The Challenge:
A university’s top rankings as an “up and coming university” for undergraduate teaching and its reputation in STEM created an imbalance of students on campus – too few women were interested in the university. There was growing internal concern that programs in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences were being overshadowed relative to STEM program marketing efforts and therefore were not receiving their fair share of students. This situation not only impacted the university’s bottom line, but also its campus climate. In order to be regarded as a well-rounded university that provides students with an immersive college experience, it sought to improve its marketing and enrollment management strategies.
The Process:
Melior conducted qualitative and quantitative research with high school students, parents, teachers and school counselors to understand their perspectives on the college decision making process. The overarching goal was to provide sufficient market-based information to make tangible and actionable recommendations to improve yield, to encourage consideration of the university (particularly in arts, humanities, and social sciences), and to position our client as a top-tier choice for those women and men wishing to be part of a “distinctive and rich” university.
The Outcome:
Through Melior’s research, the university learned how it was perceived in the target market; what really matters to high school students and parents when making college choices; and which are the important sources of information about colleges. As well, the research provided the forum to test the appeal of new initiatives, and the impact of refined messaging. In the end, our client had hard data, and thus the required university-wide buy-in, to refine its marketing and recruitment strategies to meet goals.
- 01 Mar 2017
- Education
