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On Wednesday, January 3, the New York Times reported that Governor Cuomo was following the lead of Oregon and Tennessee and unveiling a proposal to make public college free to New York residents under a specific income level – with one twist. Unlike Oregon and Tennessee, which make a two-year education at the community college free, Governor Cuomo has expanded the concept to most four-year state schools in New York. Free college – How fortunate for New York residents. Or should I say, how unfortunate?

New York residents will now be able to flock in droves to institutions that are already overcrowded and produce dismal results. The default rate on student loans at New York public universities and colleges was 9.3% for the 2012 cohort. And the completion rate at New York community colleges is only 20.6%.

So let’s see how this will work. We will encourage students to attend a college where only a small amount of entering students earn a degree. And of course, we won’t be able to stop students from taking out a student loan. Nope! You see, the cost of attendance as calculated by the school and regulated by the U.S. Department of Education far outweighs tuition and includes room and board, transportation and more. And schools can’t prohibit students from borrowing more than the cost of tuition. The result? Students will enroll at a “free college” and borrow money for the cost of attendance. Then, they will drop out and have a student loan – but no skills. Brilliant.

Meanwhile, is the “free college” really free? Of course not. Public education is funded primarily by property tax. So taxes will go up and all property owners – whether they have college-age children or not – will, in fact, pay for the free college. No, let me reword that. They will pay for the free tuition while soon-to-be college dropouts use student loans. Then, when the students attending “free” college default on their student loan, the taxpayer will once again shoulder the burden.

Let’s back up a minute and explore one of the reasons Governor Cuomo states free college is necessary: “crippling student debt.” Why isn’t anyone addressing the primary contributor to student debt? Colleges and universities are not allowed to limit student loan amounts. If a student is eligible for a loan – whether they need it or not to cover tuition – they are allowed to borrow.

According to the New York Times article, “Current full-time tuition at four-year State University of New York schools for residents is $6,470. . . . The state also provides nearly $1 billion in support through its tuition assistance program, which has an adjusted gross income limit of just under $100,000. Those awards top out at $5,165; many grants are smaller.” So a student may only need to cover $1,305 of their tuition (and that’s assuming they are not using a Federal Pell Grant), but they can borrow up to $23,000 over four years. And the college can’t stop them from borrowing – even though when the student defaults on the loan, the college is held accountable. It also begs the question, is a college education worth it?

College student persistence and success will decrease

Free college has the potential to undermine persistence. Currently, most colleges charge tuition when a student repeats a course. Let’s talk for a minute about the dynamics on a college campus. When faced with challenging and rigorous classes, some students will realize they are in danger of failing and play the “W” card. As in withdrawing from the class. Depending on the grading system at the college/university, a “W” grade may not factor into the grade point average calculation. But withdrawing from a class has financial ramifications. At least until now. Once tuition becomes free, I predict increased abuse of withdrawing from classes. After all, the financial incentive to finish what you start has been removed.

How will students choose where to study?

In addition to the projections for student loan default increases and persistence decreases there are also economic and “choice” considerations. Currently, prospective college students select an institution of their choice and then fund tuition with grants, scholarships, loans, and savings. This allows private colleges and public colleges to compete for the same student, and students review financial aid awards and ultimately make decisions based on not just finances – but also fit.

For some students, being part of an entering freshman class of 8,000 students may be overwhelming, and sitting in a lecture hall with 200 may not be their preferred way of learning. These are the kinds of students who are currently attracted to smaller private institutions where crowds are smaller and instructor interaction is more personal. And most frequently, these are private colleges and universities that don’t receive direct support from the state or federal government.

So what happens when a high school senior and his or her parents compare a private college in New York with the annual tuition of $50,000, or even one where tuition is just $14,000, with Binghamton University–SUNY, where tuition is zero? Will the small private college merit any consideration? Probably not. But wait, where will the student flourish? What environment will fuel their success? What’s best for the student? Will any of that be considered once they have the option of “free college”?

And what is in the future of private colleges?

