Prevailing Trends: How To Engage International Students in AdmissionsConverge Consulting Webinar

Presenters

Melissa KingVice President of Marketing

Tiffanie Loeb SchneiderInternational Student Advisor

AgendaAgenda

• E-Expectations research with Ruffalo Noel Levitz – Prospective International Students

• Eduventures Going International research – Admitted International Students

• Concordia University, St. Paul international strategy

• Major takeaways

• Questions

What We Do – CollegeWeekLive

Enable online, live, and interactive student engagement

throughout the enrollment process

CollegeWeekLive ClientsCollege and university clients

Azusa Pacific University Ball State UniversityBath Spa UniversityBentley UniversityBoston Architectural College Broward College Butler Community College Caldwell University Centennial College Christopher Newport University College of DuPage Columbia College Concordia University, St. PaulCornell University CUNY, Baruch CollegeDaemen College Durham College Eastern Illinois University Emory University School of LawFashion Institute of TechnologyFlorida International University Full Sail University Gannon University Hunter CollegeIllinois College Illinois Institute of Technology Johnson & Wales University

Kent State UniversityLakeland College Loyola Marymount UniversityManhattanville College Marshall UniversityMiami Dade College Miami University of OhioMiddlesex University New York University North Carolina State University North Dakota State University Northeastern UniversityNova Southeastern University Oregon State University Otero Junior CollegePace University Roger Williams UniversitySam Houston State University Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleSt. Thomas University St. Cloud State UniversitySuffolk University Syracuse UniversityTexas Tech University United States Naval AcademyUniversity of AkronThe University of Arizona

University of British Columbia University of California, Davis University of Colorado, Denver University of Florida University of Houston University of Idaho University of Illinois at ChicagoUniversity of Louisville University of Michigan, Flint University of Nevada, Reno University of Notre DameUniversity of RochesterUniversity of San Diego University of SydneyUniversity of Tampa University of Texas, ArlingtonUniversity of Vermont University of Wisconsin-Stout Utah State University Valencia College Virginia Tech Washington State University West Chester University West Virginia UniversityWilliam Peace University…and more…

CollegeWeekLive Partners

Survey Results3rd annual International E-Expectations Survey

• In cooperation with Ruffalo Noel-Levitz• 2700+ student respondents• Representing 164 countries• 47% seeking undergraduate studies, 53% seeking

graduate studies

Global Representation2714 respondents from 160 countries

Top countries of origin

31%

7%3%2%

15%

Undergraduate Students

Senior

Junior

Sophomore

Freshman

Transfer

17%

23%

Graduate Students

Currently in college

Not in college

Regional Breakdown

Poll Questions

1. Which of the following factors most influenced undergraduate students’ decisions to attend a college/university outside of their home country?

2. What do students see as the biggest obstacle to study outside their home country?

3. What percentage of international students have looked at a college/university website on a mobile device?

Survey Highlights

Motivations for Studying Abroad

Interested in a particular college/university

Private scholarship offered

Government funding

Interested in studying with a particular professor

No higher education opportunities in home country

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

59%

21%

19%

16%

12%

Graduate Students

Interested in a particular college/university

Currently attending an internation high school

Private scholarship offered

Government funding

No higher education opportunities in home country

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

62%

24%

17%

14%

13%

Undergraduate Students

70+% will apply to 3 or more schools!

# of Applications Undergraduate Graduate

1 to 2 17% 19%3 to 5 46% 47%6 to 10 19% 16%11 to 15 5% 3%More than 15 3% 4%Unknown 10% 11%

Top Concerns for Studying Abroad

Financial requirements

Visa requirements

Safety in surrounding area

Safety on campus

Language barrier

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

77%

38%

24%

23%

18%

Graduate Students

Financial requirements

No friends or family nearby

Visa requirements

Safety in surrounding area

Safety on campus

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

77%

31%

28%

27%

26%

Undergraduate Students

After money – main concern for prospective undergraduates – friends & family nearby

Prospective graduate students most concerned about the visa requirements (after money)

Top 6 Most Influential Resources

How international student-friendly is your website?

