Making sure your institution’s admissions staff is performing to the best of its ability and consistently representing the school in a way that leaves a positive impression on prospective students is, obviously, a very important thing.

That’s why more schools are utilizing “mystery shoppers” to provide feedback immediately following their visit and/or interactions with admissions counselors. At Norton Norris, we’ve been a national leader in providing these assessment services for more than 20 years now and have seen firsthand the impact that these assessments can make.

One of the key benefits of engaging in an assessment exercise is to see where improvements in your staff’s performance can be made.

• Are they making visitors feel welcomed and valued?

• Are they articulate and positive?

• Do they have the necessary information on hand to provide accurate, relevant answers to questions?

• Are they making sure visitors are getting the most out of the campus tour?

These are just a few examples of things that may often be areas of focus in terms of admissions staff performance. The feedback provided from mystery shoppers provides an invaluable insider’s perspective and equips admissions offices with the necessary fodder to improve and enhance the experience delivered to visiting prospective students.

But assessments also provide another kind of information that, all too often, isn’t given the attention it deserves.  

The positive outcomes.

Of course, when a school devotes time and resources to take a deeper look at its admissions and campus visit operation, it’s going to focus on those actionable items… this could’ve been done better, that person could’ve been more informed, the tour should’ve included this, and so on.

Let us help you get the results you are looking for.

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But what about all of the positive feedback that comes in? This rep made me feel like part of the family… they went out of their way to answer every question I had… the atmosphere just seemed so positive, and so on.

This is the kind of feedback that needs to be a point of focus as well. It can be used to reward those staff members going above and beyond, raise the office’s collective morale, and as a way to provide examples of excellent service to newer team members and those who could stand to improve in their position.

So just for fun, here are some examples of real-life positive feedback our mystery shoppers have provided (we’ve changed the names).

I arrived early, around 3:30 p.m. for my 4:00 p.m. appointment, and Samantha provided a warm welcome and handshake at 3:35 p.m. She told me not to apologize for coming early and had a sincere and positive demeanor that was infectious. I felt like I was speaking to a knowledgeable friend. At the end of the visit, Samantha wished me a lovely weekend and gave me a hug, after first asking permission. It was a very positive experience.

Amanda was personable and made me feel welcome. She began with some small talk in order to better get to know me and included comments about herself in the conversation to make me feel conformable. Amanda gave me an extensive tour of the school and was very detailed in her explanation of each area. She gave the impression that she was very proud of every aspect of the school and introduced me to staff and faculty. This was a great experience; if I knew someone who was interested in attending school, I would refer them to Amanda.

I had a very pleasant experience and based on my experience, I would have wanted to attend this campus.

I had many opportunities to ask questions throughout my interview and Bryan told me so much about the program that it made me want to start culinary school there.

Alex was very pleasant and enthusiastic as she made the college and the program sound great. She was encouraging about the job field, and she showed me a degree program that could be added onto the medical billing and coding for just an additional nine months.

During the tour, Nick showed me the student classrooms, the bookstore, Career Services, and several hands-on demonstrations. Nick’s tour was incredibly comprehensive since he showed me every nook and cranny of the school, and we spent just over 40 minutes together.

Jennifer invited me on a tour of the school. We visited all of the areas of the campus, including a small hangar. In the hangar were small planes and a helicopter. She explained that this was where I would spend a lot of time doing “hands-on” learning during the program. We continued the tour and walked outside and into another hangar. This hangar was lined with turbines and plane engines. Jennifer explained that I would also be spending a lot of time here when I was working on the power plant portion of the program.

There you have it. Objective, positive insights like these provide exceptional opportunities to reward your staff and even develop new training initiatives with the assistance of the stars you have on staff, of whom you may not even have been aware.

So remember, use all of the information that comes your way from assessments like these. And don’t lose sight of the silver lining when it comes to the performance of your admissions office.

The post Don’t Lose Sight of the Silver Lining appeared first on Norton Norris.

The post Mystery Shopping Results appeared first on Norton Norris.

But are students leaving with digital materials that they can’t even use?

In our travels, we’ve been noticing that quite a few schools have jumped at the chance to modernize their materials and have started to hand out digital catalogs, either on CDs/DVDs or USB memory sticks. As part of a collection of materials, our field agents have liked the memory sticks as a backup for the information if they lost the information sheets they received. However, most of the evaluators reported that CDs and DVDs were essentially unusable to them – most laptops no longer have disc drives, so they’re little more than shiny donut-shaped coasters.