What happens to the private colleges? Will they become extinct? Did Governor Cuomo intend to issue a death sentence to private education in his quest to make education free at the public schools? What impact will “free college” have on his alma mater, Fordham University? Tuition at Fordham exceeds $47,000 a year – and that’s current tuition without fees. The four-year price of a Fordham education, with tuition increases and fees, will easily exceed $200,000. And that’s without housing costs.

According to the Fordham website, the university has 2,211 freshman students and an acceptance rate of 48%, making it a “more selective” university. And with students from 68 countries comprising the freshman class, Fordham may feel a little impact if public schools are made free. In fact, only 18% of the freshmen class comes from the five New York boroughs.

But how might free college impact the average private college? I will make a prediction: freshman enrollment will drop 10%. After all, a bachelor’s degree is somewhat of a commodity. I mean, if I can get a cheap or free bachelor’s – why not? I’m going to go on for a graduate degree anyway.

Let’s play out the impact of a 10%decline in student enrollment at an average private university that would normally enroll 500 new freshmen at $50,000 annual tuition revenue. The first year financial impact is $2.5 million. And that’s not even factoring in the discounting that will need to be done in order to remain attractive to the 450 entering freshmen. Fast-forward four years, and you are looking at $10 million less in revenues.

My question: What average nonprofit college can weather a $10 million decrease in revenue over a four-year period?

But back to Fordham for another thought. There are 12 CUNY or SUNY colleges with an acceptance rate that is lower than Fordham’s – meaning it’s harder to get in. And now we are going to make them free? That’s absurd. These are schools that students are desperately trying to get into. And now we will give it away?

Some may argue that the lower-income students who are admitted will be funded via merit scholarships. And if that’s true, then why is Cuomo changing anything? State and federal financial aid programs make higher education accessible and affordable to most entering freshmen. And if the prospective student excels academically, additional institutional scholarships will likely be available.

Shouldn’t we be focusing on vocational and trade schools?

Finally, why push more students to traditional college, when our country is suffering from a shortage of skilled workers? Vocational and trade schools should also be part of a master plan to incentivize education. Some specific jobs are experiencing exceptional growth rates – like occupational therapy assistants, a position with a projected national growth of 43% and a New York growth of 30% from 2014 to 2024, according to O*Net OnLine.

But most occupational therapy assistant programs are taught at vocational schools – not four-year universities. And occupational therapy isn’t the only high-growth career that is reached by an alternative to a college education. The need for electricians is projected to grow 23% in New York from 2014 to 2024.

 To summarize, here are the 7 reasons why free college is a bad idea:

1. Student loan defaults will increase
2. Completion rates will decrease
3. Property taxes will increase
4. Persistence among college students will decrease
5. Private colleges will suffer enrollment declines and financial hardships
6. Free college does not address occupational shortages
7. Free college will not help solve “crippling student loan debt”

Other stats you may find interesting:

• The four-year graduation rate averages 47.8% at SUNY colleges, with some locations as low as 20%. Source: https://nortonnorris.com//system.suny.edu/media/suny/content-assets/documents/institutional-research/2013_09_BOTAA_GradRates.pdf
• Another study has the New York public-college four-year graduation rates in New York at 37.8%. https://collegecompletion.chronicle.com/state/#state=ny&sector=public_four
• The same study shows New York private-college four-year graduation rates of 55.1%.   https://collegecompletion.chronicle.com/state/#state=ny&sector=private_four
• Student loan default rates at public colleges in New York are more than double those of private colleges: 4.2% vs. 9.3%. https://www.osc.state.ny.us/reports/highered/student_loan_debt.pdf

About Vince Norton
Managing Partner, Norton|Norris, Inc.

Since 1979, Vince Norton has worked in higher education administration, marketing, admissions, and enrollment management, for both not-for-profit and proprietary institutions. His 35-plus years of experience include 19 years in admissions, marketing, and administration at non-profit colleges, and three years with for-profit colleges. For the last 16 years, he has served as Managing Partner of Norton|Norris, Inc. Vince is regarded as an expert on college marketing and mystery shopping and has delivered presentations on this topic for numerous associations.

