In the age of AI, are students still asking human beings for their advice? It depends. When prospective students get information from a platform such as ChatGPT, they can sometimes conclude that they have all the answers, which can diminish their likelihood of (1) going to the university website and pressing the 鈥淐ontact us鈥� button, and (2) visiting a local agent.

However, an AI response can also inspire prospects to take the next step to see what other people think about the university 鈥� especially people with first-hand experience: other students and alumni.

The importance of a student/alumni ambassador initiative is not diminished by AI. Instead, this investment can go a long way towards ensuring that AI may be the first word about your institution, but not the last word.

According to marketing guru Seth Godin, a brand is 鈥渁 promise and a shorthand for the expectations, memories, stories, and relationships a consumer has with a product, service, or organisation.鈥� That is a phenomenal description of the emotional relationship between brands and their avid fans. This kind of relationship is just not covered by AI. It needs humans.

Students engage with school and university brands on many levels, including by spending hours watching student-created videos about getting ready for school, decorating dorm rooms, cramming for exams, cheering for sports teams, and goofing around with friends. They are looking for a student perspective as much as a list of the objective benefits of an institution. They want to be sure that on top of receiving quality education and good career outcomes, they will belong on campus and have friends and fun.

Student ambassadors can provide accurate, current information about programmes, internships, costs of study, etc. and the subjective student experience. This is a superpower! Ambassadors provide the authenticity prospective students crave when deciding on where and what to study.

Why aren鈥檛 more universities using student ambassadors?

At this year鈥檚 黑料官网 Monitor Global Summit in London, an expert panel 鈥� George Grainger, co-founder of Alumnify; Sanna Heikkinen, marketing designer at the University of Oulu in Finland; and George Olesen, CEO of The Ambassador Platform 鈥� explored the benefits and challenges of student ambassador programmes.

Mr Grainger started off by highlighting why institutions need to consider ambassadors as part of their branding and outreach, saying, 鈥淧rospective students are willing to make a huge investment in study abroad, but you need more than traditional marketing to have them choose your university over all the other options they might be considering. Students want to hear the real stories and opinions of other students 鈥� student ambassadors are a unique opportunity.鈥�

The panelists also addressed a common worry that investing in an ambassador initiative could lead to unpredictable or unmeasurable ROI. For example, maybe one ambassador would prompt a conversion, while others would not, or maybe an ambassador could even damage the brand by providing inaccurate information by mistake or sharing a video that is too silly or even inappropriate.

The solution, agreed panelists, is to commit to a serious onboarding system and continuous support. Mr Grainger explained that you can鈥檛 just expect ambassadors to know how to represent your institution without preparing them:

鈥淭raining is so important for outcomes. We start with a four-hour bootcamp where we get ambassadors into the nuts and bolts of how to recruit. We explore how to communicate with different stakeholders. We do scenario training, where for example we take on the role of a difficult student or a difficult parent and then help ambassadors learn how best to handle the situation.鈥�

Ms Heikkinen said that in her experience, involving ambassadors across marketing functions and activities is great for engagement and results:

鈥淲e connect all our marketing activities and design them to be complementary. So our ambassadors contribute to ideas for the website, they gather student testimonials and create videos. They play a role in webinars, open days, high school visits, social media, and more. They鈥檙e involved in agent cooperation and study fairs. They are integrated because they are part of our team.鈥�

Treating ambassadors as valued, important professionals will encourage the results you are looking for. In addition to improved conversions, ROI will come from a strengthened position in key target markets and a reputation as a brand that students can trust.

Five key steps to driving ROI

1. Compensate your ambassadors. Paying them professionalises their job. By paying them fairly, you get to set tasks and responsibilities and require accountability. If ambassadors are simply asked to help out of the goodness of their hearts or for a bullet on their resume, they may deliver variable results. They could hit it out of the park here and there but then fade away when they are busy or distracted. If cost is an issue, start small 鈥� even 3-5 ambassadors for your top target markets can make a huge difference.

