EducationUSA advisers •231% projected growth in new annual registrants since 2012 •188% growth in number of college visits since 2012 •2014 Intl Undergrad Registrants projected to have 93% Growth •2014 Intl Graduate Registrants projected to have 99% Growth Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

38. State Department/ CollegeWeekLivePublic-Private Partnership •Following several successful virtual fair partnerships •Private –Public Partnership MOU agreed upon between State Department and CollegeWeekLiveand signed in May 2014 •Partnering on 7 Virtual Fairs a year (3 regional + 4 Global) oOne of the global fairs is during International Education Week (IEW) which the State Department is is using as the flagship event with an additional marketing/ social media push + on the ground viewing events oAlso on the ground events planned for the upcoming Latin America Day as part of 100K Strong Americas Initiative. Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014

39. Thank You & Questions Europe & Eurasia Regional ForumTbilisi, Georgia, September 22-24, 2014