Eastern Michigan University is using FormAssembly to individualize the prospective student experience with limited staff and resources. They created an inquiry form to gather more information from students to better target communications. The form asks for academics and interests to email relevant information. Admissions staff then connect individually with students using the information. They also created a pre-visit survey and are exploring using forms for other touchpoints like admitted student surveys. Forms should be broad but not oversimplified and use themes to make them on-brand. Information gathered should be used and connected to the student database.

1. #TargetXSummit
2 Beards. 1 Brain. Too Broad?
Utilizing FormAssembly to Individualize the College Search Experience
Alex Landen
BJ Selfridge
Ashleigh Spatt
Eastern Michigan University

2. #TargetXSummit
What are we doing today?
Talk about how schools can continually
individualize their prospective student
experience
Discuss how EMU is using FormAssembly to
do that
Walk through 2 examples of forms EMU has
created
Talk about some #ProTips for FormAssembly
creation

3. But first…..Say Cheese!!!!!

4. Eastern Michigan University

5. #TargetXSummit
Institutional Challenges
● Fall 2017 - FTIAC
Inquiries: 78,886
Applicants: 17,000
Enrollees : 2,780
Full-Time Recruiting Staff : 7 (2,428:1 App:Staff ratio)
● Staff and Budget Limitations
● Limited Interactions
20% of applicants attend visits
On average, 16% of campus visitors return for another
Visit.

6. #TargetXSummit
What do we know?
ACT reported in 2017 that 92% of students agree they “... would like to receive
communication from college admissions tailored specifically to me”
“Most prospective students feel as though colleges are more focused on
presenting information about their institution than attempting to understand
the individual needs and preferences of students.” Longmire & Co. 2016
TargetX Summit 2017 - Student Panel Takeaways
Students do not feel they are being targeted

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Mass Individualization
What does that even mean?
How are we individualizing the campus experience?
Campus Visits
Communication Plan
How are we doing it?
Leveraging FormAssembly
Leveraging info we already have

8. #TargetXSummit
The Pre-Visit Survey
Our First Humble Attempt

9. Campus Visit Experience (AKA First Attempt)
Individualizing the Campus Tour
Individual Adviser Appointments
Small Tour Groups
Handwritten Follow Ups
Pre-Visit Survey
Registration Form
650 Responses

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The Inquiry Form
A Two-Way Transaction

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Gathering Information
● What information are we asking for?
● What information are students
willing to give?
● What do they get for giving us the
information?
● What are we doing with the
information we are gathering?
From Ruffalo Noel-Levitz
2017 E-Expectations Trend Report

13. #TargetXSummit
The Basics -
What we need to create
the student record
Ways to Communicate -
Print mailings, email, and
text messaging

14. Title
● Add
● Your
● Bullets
● Here
Emails targeted based on
academic interest
Emails targeted based on
co-curricular interests
Happy Birthday emails
Personalized individual
follow up

15. FormAssembly Forms
● Freshman Inquiry w/ ID
For email; to match answers with existing records
131 responses (since March 12, 2018)
● Freshman Inquiry w/o ID
For web; to create new records
411 responses (since April 10, 2018)
● Transfer Inquiry
41 responses (since May 21, 2018)
● International Inquiry
10 responses (since May 31, 2018)

16. Freshman Inquiry Form on the Website

17. How does this affect our communications flow?
● Follow up with emails with information that
is relevant to the student.
● Review what information students are
requesting and make sure it’s easy to find
on the website.
● Using Tasks, our admissions advisers
connect individually with each student who
requests it (via call/text/email).
● Where else in the funnel
can we use this mass
individualization?
○ Admitted Student Survey
○ Melt Prevention/Summer
Outreach
○ More advanced event
invitations

18. #ProTips for Building Forms
● Get broad, but don’t oversimplify
● Connectors - Moving the information from the form into the database
● Create themes (designed backgrounds) -- make it on brand
● Prefill with information you already have -- Think about the student
experience!
● View your form on multiple devices
● If you won’t USE it, LOSE it! - Be intentional

19. #TargetXSummit
Questions?
Questions?

20. #TargetXSummit
Thank You
alanden@emich.edu
bselfri1@emich.edu
aspatt@emich.edu