College w

ebsite

College ra

nkings

College se

arch w

ebsites

College broch

ures

College so

cial m

edia posts

EducationUSA

office12345 4.22 4.12 3.89 3.56 3.4 3.1

Undergraduate Students

College w

ebsite

College ra

nkings

College se

arch w

ebsites

College broch

ures

College so

cial m

edia posts

EducationUSA

office12345 4.32 4.26 3.93 3.67 3.49 3.31

Graduate Students

Very influential

Not at all influential

Very influential

Not at all influential

View college websites on a mobile device

Google mobile-friendly website checker: https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/

69%

31%

Graduate Students

Yes

No

78%

22%

Undergraduate Students

Yes

No

NB: Access the web most often from desktop/laptop (57%), but 38% use mobile most (up from 17% 2 years ago)

NB: 61% of grad prospects use desktop/laptop most, 35% use mobile most (up from 28% in 2014)

Top 5 Viewed Content Areas On College Websites

The bottom 3 areas for both undergrad & grad prospects (under 25%): Calendar of Events, Athletic programs, and Campus Visit Details

Academic program listing/majors

Cost

Financial aid

Enrollment/admissions info

Applications

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

89%

87%

87%

69%

62%

Undergraduate Students

Academic program listing/majors

Financial aid

Cost

International student services

Enrollment/admissions info

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

89%

88%

82%

70%

68%

Graduate Students

Importance of Communication Throughout the Recruitment Process

1

2

3

4

5

4.23 4.3

4.77

4.234.39 4.4 4.4 4.35

Undergraduate Students Graduate Students

Very important

Not at all important

Top Areas of Support Needed During the Enrollment Process

Financia

l Decis

ions

Writing an applica

tion essay

Deciding w

here to apply

Applying fo

r a vis

a

Researching co

lleges

Moving to

campus

0%30%60%90% 73%

51% 47% 47% 43% 41%

Undergraduate Students

Financia

l Decis

ions

Applying fo

r a vis

a

Researching co

lleges

Writing an applica

tion essay

Deciding w

here to apply

English la

nguage prep0%

30%60%90% 72%

58% 55% 49% 48% 44%

Graduate Students

Very influential

Not at all influential

Online Interactions Influencing Where Students Apply

Meet with

admissions r

epresentative

Meet with

colle

ge representative

College vid

eo presentation

Meet with

school co

unselor

Virtual o

pen house

Virtual ca

mpus tour

Meet with

independent c

ounselor/agent

Virtual co

llege fa

ir1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

4.09 3.98

3.61 3.56 3.54 3.533.4 3.35

4.194.07

3.67 3.743.56 3.52 3.54 3.48

Undergraduate Students Graduate Students

Influential

Somewhat influential

Not very influential

With who do students most want to interact?

Alumni

Current international student

Professors

ISS representative

Admissions representative

Financial aid representative

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%62%

56%

52%

50%

45%

45%

54%

59%

66%

66%

74%

74%

Graduate Students

In-person Virtual

Alumni

Current international student

ISS representative

Professors

Financial aid representative

Admissions representative

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%56%

53%

47%

44%

38%

36%

59%

61%

68%

70%

79%

81%

Undergraduate Students

In-person Virtual

Plans to Visit Campus

All schools I am considering My top schools One or two schools No plans to visit0%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

10% 12%20%

58%

16%

31% 26% 26%

Graduate Students

Befor Applying After Accepted

All schools I am considering My top schools One or two schools No plans to visit0%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

9% 12%20%

59%

15%

30% 25% 30%

Undergraduate Students

Before Applying After Accepted

Parents Influence on Student’s Decision

Prospective undergrads are increasingly more dependent on parents on their decisions!