The post Why Free College is a Bad Idea appeared first on Norton Norris.

In similar fashion, Veterans Education Success has published a lengthy report in an effort to help veterans “understand misleading websites and lead generators.”

I wonder if 2000+ Leads Con attendees in New York last week even know what goes on?

Even more recently, an article published at Inside Higher Ed examined the increasing use of “secret shoppers” to review the performance and practices of third-party lead vendors. At Norton Norris, we’ve been a national leader in providing mystery shopping and assessment services to schools across the country for more than 20 years.

And, how do I know the real truth? Good question. I own and operate a mystery shopping firm – and we shop lead vendors. I bet that after reading this blog you’ll want to shop your vendors, or you may just want to stop using lead vendors altogether.

Why Pay Per Lead (PPLs)?

For the uninformed reader, here’s how it works: Lead vendors sell inquiries to schools on a pay-for-performance model. Over the past several years many schools abandoned their traditional advertising (TV, radio, outdoor) and moved to the lead-vendor diet. Although contact rates are low – normally under 50 percent – and the conversions from inquiry to new student are abysmally low and average just 2 or 3 percent at most institutions, the attractive feature of scalability and paying only for what you get hooked many schools. At first it was just another tool in the marketing toolbox. But then the savvy operators discovered that coupling a call center with pay per leads (PPLs) would yield predictable numbers that could be “modeled” and the race was on. Once they perfected the model they could add more PPLs to the mix, increase call center staffing and grow enrollments – especially in the online learning environment. It was magic. But many enrollment managers never knew what was really happening. And they still don’t.

How it works for a prospective student

From the student’s perspective, using an education matching system could seem like a good idea. I mean, if you aren’t sure where you want to attend but you know you want to pursue additional training, then browsing the web and finding a solution that matches you to schools – or lets you pick from a few select schools might make sense. And that’s how many of these services work – or are supposed to work.

The prospective student often begins their inquiry journey by simply entering their zip code in response to the offer to “find schools in your area.” The less scrupulous vendors may be trolling with a scholarship or sweepstakes offer – but we’ll talk about that later. After entering their zip code and/or address, the prospective student is taken through a few questions:

• What level of degree or training are you looking for (certificate/diploma, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree)?
• When would you like to begin education/training (immediately, 1 to 3 months, 4 to 6 months, etc.)?
• What is your highest level of previous education?

The slick sites always insert some sort of teaser along the way… “just 2 more questions and we’ll match you with schools that meet your needs.”

• What areas are you interested in (health/medical, business, criminal justice, information technology, graphic arts, welding, etc.,)?
• How would you like to study (online or on ground)?

And then “poof!” after hitting submit, the website reveals schools that are a match. It sounds logical and makes sense. Or does it? You see, the search engine driving the selection of schools isn’t a search engine at all. The website isn’t selecting from the universe of schools at all. Instead it’s serving up suggestions of schools that have contracted for leads. So the listing isn’t inclusive. It’s limited to a short list of institutions that have agreed to buy inquiries. But how would the student know that? They wouldn’t. And that’s just one problem with this product line.

But there is one more wrinkle. It sounds innocent enough too, and even well intentioned. After the student selects a school from the list to learn more about and hits “submit”, the next screen  is typically something to the effect of: “Vince, students who research and inquire to more than one school make better and more informed decisions. We’ve also matched you with these schools in your area or that offer online instruction. You may also get information from them by clicking “yes” below.”

And then it happens. The poor prospective student’s phone implodes under the duress of multiple and incessant calls. Under the scenario outlined above, the lead has now been sold to multiple schools. And they all have the same intention: Call immediately and get this student in for a campus visit – or, if it’s an online school, get them on a phone interview ASAP and get them committed to completing an application.

How the Enrollment Managers and Marketing Managers at Colleges See the Process

Unfortunately, many schools that are buying leads from lead vendors are naïve and uninformed as to how the inquiries are really being generated. Because the inquiry comes in via a form that is emailed to the school or posted into their CRM, the school officials believe that the inquiry was submitted by the student, like the scenario described above. Sometimes this is true, as prospective students complete the process explained earlier. But sadly, over half of the inquiries that schools are buying don’t come from a student completing a form. Nope. The inquiries come from a call center.

