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.

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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.”

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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 ;).”

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 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.

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.