Recently, two evaluators reported that when they asked representatives about key topics, they were directed to the school catalog. They were discouraged when they found out that they couldn’t access the information that they needed, mirroring many students who may not have the resources they would need to be able to access digital files:

Brian told me that I would not have to worry about their accreditation status and that I could read all about it in the school catalog. He did not show me the catalog during his presentation, but he assured me that it was already packed in my materials folder. I also asked about tuition and he just smiled and pointed to the folder and stated, “It’s all in here.” When I opened the folder after the interview, I saw only one program course list and a CD that was labeled “Catalog” with a Sharpie. I tried to access the info, but I didn’t have a CD drive.

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Jim gave me a USB memory stick to take home with me. He said it would have the information I asked him for regarding jobs. However, I couldn’t access the information since I only have a tablet. I had to find a library that would let me use their computer and that allowed USB sticks to be used on their computers.

Our evaluators develop a keen eye for collateral, which includes how representatives use the materials to provide info, answer questions, and showcase the school. It also includes looking at the resources they send home with prospective students.

Using a presentation or website to present info is a fantastic idea, but if the student can’t find it on a website later or doesn’t have a handout, even the fondest of interview memories can only last so long.

Kelly navigated to a page title ‘Consumer Disclosures’ on the school website by clicking on various links. She did not explain how to navigate to this page. She pointed out the total tuition cost, the retention and job placement rate, and a link to BLS on the disclosures. However, she did not provide any printed information, nor did she write down the link to this page. I was unable to find this page on my own.

Certain sets of materials can be especially beneficial. Like receiving printed documents to look over later with family/friends as they consider school options, and digital resources to use/send as well. For example, on one of our recent visits we left with one set of documents that included printed tuition information and financial aid estimates, with a sheet outlining all of the other pertinent data. This sheet not only outlined current information, it also provided permanent links to the information on the school website, where we could seek out updated information about the program if we decided to enroll in a future term. The representative also emailed a PDF of the sheet.

David told me that the sheet contained all of the links that I would need to learn everything about the school. He said that my questions were excellent, and I would not need to worry about remembering any of the information he had given me, since I could access all of it online. He said that he would email me a copy, just in case it ended up getting lost in my car. I was able to access all of the information later by using the email that he sent.

Another set of materials with which our evaluators were impressed was a single program information sheet, a financial aid guide customized to the school, and a catalog. No digital materials were provided, but students reported that all of the summarized information about the school and program on the information sheet was enough to make an enrollment decision.

I was able to relax during my interview, since Toby had a program information sheet that he used to present all of the information about the program and school that I needed. I did not have to ask him any questions because he then used a catalog to show me more detailed information, including a tuition breakdown. When I met with Financial Aid, they provided an estimate sheet for me to take home that outlined what I would have to pay, assuming that I reported my information correctly to them. The materials were more than enough to make a decision about enrolling since any questions I had could be answered by using the catalog (or the various website links printed in it).

Although it may seem like progress to stop providing printed documents to potential students, many students who are attracted to career training schools may not have the resources required to access key information.

Based on our evaluators’ experiences, we have seen that digital resources tend to be a backup means of looking up information about the school, and many of the digital materials provided can be useless unless they have the right tools to open the files. Most students rely heavily on phones or tablets to do things. With this in mind, maybe it’s too early completely write off printed materials…or at least too early to offer zero printed takeaway information.

Are you hoping to transition to 100% digital for your Admissions team? Do you think printed materials are still worth their weight in…paper? Share your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page!

If you’d like to see what our incredible covert assessment evaluator team will learn at your school, Vince at Vince@nortonnorris.com is ready to put together a customized program!

The post April Tales from the Trail: Students Love Paper Materials – Even in the Digital Era appeared first on Norton Norris.

We totally get it here at Norton Norris – when you’ve read through thousands of college evaluator reports, all of the interviews start to blend together! We can’t imagine what college reps go through when they meet with hundreds of potential students each month. All of the students’ questions must start to sound the same, to the point where you feel you can end their sentences before they’ve really asked anything.  But interrupting can break the conversation flow and cut off interesting student questions… and sometimes, the student just might be our evaluator!

I felt a bit rushed during our conversation, as Miranda did not wait for me to finish my thoughts and sentences before starting to answer them. She interrupted me several times.

