Recruiting Past Admissions

Situation

University recruitment operations are typically focused on recruiting the incoming class to the school, at which point students are no longer working with “admissions office” staff but “student affairs” staff. This means that admissions offices are often no longer involved with the student experience. Consequently, recruiting tools and techniques are focused on starting college, and the idea of finishing college simply is not part of the overall recruitment plan.

Solution

We worked with several universities to elevate the consideration of the college experience to include the overall goal of actually graduating and acquiring the degree. One popular recruitment giveaway that we started producing was a “graduation cap” keychain. Keychains are always popular because they have immediate utility embedded in the design, not just as a holder of keys but as a zipper pull or attachment for bags.

Success

A high quality graduation cap keychain has consistently proven to be an effective recruitment piece. It is easy to give away making it a universal tool for everyone from admissions officers to presidents, and easy to accept between its beauty and elegance. It’s small size also lends itself well to keeping a handful ready regardless of where representatives happen to be traveling. Almost as importantly, it can impact persistence, retention, and graduation rates by enabling campus representatives to focus attention on the long-term importance of college and by reminding new students of their purpose for enrolling.