Here’s how: The lead aggregators contract with downstream affiliates to generate leads. These affiliates buy data that resemble potential students based on socio-economic factors. Then the data goes into an auto dialer at a call center, and when the potential prospect answers, they are talking with a call center agent. The pitch can vary, but often it centers around a training opportunity, a job opportunity, or financial aid to go to school. If a positive response is received, the call center agent – not the student – completes the form and hits submit. 

As a side note, if you are a college administrator and considering buying leads from a vendor, ask the vendor for costs and counts based on your programs of study for exclusive, non-call center leads. The response you get could be interesting and range from “we don’t do exclusive leads” to “let me check and get back with you” – but I know the cost per lead will increase.

Okay, back to the real story – what happens when we shop lead vendors. These results are based on a sample size of 100 shops spread across 20 vendors. The school we shopped offered online courses, so the geography was unlimited. The degree level was associate degree.

Problem 1: 40 percent of the lead vendor inquiries submitted were never delivered to the school.

Ouch. Think about the student’s perspective on this. They took time to research schools, found a program and school they were interested in, completed a form, hit submit, got a message back that the school would contact them – and then radio silence. No call back. No email from the school. Nothing.

How could this happen? Well, that’s easy…. If a lead vendor has reached their cap, and the school didn’t have budget for any more leads, then the lead would either go into a black hole, or worse yet – be sold to another school. Both of these options are terrible, but they continue month after month, in our shopping.

Problem 2: 10 percent of the lead vendor inquiries were told that school X wasn’t accepting inquiries.

Wow. What would you think if you were the student? Worse yet, if you are in charge of enrollment or marketing at a school – your lead vendor has just told a prospect that you basically aren’t enrolling. Really? Wait; it gets better.

Problem 3: 10 percent of “your” lead vendor inquiries were referred to another school.

Unbelievable. As an enrollment or marketing manager, I would be furious. And it continues. Each month we inquire about school X – only to be directed via the computer and even by call center reps, that we could inquire to school Y. To me, it’s worse than #2 above – it’s one thing to say a school isn’t taking inquiries, but it’s worse to blatantly direct them to a competitor. Not good. NOTE THAT BOTH SCHOOLS OFFERED THE SAME PROGRAM. And, it gets worse. One of our inquiries specifically made for school “X” was contacted by the lead vendor’s call center and then warm transferred to school “Y.”

Problem 4: Immediate re-sale of data

15 percent of our inquiries immediately got a call from another party other than the school they submitted their information too. How ironic, right? You request information from school “A” and kaboom – you immediately get calls from school “B” or from an-unrelated entity like “Rewards Redemption.” I got a call from XXX-XXX-1234, which was from Julie at Rewards Redemption. The recording stated that I recently was on one of their affiliated websites and I had won a $100 voucher that could be used at popular stores like Walmart, etc.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

• Shop your lead vendors to keep them honest.
• If lead vendors must be part of your mix, manage them diligently.
• Track the number of voice to voice calls you have with the inquiries from each vendor – remember, if you never talk to the prospect you can’t invalidate them or begin the recruitment process.
• Consider asking your lead vendor for exclusive, non-call center leads.
• Ask your lead vendor to explain and detail how many inquiries come from:
  • Student-generated from submissions
  • Call centers
  • Warm transfers

Finally, consider going to a marketing mix that uses traditional media to drive traffic to your digital properties. A well-balanced advertising mix will fuel your organic website inquiries and your PPC inquiries. Changing the mix of leads will result in driving up contact rates, with a smaller staff. Ultimately you’ll increase enrollments and reduce cost.

More details on : Our Admission Training Program

About Vince Norton
Managing Partner, Norton|Norris, Inc.