Joint decision with parents

Student makes the decision

Parents make the decision

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

61%

37%

2%

58%

40%

2%

56%

42%

2%

Undergraduate Students

2013 2014 2015

Student makes the decision

Joint decision with parents

Parents make the decision

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

52%

47%

1%

50%

49%

1%

Graduate Students

2014 2015

Top 5 Preferred Communication Channels

FYI: lowest rated is texting, but growing fast!

12345 4.48 4.2 3.84 3.66 3.62

Undergraduate Students

12345 4.59 4.09 4.02 3.83 3.82

Graduate Students

Very influential

Not at all influential

Very influential

Not at all influential

Interest in Virtual Contact with Colleges

Yes, and have

met v

irtually

Yes, but h

aven't h

ad an opportunity

Not intere

sted in

meeting vi

rtually

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

21%

59%

19%23%

61%

15%

Interest in Virtual Meetings

Undergraduate Graduate

80% of international undergrads & 84% of grads want virtual meetings with you!

Eduventures Going International: Key findings from international students admitted to U.S. institutions

Reasons for not enrolling in US university in fall 201523% of students didn’t know enough about the university to enroll

I cannot afford it

I might attend one in another year, just not this fall

I didn't know enough about the universities where I was accepted to make a good decision

Too far from my home country

I'm concerned about fitting into the culture

My family didn't want me to leave my country

I'm concerend that language would be a barrier to my learning

The universities where I was accepted didn't have strong repu-tation

65%

33%

23%

16%

9%

9%

7%

5%

Visited campus before decision to enroll in current institution56% of students didn’t visit the institution they ultimately enrolled in

Alternative ways students examined their school from a distance:• 7.0 average social media visits• 4.4 visits to online college sites

56%26%

15%

4%

No, I did not visit in person or virtually

Yes, virtually

Yes, in person

I do not recall

Concordia University, St. Paul

Concordia University St. PaulA Comprehensive Private University in an Urban Setting

About CSP• Comprehensive Christian liberal arts university, one of 10 affiliated with The

Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. • 4,380 students, 3% international (top senders: Saudi Arabia, South Korean, China)• Programs of note: Business, Education

About International Admissions• Recruit for undergraduate, and graduate; manage undergrad applications• Recruitment strategies include domestic travel, agents in addition to online tools• Part of larger Office of Enrollment Management

EnrollmentConcordia University, St. Paul has doubled in size since 2005

International Student Growth2013 hosted 4 international students by the end of 2015 there were 143

Concordia University, St. Paul Online Tools for Recruitment and Conversion ( = Planned Future Tools)

Online Tool Lead Generation Prospect/Applicant Conversion

Admit Conversion/Yield Activities

Facebook, Other Social Media CollegeWeekLive: Always On CollegeWeekLive: Int’l Fair Events Application Fee Waiver Events Mailchimp Campaigns Google Hangouts Skype Interviews CollegeWeekLive: Private Platform

CollegeWeekLive: Private Events SnapChat/WeChat/Whatsapp

Mailchimp Campaign

Online Platform

Recruitment in Action

Founded in 1809, Miami University is a mid-sized public university located in the college town of Oxford, Ohio.

Miami’s enrollment on the Oxford campus is 15,460 undergraduates and 2,260 graduate students. Included in these numbers are 1,670 international students from 77 different countries. Undergraduate students represent 85.5% of the international students that are enrolled.

Miami’s Office of Admission processes over 5,000 international undergraduate applications each year.

The Office of Admission is responsible for recruitment, application review and issuing initial I-20s for new international undergraduate-level students.

