News & Insights

From NAGAP to TACAC to SACAC, this season is just full of conferences! It's such a great time to connect with old colleagues, network and meet new ones, and pick up a few new tricks of the trade. That's what we exhibitors hope for you—that you'll learn something new . . . maybe even from us! You'll find a Carnegie person at just about every conference we can get ourselves to. And for us, exhibiting at these events is very similar to those admission teams standing behind the tables at college fairs. We look for ways to stand out amongst our competitors, just like you and your staff. We are eager and excited to share some of the new things we can offer our clients, the same way you have amazing opportunities to offer incoming students. Sure, we can give you a flyer or send along our media kit, but that's just like you sending a student or parent home with a view book without having a conversation to see if your institution is truly a fit!

We keep hearing about stealth applicants or visitors not doing what you hoped when they come to your site. And it’s true: tracking what’s going on is tough. Gone are the days where comparing first-source inquiries to matriculants one-to-one is the only measurement you use. Marketing plans are more complex. Students have access to more information than ever before—and are getting it without you knowing! But the good news is data still tells a very reliable story.

Not too long ago, while reading through cover letters and résumés for a recently filled editorial position, I was reminded of the importance of a tailored message and how the more finely honed that tailoring is, the more powerful the message becomes.

Those elusive transfer students: how do you reach them? It’s important not to cross that proverbial line between well-crafted messaging and outreach that could be seen as (dare I say) poaching. More than ever, many schools are focusing on growing their percentage of transfer students, and if not growing, then certainly nothing less than maintaining current numbers. For most schools this is a familiar question and an annual challenge. In a perfect world, all students could afford (financially as well as academically) to commit to a four-year school right after high school, but as we all know that isn’t the case. Nevertheless transfer students continue to be an important part of the incoming class and one that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Due dates—have you ever realized the importance of these two words? Due dates can apply to many different situations in life: a project in school, a task for work, or, as I just recently experienced, the day my child was to be born.