Since 1979, Vince Norton has worked in higher education administration, marketing, admissions, and enrollment management, for both not-for-profit and proprietary institutions. His 35-plus years of experience include 19 years in admissions, marketing, and administration at non-profit colleges, and three years with for-profit colleges. For the last 16 years, he has served as Managing Partner of Norton|Norris, Inc. Vince is regarded as an expert on college marketing and mystery shopping and has delivered presentations on this topic for numerous associations.

The post Bad News – Beware of Buying Education Leads from Vendors 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.

Writing in The New York Times, Danny Hakim observed: “The reaction to the scandal has been swift. A recent Harris Poll of Americans’ attitudes toward the 100 most visible companies ranked Volkswagen dead last.”

Or perhaps you are familiar with the plight of the Live Strong campaign after its icon, Lance Armstrong, was stripped of his Tour de France titles amid a doping scandal.

If you think there isn’t a correlation between these stories and higher education, think again. There are more similarities than you might imagine.

For career colleges, 2016 will go down in history as a year of orchestrated attacks resulting in a swarm of bad press, consumer outrage and financial hardship. And it didn’t happen at just a few schools – the entire career college sector was negatively impacted.

Whether the claims are actually true is somewhat irrelevant when it comes to regaining consumer confidence. The media, which itself struggles with negative public perception, tends to focus on the dramatic. Perhaps this is to raise ratings or support a particular political agenda, but either way, the battle is multifaceted and must include a strategy to win back consumers and increase supporters of the career college sector.

 Where to Begin?

With the public relations nightmares mentioned earlier, dramatic changes were necessary to fix the problems and appease consumers. What strategies can career colleges adopt to reestablish a sense of comfort with consumers, accreditors, the media and government agencies?

As we examine what others have done to regain public trust, there are five steps to consider:

1. Look in the Mirror

They say the first step is the hardest, and this hurdle is no exception. It’s easy to claim the opposition is out for revenge and dismiss the allegations of the naysayers. However, those who are willing to step back and take an objective, unbiased look at their own motives, business practices, unwritten rules and alignment with mission may find a kernel or two of truth. Although the profit motive is nothing to apologize for, if it outweighs meaningful student outcomes, then you may have some work to do.

2. Align Resources

The next step is to ensure that resources are aligned with quality student outcomes. Follow the student’s journey from inquiry generation to career placement to determine if qualified people and services are offered to help students find the right fit and reach their goals through your school.

3. Assess Leadership

Anytime you make changes, there are those who will push back. It’s time to ask: Do you have the right players on the team, or do you have some with limited mindsets pushing for self-preservation rather than what benefits students and the organization? It’s also time to empower those who are in alignment by removing obstacles to success.

4. Update Models and Measurements

This one is tricky, because business models and related metrics have been in place for decades. When examining the traditional enrollment funnel, it’s easy to see the declining return on investment. The new world of higher education begins by determining how many successful graduates are needed to support the business operations. Use that number to calculate what else is necessary in conversion rates from enrollments, applications, etc. Let’s face it: people will work to what they are measured on, so nothing else you do will matter without this critical piece.

5. Tell Your Story

Much of the pushback by career colleges has been targeted at the government. Currently though, there isn’t a cohesive, consumer-focused plan. My guess is that many schools have opted out of public relations, since it can be difficult to pinpoint a specific return on investment. The problem with not doing PR, though, is that someone else will tell your story if you don’t. You also lose the buffer of built-up goodwill that can deflect a negative story in the press.

We have entered a new political environment, but that in no way guarantees a favorable perception by the consumers entering career colleges. Prospective students are more aware than ever of their educational options and the negative view of a career education. It’s time to turn this perception around. Perhaps we begin in the department that is perfectly positioned to lead the charge: admissions!

Dr. Jean Norris, Managing Partner

Norton|Norris, Inc.

Dr. Jean Norris began her educational pursuit in a 10-month medical assisting diploma program. In the 27 years since, she has served in the role of admissions rep, dean of admissions, faculty member, vice president of marketing, vice president of enrollment management and vice president of organizational development. Currently Jean is a managing partner at Norton|Norris, Inc.

The post How Career Colleges Can Regain Public Trust (and Why It Matters) 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.