George tried to pressure me to enroll for 13 minutes. He kept interrupting and explaining that I was starting the process so I could meet with Financial Aid to see if I was eligible for grants and loans. I told him I wanted to speak with my uncle first and he said my reasons didn’t make sense. He abruptly ended the conversation and hung up.

Another thing we can understand: when you have a lot going on at work, it can be so tempting to say, “That’s not my job!” We encourage representatives to keep in mind how prospective students may be weathering their college search, which can be tough when you’re trying to balance other responsibilities. Will students come back to a school with representatives who don’t want to do their jobs by introducing students to the departments with the answers they’re seeking?

I asked about the placement rate and whether students were usually hired after their externships. Courtney replied that it depended on student performance and openings. She informed me that keeping track of students getting hired wasn’t her department.

We’re not saying every student should be treated like the rays of sunshine that Chicago could use right now, but they should definitely take precedence over braiding hair or discussing the faculty pizza party that’s happening in 20 minutes!

When I completed the student information form and tried to return it to the receptionist, I stood at the counter as she was far across the area behind the desk, braiding the medical assistant instructor’s hair. She asked me if I was finished and said she would let my rep know. She did not return to the desk so I put the clipboard on the counter and went back to my seat. It took her another five minutes to get up and call anyone.

The receptionist took a personal call and discussed rental car arrangements for ten minutes. Instead of calling a rep to let them know I was waiting, she called a nearby pizza place and let the person on the line know that they were having a pizza party soon. She proceeded to order the different pizzas in front of me. I waited 35 minutes in total before she looked up and said, “Oh gosh, I forgot about you,” and called a representative to the lobby. She did not apologize and rolled her eyes as she spoke to the rep on the phone about me.

We are hoping that with incremental weather, representatives will go to work with sunnier dispositions!  Our evaluators are looking forward to their visits – will they be able to report sunshine and rainbows at all of the campuses they visit in February? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook how you plan to trickle good customer service and compliance on students this month! Please do not hesitate to reach out to our Assessment team for help from our covert operatives who can let you know how you can make sure to turn gloomy students into luminous enrollments today!

The post January Tales from the Trail: Defrosting Icy Admissions Interviews appeared first on Norton Norris.

Well, not really! But we sent out a staggering amount of exception reports this quarter, all of which just happened to align with the eclipse. From grumpy FA reps to overly aggressive admissions reps, everything was just a little bit crazier this quarter!

We all have our “off” days at work, no doubt — however, professionalism should still be key when dealing with potential students! We ran into this Grumpy FA Grinch who couldn’t sit still long enough to provide the most basic financial aid information, and an Admissions rep who made the situation worse by confronting the Grinch in front of the student.

Jack was slouched back in his seat and repeatedly readjusted himself, and his facial expressions made it seem like I was wasting his time before he rushed me out. When I returned to Mary, I told her that he wasn’t very helpful as he gave only short answers and provided no actual explanation of the financial aid process, so she left me in the hallway while she spoke with Jack, telling him that I felt uncomfortable with him, which made me even more uncomfortable. We both sat down with Jack again, and he confirmed that my financial aid would pay my tuition in full, although he had an aggravated look on his face.

How do your reps address uncomfortable moments that come up during a tour of the school? Like the Admissions rep above, do they just make the situation worse by engaging too aggressively with the source of the conflict? The rep below not only made our evaluator uncomfortable, but he also directly told a current student that he smelled! Did the eclipse make everyone lose all inhibitions?!

Michael gave me a quick tour of the school, which did not last long since it was late and the school was virtually empty. He took me into the nursing classroom and emphasized they use the latest technology. At one point on the tour, I noticed the smell of marijuana. Michael saw me sniff the air, and he laughed and said, “Yeah, that is really strong.” We entered a computer lab, where a student was working and the smell was quite strong. Michael looked at the student and said that he needed “to do a better job of covering that up, like buy some air freshener or Febreze.”

Our last nugget is almost unbelievable! Rather than engaging in a quick 15-minute phone interview with our evaluator, he spent almost half an hour arguing with the evaluator about why he couldn’t provide information over the phone. We can only hope that mystical forces of the sun were affecting this rep, and he usually provided stellar customer service to students who called in hopes of learning more about the school!