Miami UniversityMid-sized public university

Tool:Traditional

Lead Generation

Applicant Conversion Yield Anti-Melt

Fairs and HS Visits X X

Receptions and Programs: Off-Campus

X X

On-Campus Visits X X X

Counselor Events: Onand Off-Campus

X X

Print: Recruitment andAdmission Pieces

X X X

Search/Name Purchases X

Email: Search, Comm Flow, Yield, Pre-Arrival

X X X

Miami UniversityOffline tools for recruitment and conversion

Tool:On-Line

Lead Generation

Applicant Conversion Yield Anti-Melt

Skype Calls: Group andIndividual

X X

On-Line Profiles and Advertising X

Virtual Fairs X X X X

Social Media X X X

CollegeWeekLive: HS Connect X X

CollegeWeekLive: Int’lOpen House

X

CollegeWeekLive: AlwaysON and Weekly Chats

X X X

CollegeWeekLive: Private Events

X X

Miami UniversityOnline tools for recruitment and conversion

Miami UniversityOnline tools for recruitment and conversion

TakeawaysHow do international students act? How can you respond accordingly?

• Students remain flexible in terms of where they apply.• Institutional website content is the most important source

for students.• Students view your site on their mobile phones.• Online interactions with institutions are important

influencers as to where students apply.• Parents need to be considered in outreach strategies.• Don’t count on students visiting campus to win them over.• Students expect communication throughout the

enrollment process.

Questions

Appendix

University of Colorado DenverA Comprehensive Public University in an Urban Setting

About CU Denver • Medium-sized, comprehensive public university with health sciences specialization• 14,500 students, 8% international (top senders: India, Saudi Arabia, China)• Programs of note: ESL, Business, Engineering, Architecture, Arts & Media, Medical

About International Admissions• Recruit for ESL, undergraduate, and graduate; manage undergrad applications• Recruitment strategies include travel, agents in addition to online tools• Part of larger Office of International Affairs

University of Colorado DenverOnline Tools for Recruitment and Conversion

Online Tool Lead Generation Prospect/Applicant Conversion

Admit Conversion/Yield Activities

Facebook, Other Social Media CollegeWeekLive: Always On CollegeWeekLive: Int’l Fair Events

SAT/TOEFL/GRE Name Purchases

iOpinion iPad App OIA Messaging Platform Royall: Applicant Messages Application Fee Waiver Events ESL Skype Interviews CollegeWeekLive: HS Connect CollegeWeekLive: Private Events

Utah State UniversityA Research University in a small, safe town

About USU• Medium-sized, public university with a variety of high-quality

academic programs• 18,000 students, decreasing international (top senders: China, Korea)• Programs of note: Business, Engineering, AgricultureAbout International Admissions• New initiative in Undergraduate Admissions to address declining

population• Recruitment in Admissions—App review in Office of Global

Engagement• Recruitment strategies include travel, new CRM and online tools

Utah State UniversityOnline Tools for Recruitment and Conversion

Online Tool Lead GenerationProspect/Applicant

ConversionAdmit Conversion/Yield

Activities

Undergraduate Admissions

Facebook, Ambassador staffed channels CollegeWeekLive: Always On

CollegeWeekLive: All Access CollegeWeekLive: Int’l Fair Events

CollegeWeekLive: HS Connect

ACT/SAT Name Purchases

Virtual meetings with EdUSA, schools

Sam Houston State UniversityA Doctoral Research University in a Rural Setting

About SHSU• Medium-sized, public university with a variety of high-quality academic programs• 20,180 students, 2% international (top senders: India &China)• Programs of note: Business, Criminal Justice, Agriculture, Medical ProfessionsAbout International Programs• Recruit for ELI, undergraduate, and graduate• Applications managed by undergraduate and graduate admissions• Recruitment strategies include travel, agents, and online tools

Sam Houston State UniversityOnline Tools for Recruitment and Conversion

Online Tool Lead GenerationProspect/Applicant

ConversionAdmit Conversion/Yield

ActivitiesUndergraduate Admissions

Facebook, Other Social Media CollegeWeekLive: Always On

CollegeWeekLive: All Access CollegeWeekLive: Int’l Fair Events

CollegeWeekLive: HS Connect

ACT/SAT Name Purchases

Profile pages on recruting sites

Graduate Admissions

Facebook, Other Social Media CollegeWeekLive: Always On

CollegeWeekLive: Int’l Fair Events

GRE Name Purchases

CollegeWeekLive: Private Events

Thank You!