As for us at Norton Norris Inc., if you can name an acronym used by a higher education conference over the past few weeks, we can assure you that we have been there. From OACCS (Ohio Association of Career Colleges and Schools), CAPPS (California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools), CSPEN (Central States Private Education Network), NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling), ACCET (Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training) to AACS (American Association of Cosmetology Schools) and PSCNJ (Private Schools and Colleges of New Jersey, we have attended them all.

With over 30 years in the higher education sector, I have been attending conferences for a long time. However, I noticed some big changes this year: All of higher education is reeling from a barrage of demands to stay viable and relevant.

For those working in career education, the news of a friendlier administration is hopeful but the urgency to adapt is heightened with multiple school closings, the fall of a major accrediting agency, Gainful Employment (GE), Cohort Default Rates (CDR) and a strong desire to never live through this period of time again. When examining the conference presentations and discussions amongst members, there are five themes that have emerged and can turn career colleges around:

1. The role of the accrediting agency will shift.

As accrediting agencies fight for their own survival, it has become necessary to reexamine the concept of peer evaluation. Let’s face it. If the Department of Education (DOE) can swoop down and invalidate an agency, agencies have no choice but to comply with the agenda from above. Accreditors will need to take on an enforcement role above one of collaboration.

2. Schools must be hyper-vigilant in compliance.

One presenter used the term “white space around compliance” to stress the need for more proactive measures on following the law and best practices. No longer can a school get away with doing the bare minimum on making sure all the I’s are dotted and T’s crossed. Management will have to ensure that each rule and regulation is followed, along with making sure admissions and financial aid personnel are transparent, accurate and complete. Even a hint of misrepresentation or distasteful practices can be met with scrutiny leading to devastating outcomes. Looking to stay hyper-vigilant in compliance? Our Career College Mystery Shopping can give you the insight you need to protect yourself.

3. Student outcomes take center stage.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but schools definitely need to step it up in this area. No longer is the business model of enrolling volumes of students who deserve a chance at an education going to cut it (this is the role of the community college). This concept may be hard for many career colleges to adapt to, but it is precisely what has gotten many into trouble. In order to improve student outcomes, there must be admission standards on the front end that improve the chances of academic success and ultimately gainful employment. For those who already have amazing student outcomes, more has to be done to get the word out.

4. Embed your school in the community.

The once-believed mantra of “us against them” has to take on a different tone. There are enough students to go around and the battle has to be about helping those students achieve their goals versus everyone belongs at my school. Seek to partner with other schools and organizations, and be an upstanding citizen in the communities you serve.

5. There needs to be a transformation in admissions.

As someone working in the field of admissions for over 30 years, this theme is near and dear to my heart. A high school counselor recently asked me why career colleges make it so hard for a prospective student to get the information they need to make a decision or to even apply. While other colleges make every detail accessible, career colleges add extra steps, such as filling out a form to inquire and then calling incessantly to come on campus for an interview or visit.

These high school guidance professionals are so overwhelmed with their other responsibilities that career/college planning takes a back seat, and yet career colleges make it even harder.

Admissions offices need to let go of old and ineffective habits – especially the admission interview, and replace it with a more valuable (and defensible) activity such as pre-enrollment advising. Yes, this will take training and skill development, but that’s the easy part (check out EnrollMatch.com).

Having an entire profession let go of a business model that it has used for decades is the harder part. With reduced conversion rates, bad press, government oversight, unhappy admissions professionals and an awesome opportunity to really help students, what more evidence is needed?

There is one more theme that cannot be forgotten, and we will give this to you as an extra tip. Note that this is probably most important: This is a group that will simply never ever give up.

Even as the public floggings continue, there are stories of the need for employees in many of the fields taught by these schools. The career college owner and employees are passionate professionals and will give 110 percent when given the opportunity. What other segment of higher education provides the service and one-on-one attention like these schools do?

True, career colleges are not for everyone. But for some, they are the ONLY option to a better life.

The post 5 Major Themes to Turn Career Colleges Around appeared first on Norton Norris.