Recruiting and Retaining Millennials: Assembling the pieces for the RIGHT FIT February 2015 SACRAO...

Recruiting and Retaining Millennials:

Assembling the pieces for the RIGHT FIT

February 2015

SACRAO 68th Annual Meeting ~ Mobile, Alabama

The Right Fit is Integral to RETENTION!

Colleges are in the Driver’s Seat!

Founded in 1994 by Julia Ross

3 types of Student Services:

SAT Prep – 41%College Coaching – 28%

Tutoring – 26%Book Sales and Misc. –

5%

Nationally published author:

Staff of 8:Senior Members-JD, PhD, Masters

Junior Members-BS/BA

Presents 20+ College Admissions Seminars Annually

Middle-Class Pricing & Pro-bono Services

Local, regional & national clients

Approaching $1 million

annual gross revenue

Professional Tutoring’s Goals

“To help students search for, and to practice

passions”

“To communicate that passion with students, parents and colleges.”

“To provide a safe, supportive work

environment for students to learn, interact and

excel.”

Applications MUSTFeature each Student Ethically

Professional Tutoring Follows the National Association of College Admissions Counselors’ Statement of Good Practices

Beyond Recruitment to:

Application, Admission, Yield AND Graduation

The View from All Sides

Parent

What does each group consider? How can admissions officers affect

considerations?

College

College Coach

Student

Do you ever feel Stereotyped?

“Nerdy”

“Dumb Students”“Too Expensive”

“Party School”

How do we change this?

“With Information”

“School Visits”“Dissemination”

This is only a “blank school”(engineering, liberal arts…)

#1: Rank These Colleges!

Best Medical Schools for Primary Care Specialty:

Top 20 Programs*

East Carolina University

Emory University

Harvard College

University of Alabama

University of Minnesota

*2014 U.S. News Rankings

Myth-buster

How did you do?

7 University of Minnesota10 University of Alabama14 Harvard College19 East Carolina University29 Emory University

* 2014 U.S. News Rankings

Best Medical Schools for Primary Care Specialty

Top 20 Programs*

How can Colleges BUST the Myths?

Advertise programs!

US News Rankings

State Department Flagship Chinese and Arabic Programs – 4 SACRAO Universities

Honors Program

The Right Fit:A College Coach’s Perspective

Act as base of information:

Guide families: academic, social, athletic and financial wants/needs

Help students find, evaluate and showcase passions

Create research database to provide correct information

Introduce students to admissions officers

Support high schools AND colleges

Myth-buster

The Right Fit is Integral to RETENTION!

College Coaches Support the Fit.

College Coaches Bring Out-of-the-Box Thinking to College

Admissions

100% of Professional Tutoring’s College Coaching clients receivecollege acceptances. The acceptance rate for the class of 2015 is 95%

as of February 1, 2015.

What Does Professional Tutoring Look for in a College or University?

Well Established Strong Alumni

Network

Consistent Admissions

Standards

School Pride

Freshmen Retention

and Graduation Rates

50/50 20/1M-F S-F

Class Sizes Alcohol/Drug Policies

Depth in Programs& Linkages

Job Placement Rates Ranked Programs/Majors

Students Cherished

Established Programs

College Coaching Students begin the Admissions Puzzle by

9th or 10th grade

College Coaches Advise Clients about Merit Aid

The Right Fit Brings Maximum Scholarship Offers because of

Ethical Scholarship Consideration

rofessional Tutoring

College Coaching Class of 2014

39 Graduates

$3.5 million in scholarship offers. Avg: $90,000 per

student

92% offered merit scholarships

Robinson Secondary School

Class of 2014

650 graduates (2nd largest secondary school in U.S.)

$3 million in scholarship offers

Avg: $4,600 per student

Lost opportunities!

Professional Tutoring Success Story

Evaluating Passion and finding the Fit at SCAD

#2: Rank These Colleges!

Best Undergraduate Business Programs

Top 60 Ranked*

Brigham Young University

College of William and Mary

University of South Carolina

Villanova University

Wake Forest University*2014 U.S. News Rankings

Myth-buster

How did you do?Best Undergraduate Business Programs

Top 60 Ranked*

27 Brigham Young University

34 Wake Forest University

38 College of William and Mary

38 University of South Carolina

58 Villanova University

*2014 U.S. News Rankings

The Right Fit:Parent Perspective

Is this a GOOD college?

What will OUR friends think?

How will we pay for college?

Will they do more than party?

I am not ready for this yet!! Where did the time go?

Myth-busters!!!

The Right Fit is Integral to RETENTION!

Parents Support the Fit.

Family must be Involved with the Entire Admissions Process

Parents have Specific Concerns:

Name/Legacy

Academics Finances

Job Placement

Safety Retention Values Diversity

Structure Success

Policies: Substance,

academics, dorms

Logistics

Parents Worry about Academic Performance in College

Parents Have to Realistically Evaluate the Family’s Budget

and Discuss it with their Student

What about that college savings plan?

Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs

Top 45 Colleges*

Penn State University

Rutgers University

University of Illinois

University of Virginia

Virginia Tech

*2014 U.S. News Rankings

#3: Rank These Colleges!Myth-

buster

How did you do?

Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs

Top 45 Colleges*

5 University of Illinois

15 Virginia Tech

19 Penn State University

35 University of

Virginia

43 Rutgers

University

*2014 U.S. News

Rankings

The Right Fit:Students’ Perspectives

College Selection:A maze of hopes, dreams, money, and bumper stickers.

The Right Fit is Integral to RETENTION!

Students ARE the Fit.

Students’ Perspective of College Choice:

Designer Shoe Syndrome

Most Important: Do my friends approve?

Students Shop for a College by Looking at the PICTURE on

the Puzzle Box!

They have to look at the PIECES to find the Right Fit

What Should Prospective Students Want ?

Academics Housing

AffordabilitySports

Facilities

Major

School Spirit

Their Fit

Financial AidClass Size

Activities

Location/Culture

Students Design/Complete a Unique Application Puzzle to

Submit to Colleges

Debunk Student Myths: Only smart kids, only Eagle Scouts,

Only, Only, Only…

Students must know that:Hope is not a Plan!

Colleges need to set HONEST expectations on ALL selection criteria!!

Academic Performance is a Puzzle Border for Students

The Great Equalizers

Grades &

Course Rigor51%

SAT/ACT49%

SAT-CR

SAT-MA

SAT-WR

SAT-Subject.

ACT

GPA

Honors

AP IB

Math

ForeignLanguage

Technology

Fine ArtsElectives

Core

Science

English

History

P.E.

J-ROTC

Admissions Probability

Service Activities - Middle Pieces

Student Citizens Passion Service

Leadership Cohesion

Involvement in Activities is Crucial

Indicator for College Involvement

ATHLETICS:

CLUBS

MUSIC: Band orChorus

HONOR SOCIETIES

SGA

YouthOrganizationsDRAMA Student

Publications

J.V., Varsity,

Travel, Club

Bringing Students, Parents and Admissions Officers Together

Begin with the college

visit

Move from EHarmony to that first date!

College Visits are a Street!

Students and parents gather information about each university

Admission officers and tour leaders (front-line sales) observe students

Tour GuidesCan Make or Break a Student’s

Decision

Develop specific tour guidelines, train tour guides:Establish uniformity: dress, presentation, test and measure

results.

What NOT to Do on a College Visit

Students

Admission

Officers

TourGuides

Family

Recruiting the Right Fit:Admission’s Office Perspective

Each institution represents a unique puzzle

Private University

Private College

Public

Community

College

Public

Universi

ty

Each applicant is a possible piece of the university puzzle

The Right Fit is Integral to RETENTION!

Admissions Officers EVALUATE the Fit.

Do Not Force a Puzzle Piece to Fit

University

Student

Poor Fit leads to attrition of more than one student!

Admissions RepresentativesMUST Know Their University’s Puzzle

Academics

Sports

ScholarshipsSpecial Programs

HousingGreek LifeFight SongCosts

Rankings

Facilities

Class Sizes

Majors

Website

Career Placement

Graduation Rates

Written guidelines, practice, parent/student evaluation, measure!

Admissions Provides the ‘Ideal’ College Tour

Structure

Facts

Classrooms

Dorms

Meal

Interview/Meeting

Package Deal: Hotel,

MealsTransport

How Admissions Officers Can Help Showcase Your University’s

Puzzle

Understand & value your market

Encourage visits

*** Invite contact ***

Interview studentsInvolve parents

Involve college coach

Involve professors

Promote scholarships

Connect to Students

Meet with professors, teaching assistants, students Offer on campus interviews or departmental/athletic meetings.Alumni interviewsRegional Officers: Guidance Counsellors, College Coaches, Meet and Greets, Phone Calls

Admissions Officers Must Encourage Communication with

Students & Parents

Communication leads to Recruitment, Enrollment, Retention and Graduation

Improving Recruiting for Millennials:

What Admissions Officers Can Do Now

Recognize the ‘right fit’ student qualities for your institution

Prepare to showcase your university’s unique puzzle

Encourage communication with students and parents

Understand the impact of tour guides!

Provide an easy-to-find ‘printable’ version of the Freshman Application on the website

Retaining Millennials: Beyond Admissions

Develop a Comprehensive Plan for Retention

Professors

Student Health Admissions

Housing

Family

Students

RA’s

Counseling Services

- Across the University –

Retention Programs for Freshmen

Remedial Courses

Housing

“Quick Start”

Advising

Programs for

“Undecided”

Tutoring & Mentoring

SmallClass Size

Provide Safety Nets to Prevent Dropouts

Mid-termGrades

Housing issues

Social problems

Family

Issues with professors

Roommates ProgressReports

Advising

Keeping up with the “Pieces”Developing a University

Retention Plan?

How will you retain millennials?

Pre- and Post-Admissions

surveys

Communication with Parents

Checkpoints during freshman

year

Share survey results

Connect with students

Quantify/measure where you can Referrals within

your institutionAcademic &

Social Intervention

s

Reasons for leaving

Help students make their

decision

Keeping up with the “Pieces”Rules make Students Feel Safe

and Able.

Your institution’s traditions, culture, rules, structure and expectations provide the “Edge

Pieces” of the puzzle.

The Completed Puzzle will Lead to the RIGHT FIT!!

Victoria graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2014!

Recruiting and Retaining Millennials:

Assembling the pieces for the RIGHT FIT

February 2015

SACRAO 68th Annual Meeting ~ Mobile, Alabama