Alfredo said that I had to come in, even when I explained that my baby was misbehaving. He said, “I already made it clear to you that you don’t have to worry about your child. You gotta understand if that’s going to be a huge concern, how are you going to attend school?” He later said, “All you’re coming for is information. If it’s going to be that hard for you, I don’t know. I’m not trying to sell you a car. I’m not a commissioned worker.” As I kept trying to ask questions, his tone grew increasingly annoyed. He said, “I’m trying to explain to you, this is all part of the tour.” After I asked about transferring credits, he said, “I can’t speak for other states, I don’t know. Everything you keep asking me, like I said before, we’ll talk in person. I’m not trying to trick you or nothing. If you’re interested, I’ll help you, but I’m not going to tell you a bunch of stuff over the phone because that’s not how I do business. If we talk about this stuff on the phone, there’s no point to taking a tour.”

As we move into the fall season, we hope that we see that these grim attitudes are shed and we can begin anew this quarter. We love reporting good news to our clients, so we celebrate any time we see superb school representatives bewitching our evaluators! Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook how you plan on changing your approach to admissions in this new quarter! Please do not hesitate to reach out to our Assessment team for help from our covert operatives who can let you know how you can start enchanting students into enrollments today! Read more about our Admission Training Program here.

The post October Tales from the Trail: Eclipsing Noncompliance appeared first on Norton Norris.

We love to see representatives talk through the enrollment process so it’s clear, but it’s sometimes presented as a long process requiring applications, approvals, reviews, verdicts, and recommendations… oh my! What is the intended value-building message here? The message received is that enrollment is limited; not everyone who wants to attend is accepted. “You need my approval if you want to get in.”

Roland told me that after he looked at my application, it would be submitted to his manager. He said that his manager would then send the application to an approval board, which would then send it to “the board” for a final verdict.

—

Manny asked if I was ready to complete the enrollment application, and I told him I wasn’t ready. He questioned whether I was really serious about bettering my situation. He claimed that he needed me to complete the application so that he could take it to his director for approval. He also added that it would then take three to four hours to get back to me if I was approved.

We train our trail travelers on how to handle any kind of enrollment discussion, but pressure can still make for an unpleasant exchange. Being asked multiple times to enroll or move forward can get quite awkward and immediately dissolve any previously built rapport. Evaluators have reported feeling uncomfortable, frustrated, manipulated, and rushed after these kinds of conversations, both in person and on the phone.

Giles navigated to the enrollment page on the presentation. I told him I couldn’t complete the application at the moment. He said he wanted to get my information to his director. He said I would have an opportunity to meet with Financial Aid and if the numbers weren’t affordable, I would be able to cancel the application. He stayed on the line with me to get me through the first page because he wanted to make sure I found his name (to include on my application).

We’ve had representatives completely lose their cool when we decline offers to complete enrollment applications. These same representatives have tended to be less forthcoming with requested school/program information, instead focusing on moving the process along. When there is a free and open discussion of the school and its programs, students will take the next step when they feel ready and confident in their decision.

We wonder how often these tactics are successful and how many of those students feel satisfied with their choice after being hurried to make a decision…

Trevor gave me curt replies to my questions about tuition and financial aid. When I explained that I was not ready to enroll, he became slightly aggressive, stating that my position did not make sense. After I told him I needed to speak to my uncle about moving forward with the process, he said that I’d already told him my uncle supported my decision to go to school. He told me to have a wonderful day and hung up the phone without waiting for me to respond or offering a way to contact him.

Choosing a school is one of the most important decisions in a student’s life. As such, it seems pretty reasonable to allow them the time and space to consider the information and pick the school and program that’s right for them.  When students make careful and thoughtful choices, everyone wins! It can impact student and graduate performance data overall, and students are more likely to be engaged in the process of finding a job right out of school if they’re pursuing the path they chose on their own.

Imagine yourself sitting in a room with Sidney, your admissions advisor, with whom you’ve just spent 45 minutes to an hour, and have shared information about your situation and experiences. The interview is coming to a close, so the conversation turns to the application.

Sidney said if I didn’t apply the same day she probably wouldn’t see me again. She said that she never had a student who did not want to apply the same day come back at a later date and apply. She said she would pack up the information and send me home. Sidney told me to tell her one good reason that I couldn’t apply the same day. I told her I just didn’t feel comfortable applying. She told me if I did call her back that I would be the first student to return to enroll. She said she wouldn’t call me and that if I needed to apply, I would need to call her. She showed me to the front door.

