Collegial Conversations - Peggy Printz

Through these conversations, we hope to share the fresh perspectives of a few idea generators and thought leaders in international student recruitment. Periodically, the Marketing and Recruiting Network will ask respected colleagues to answer three questions. Visit often to learn more about the most recent and relevant trends in this dynamic field, and to contribute to its development.

Peggy J. Printz

Peggy J. Printz is publisher of Study in the U.S.A. magazines and a Web site for students, their parents, and advisers seeking information about U.S. education. Study in the U.S.A. magazine was the first of its kind when it debuted in 1978 and remains the leader in the field. The organization publishes seven regional magazines and three magazines for boarding schools and summer studies, with circulation exceeding 350,000 copies.

What do you see as the most critical element in trying to attract globally mobile students to a particular country? Why?

Reputation is paramount in attracting students to a particular country. The USA still enjoys premier status because of the quality, diversity, and breadth of its institutions of higher education. A U.S. degree is prized around the world, but U.S. immigration policies have eroded this position. Now the warm welcome and lower cost students enjoy in other English-speaking countries are having long-term effects.

Competition within non-English language groups is intense, and depends upon factors such as cost and length of program, availability of homestays, and content of coursework.

What particular obstacles (in terms of threats or challenges) prevent recruiters from being effective? How can colleagues overcome those obstacles?

Recruiters face challenges from within and outside their own institutions. They encounter competition from programs in other countries, especially those with state-sponsored recruitment programs. They must lobby for funds and support from their own administrations. Beyond that, they have limited time and resources to cover the world. In smaller institutions, admissions recruiters must choose strategies that maximize their exposure with minimal outlays.

How do recruiters evaluate effectiveness? For some, it's having a diverse population. For others, success is measured merely by having desks occupied. They can spend countless hours trying to calculate the yield from a particular recruiting agency or service; whereas in today's complex market, students find their schools via various and multiple sources, most likely a combination of personal contacts, and print and electronic media. Astute recruiters will use all three.

Ten years from now, how do you envision the landscape of marketing and recruiting in international education?

Even as we continue enjoying advances in technology, school recruiters will acknowledge that there is still no substitute for personal contact, and the tactile, tangible experience of print.

I hope that environmental, economic, and political challenges will still permit frequent travel. If not, "armchair" recruiting may increase in popularity.