Developing a Marketing and Recruiting Plan

by Louis Gecenok and Kathleen Trayte

Objectives

• Revenue
• Enrollment target numbers by entry level and nationality
• Conversion rates
  • Cost of recruitment "sales"
  • Satisfaction levels
  • Performance parameters over time

Situation Analysis

Where is the market at and where are you currently?

• State of the international student market
• United States' and your institution's share (60% of students choose country first)
• Trends
  • ESL enrollments down
  • Competition from other countries
  • Where is the market improving
  • Other

Situation Analysis: External

Consider general mobility trends

• What are the effects of social, cultural and political patterns?
• How does your institution fit in?

Who are you likely to attract? Some possible target groups:

• Urban students in developing countries who face a lack of local higher educational opportunities?
• Multinational families
• Short term allied health career students
• Graduates of BS degrees in Engineering, C.S., and Biochemistry
• Others

Higher education in the United States vs. other countries that educate international students

• Understand the attraction of higher education in the U.S.
• Be able to compare U.S. educational system to home country's
• Realistically asses the attraction and quality of your institution and your programs, within the global and international context
• Example: How does your MBA compare in price and curriculum to those in Europe and Australia?
• Within the U.S. context, how do you compare to local and national competition, their offerings, pricing, success, market share

Research current political, economic, and educational events worldwide

• Talk with colleagues, embassies, international faculty and students
• Subscribe to some of the following:

• The Chronicle of Higher Education
• Newsletters of credential evaluation services
• NAFSA Professional Network Discussion Forums
  
• International newspapers (available online)
• Economy magazines: The Economist
• Others
  

Situation Analysis: Internal

Evaluate your institution's students

• Demographic factors
  • Education. levels (BS/MS/PhD)
  • Major fields of study, ESL needs
  • Country/region, compare with Open Doors data, and competition
  • Finances
  • Gender
• What do they think?
• Why did they choose to come to this school?
• How did they come to us? (trip, agent, etc.)
• Who or what influenced their decision? Are they happy? Have their expectations been met?
• Are they dissatisfied? With what? Can you change it?

Other issues

• Retention levels
• Campus ethnicity
• Adequate resources
• International Student Services delivery
• Faculty relationships
• What do you have to offer?
  • How is it distinct from competitors?
  • Is it committed or opportunistic?
• Promotional material
• Is it targeted?
• Is it effective?
• Is it user friendly?
• Do you offer it in translation?