Most adult students lead lives that are already full with work and familial responsibilities. We always encourage admissions representatives to help students overcome obstacles and brainstorm solutions. Unfortunately, we’ve run into some less than empathetic representatives recently:

I told Shawna that I needed to speak with my husband and employer about scheduling and she said, “No, this is about you, not them.” I then said, “I need them to support me or going back to school won’t be successful.” Her reply was, “I am here to support you. You don’t need them to support you.”

—

Rick pressured me to enroll for the next six minutes despite my saying no and needing to discuss it with my husband. He told me I wouldn’t be going against my husband by completing the application because he needed to send it to his director for approval. Rick said he was busy and had a busy calendar. He felt I was a fit for the program and wanted to know how serious I was. He said the director may or may not approve me, so this was just the first step.

What’s the best way to disengage and potentially lose a prospective student? We’re not sure, but pushing them to do something when they’ve said NO is certainly one method. Intimidating or misleading students to encourage prompt enrollment before they’re ready helps no one. We here at Nn know that most representatives do their best to make sure students are comfortable before moving ahead in the process. If you’d like to know how your team talks to visitors about applying, give us a call or shoot us a message. We’d be happy to see you on the trail!

How do you encourage a visitor to apply or enroll? What tactics do you use to make the process exciting and easy for everyone involved? Do you know about our new Admission Training Program? Let us know on our Facebook!

The post August Tales from the Trail: We’re Not Ready to Enroll! appeared first on Norton Norris.

When an interested person calls, are representatives prioritizing them just as they would with a student at the campus? Prospective students who’ve taken the time to call in will form lasting impressions based on the conversations they have and treatment they receive. Unprofessional conduct can have an immediate negative impact that reflects poorly on the whole school. Is your ideal institute of higher learning also a place where yelling is considered an acceptable means of student communication?

While she was on the phone with me, a student showed up at her door. Rather than place me on hold, she started shouting to him and into the phone, “Jerry! Jerry! Wait right there!”

Not all interested prospective students are able to make the trip to a campus right away. Some may prefer not to visit until they know more. The same information should be given to students who call with questions as those who attend on-campus interviews. On that note, representatives should take all student communications seriously and never imply that the student is ‘not serious enough’ about school to come to the campus.

I told Fred that I wasn’t feeling well enough to come in but wanted to research schools in my spare time. He told me, “I don’t know if this school will be the right fit for you. If you can’t come in for an appointment, how do I know you will make time to come in for classes?” He then refused to answer my next two questions about the program and hung up on me.

Since many students don’t answer their phones, admissions representatives have started embracing texting their potential students. Since 58% of teens with smartphones rely mostly on texting to communicate, it seems like a good idea to have your admissions representatives reach out to these students via text. However, using emoji or emoticons can be tricky in business communication. Opinions may differ, but we can all agree that texts from an unknown number can be quite unexpected if the sender doesn’t identify themselves. Add emoticons or emoji to the mix and things can get really weird. Greetings that otherwise would be innocent can be interpreted as creepy at worst (and unprofessional at best) if a representative misses the mark.

After I completed my assessment, I went to the lobby and told the receptionist that I was ready to meet up with Ted again. After waiting 20 minutes, the receptionist told me that Ted had gone to lunch and offered me a meeting with him the next day. I said that was fine. When I got into my car, my phone vibrated. I got a text from Ted that said only, “What’s up, Sally ;).”

—

 Ilana texted me to ask, “Did you show the info to your uncle? :)”

We always encourage representatives to provide their business cards with contact details. If there’s a question later, how would a prospective student reach you? That direct contact info is important. We’ve faced some awkward situations with representatives who perhaps ran out of business cards and took matters into their own hands, so to speak…

I did not receive a business card, but James added his number directly into my smartphone.

Have you sent a text or left a voicemail for a student that you regret? A funny text exchange you’d like to share? Let us know on our Facebook!

The post April Tales from the Trail: Fun with Smartphones appeared first on Norton Norris.

Even at schools with access to professionally printed tuition sheets and expertly designed collateral to hand out, our covert evaluators continue to find representatives who have a hard time providing the information. Deferring the conversation to another department for the answer isn’t bad, unless the introduction to the other department doesn’t happen. Who wants to hear about how fantastic and valuable a place is without also knowing how much it costs to be a part of it?

Creed told me that he would give me a tuition sheet since he was in Admissions and not Financial Aid. He then wrapped up the interview and handed me a folder. While walking out of the building, I opened the folder to look at the information, but there was nothing inside it.

Speaking of folders…some of the school materials we receive are underwhelming (at best) – a sticky note with tuition written on it, a sheet of paper with class times and start dates written in orange marker, or a copy of a copy of a printout from 2011. We also crack open stylish school folders only to find documents so poorly printed we get caught squinting to try to read the numbers. Prospective students are more than likely visiting other schools. Why not provide a nice shiny tuition sheet to stand out from the competition AND help them make an enrollment decision?

Getting an education can be an expensive endeavor! Representatives sometimes try to find clever ways to discuss program cost without causing sticker shock. We at Nn encourage a full review of tuition, fees, and what’s included in those amounts, followed by a solutions-oriented approach to helping the student look at their options for paying for college. Every effort should be made to make sure prospective students never leave a school feeling disheartened or thinking that they might not be able to afford an education.

Tossing out a number and hoping it doesn’t make them flee, shed tears, laugh, or lose consciousness is a less than ideal approach.

Michael said, “The cost of the program is $92,000. Please don’t pass out on me.”

Other representatives opt for more questionable responses to our tuition queries. Our heads spin when we read these! When representatives make inappropriate jokes, our evaluators tell us that it makes them wonder how seriously the school would take them as students – will real students be thinking the same thing?

Meredith looked me in the eyes for an uncomfortable few seconds, and then said, “Unless you have a sugar daddy, the $350 to $400 monthly payment is another expense you will have while you’re here.”

We always encourage representatives to connect with prospective students and build rapport! We’ve seen in previous Tales from the Trail that laid-back conduct can easily be misunderstood or cross the line, no matter how good the intentions were. Even the most relaxed students expect professional behavior and correct information when they visit an institute of higher learning. A simple question deserves a straightforward answer. Anything less than a complete review of the program cost can be perceived as convoluted, confusing, or potentially deceptive. Every program has a cost and every student will want to know. Be ready to answer that question with pride (and a nice tuition sheet, we hope)!

What’s the most interesting tuition conversation you’ve had or overheard? The worst tuition sheet you’ve ever seen? Tell us about it on our Facebook!

The post March Tales from the Trail: How much will this cost? appeared first on Norton Norris.

We’ve noticed a few things along the way – we’re able to help identify trends in Admissions and Financial Aid departments. We see things schools are doing really well and things many schools are missing or lacking. Here are the top four things we find schools overlooking:

1. Responsiveness

The first step in every prospective student’s quest for postsecondary education begins by asking for some information from a school, often through handy request forms found on school websites. One of the most common things we uncover in this process is a failure to connect in a timely manner.

As part of our process in the Assessment department, we offer up our phone numbers and email addresses – and wait. About one in 10 of those requests goes unanswered for 24 hours (that’s when we give up and call directly to talk to someone). About one in four of our requests elicits a response over an hour later. We always advocate for quick responses to requests – within five minutes is ideal. The time to connect with someone who’s asking about you is right after he or she hits SEND on that request. They’re still on your website, they want to know more, and they’re still paying attention. Why wait? Give them a call – they’re totally into you!

2. Open Up Early in the Relationship

Once we’re on the phone, we’ll ask some questions to gauge a prospective student’s willingness to share school and program information. In less than 20% of our 2016 inquiry calls, we were given tuition information when we asked for it, and it was incomplete over 80% of the time if we did get it. It’s a pretty easy question to answer (the details are on the website, right?), but we run into schools deferring the conversation until the interview or telling us only that tuition depends on aid eligibility (which is a totally separate no-no)!

We encourage clients to use that first chat to start getting to know the individual student, making a strong first impression, and building value for the admission interview, whether it’s in person or over the phone. Establishing a purpose for the admission interview without declining to answer the caller’s preliminary questions during that first conversation starts to build trust and rapport, and sets a welcoming and honest atmosphere. Refusing to answer questions over the phone can send an unintended message and negatively impact the likelihood that they’ll show up for an appointment later.

3. Don’t Build a Wall Around FA

The educational financing piece is a big one for almost every student. Most aren’t able to write a check or swipe a card to pay their tuition, so a conversation with a financial aid expert is a really valuable part of the admission interview. But less than half of the covert interviews we reported on in 2016 included one. The financial aid process can be legitimately intimidating and confusing, offering a splendid opportunity to swoop in as the hero (cape optional) to deliver guidance, support, answers, and a plan of action.

We’ve learned through years of sending evaluators to clients and their competitors that discussing educational financing with a specialist improves the prospective students’ overall perceptions of the school. All too often admissions advisors deny the Financial Aid/Student Finance introduction if students decline to enroll, take a test, or provide a Social Security number, which are practices that easily make a visitor feel uneasy at best and pressured at worst.

All it takes is 10 to 15 minutes with financial aid specialists to offer students (and anyone they’ve brought along) the chance to ask questions and get a general overview of financing options. Very often, students come with their own unique concerns and personal situations, and this is a chance to help them figure out how to overcome those obstacles in order to start and finish school. It further positions the school as a resource, and begins to establish trust and rapport with staff beyond the admissions team.

4. Show ’em What You’ve Got

 One of the things that we’ve learned through working with evaluators and ‘shoppers’ across the country is that tours matter! We consistently find in student commentaries and in debrief communications that their experiences while touring the campuses or seeing the online classrooms have a massive impact on their perceptions of the school. In our competitive analysis studies, the cleanliness and upkeep of the campus, and the quality of the equipment/facilities are often cited as strong (and memorable) influencing factors in the decision to choose one school or campus over another. Like it or not, looks matter!

 The tours provide an opportunity to introduce students to the valuable resources provided, like learning centers, labs, simulation centers, tutoring, and Career Services support. The information is a lot more memorable when you’re walking around meeting people and seeing the spaces instead of looking at pictures on a screen or just talking about what you’ve got to offer. Every interview should include a tour. Every student should see the campus, in person or online (if it’s an online program). There’s plenty to show off, and it’s a fantastic opportunity to keep learning about them in a more conversational, laid-back way. You’re walking, you’re talking – it’s natural!

We’re certainly not saying that every school – and every campus – is guilty of these oversights, but for better or worse, they’re trends we’ve seen in interviews across the country. When you’re ready to take a look at your team and see how it fares in these areas (and many, MANY more), give us a call. Want to know how quickly we’d get a call back when you tap your team on the digital shoulder? Interested in whether or not you’re using campus tours effectively? Chances are we’ll be in your neck of the woods soon, and we’d love to stop by. College Mystery Shopping by Norton Norris can help you achieve better results.

Now it’s your turn. Have you spotted any of these trends in your own teams? Share your stories in the comments or on our Facebook page!

The post 4 Things your College Admissions Team is Probably Missing appeared first on Norton Norris.

The first person that most prospective students interact with at the school is an admissions advisor. They’re responsible for the all too important task of making an irreplaceable impression on every visitor. Sometimes they unfortunately make an impression they didn’t intend to make during the first admissions interview!

“She greeted me with a one-armed hug and pressed her cheek against mine. It felt like a pretty personal greeting for someone I had just met.”

“Zach consistently called me ‘homes’ (as in homie) and ‘bro’. I realize that my name is somewhat complicated, but this was too familiar too soon.”

In our travels, we also meet funny advisors who use humor to engage us and build rapport while sharing helpful program and school information.

“Wesley took the time to assess why I was interested in the respiratory tech program by explaining the negative aspects about the job, including having to deal with mucus and death.”

We meet advisors who truly care about the field that they’re discussing in the admissions interview, which can make a fantastic first impression. Enthusiasm is often contagious and communicates sincerity, engaging the student in the interview experience and putting them at ease.

“When I told her my beauty regimen, using St. Ives scrub daily, Cordelia was incredibly shocked.  She then spent a lot of time explaining that I was actually damaging my skin. She recommended that once I was in school, I should use the professional products that they had to see if it would work for my skin. Cordelia told me it was her passion, so she could not help but tell me about what to use. This led to a half-hour conversation about hair dyes and how to use them. It was incredibly educational and helpful to me personally.”

Sharing personal interests and hobbies can help to establish commonalities to quickly start building rapport with the visitor. Sometimes the interests and experiences shared with us in admissions interviews can be a bit unexpected!

“Tina asked basic biographical information about me, attempting to build rapport by asking what I enjoyed and giving personal anecdotes about her own experience with those things (reading, zombies, bad grades, etc.).”

Building trust, answering questions, and getting to know the individual are keys to an effective first admissions interview. That great first experience might be the one the prospective student shares with their friends!

Tell us about some of your experiences with the first admissions interview– we want to hear your tales!

The post January Tale from the Trail: The First Admissions Interview appeared first on Norton Norris.