2. Commit to the relationship. Attach a contract to the work, with a start-and-end date and with regular performance and check-in meetings. Create a list of weekly/monthly tasks the ambassador is required to complete. As George Grainger said, 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 build in regularity to the relationship, you run into situations like when all of a sudden, after not contacting an ambassador for months, you need them to attend an event. That鈥檚 probably not going to work.鈥�

3. Choose wisely. Career outcomes are crucial to prospective students. Choose students
excelling in programmes you want to promote overseas or alumni who have secured great jobs after graduating. In addition, choose:

• Students and alumni who are passionate about what going to your school has done for them. Those people are going to be the most engaging, authentic, and persuasive.
• Current students or recent alumni. Someone who graduated 5 years ago instead of 12 months ago won鈥檛 have the same fresh take on studying at your university or school.
• People who are good communicators and presenters.

4. Train and nurture. Develop a rigorous onboarding programme for your ambassadors,
since ideally, they will serve as an extension of your marketing team. Provide comprehensive training, have your staff welcome them, and make them feel valued. Consider ambassadors part of your 360-degree branding: show them how they can support all other functions (e.g., agents and in-country representatives, digital campaigns, social media posts, etc.).

5. Clarify and prepare. Clearly define what kind and tone of content the ambassador can create to represent your school, and delineate what they can and cannot say to students. Then, provide them with a set script so they can confidently direct sensitive questions (e.g., immigration-related) to appropriate staff members. For many activities such as fairs, online discussions, and events, ask your ambassadors to have their laptop open so they can easily and quickly pull up accurate information about a wide variety of programmes, tuition fees, accommodation, etc.

For additional background, please see:

• “How to build a better peer recruitment programme“
• “The peer-to-peer effect in international student recruitment“

The post Five key steps to driving ROI from your student ambassador programme appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

The programme 鈥� produced in partnership by Studyportals with Uni-Life and the British Council IELTS 鈥� relies entirely on student reviews, which this year amounted to 102,000 reviews from students across 3,059 universities and 124 countries. The reviews were submitted between January 2023 and July 2025, from current students or alumni who graduated after January 2022.

Overall student satisfaction remains high at 4.18/5.00, reflecting a marginal decrease from 2023’s rating of 4.21. Comparable to the 2023 survey, just under 96% of responding students rated their overall study experience at either four or five stars.

At a national level, the top-performing destinations 鈥� based on that overall satisfaction score 鈥� were the United States (4.32), Belgium (4.29), and Austria (4.28). The following figure highlights a wider selection of country ratings (for overall satisfaction), comparing destination performance on two dimensions: (i) positive or negative change relative to the 2023 rating and (ii) relative ranking compared to the global average of 4.18.

Aside from the US, Canada showed steady improvement over the last four years, climbing from a rating of 4.07 (2021) and 4.11 (2023) to reach the global average for first time. The United Kingdom has also shown steady, if more gradual improvement, rising from 4.1 (2021) and 4.18 (2023) to 4.23 this year. Australia, however, remains below the global benchmark, with ratings consistently around 4.13 over the past four years.

As we see in the following summary of other key indicators from the 2025 ratings, there is a little more variability sitting behind that overall score.

鈥淭hese results show where universities are winning student trust, and where they risk losing it,” said Studyportals CEO Edwin van Rest. “Students are more confident about career prospects, but increasingly concerned about diversity and their quality of life. In today鈥檚 competitive environment, these student voices are critical signals for universities. Understanding these perspectives is crucial for shaping policies and programmes that genuinely meet students鈥� needs.鈥�

Signals for improvement

The student rating for “Admissions Process” declined from 4.41 in 2023 to 4.24 this year. This parameter reflects student feedback with respect to ease of application, clarity of website information, and quality of staff assistance during the admission process.

Part of the issue here may lie in the premium that students place on ease of use and streamlined experience in other parts of their lives. “Students specifically appreciate when online applications are ‘easy and simple to operate’ and websites are user-friendly,” adds Studyportals. “Modern students expect admission processes to match the usability standards of consumer applications, with intuitive interfaces and straightforward procedures.”

Another notable change this year was in the area of “Student Diversity,” which reflects “how effectively universities foster welcoming environments for students from different countries, cultures, religions, age groups, gender identities, backgrounds, and those with special needs.”

Student satisfaction with respect to “Student Diversity” dropped from 4.37 (2023) to 4.15 this year, a change that the report summarises as, “Universities that intentionally create welcoming spaces for students from different backgrounds see higher satisfaction. Conversely, some students faced problems integrating into the campus community or feeling at home in a new country.”

The meaningful thing about both parameters is that they are largely within the control of each university, which highlights that they remain areas of opportunity and potential competitive advantage for most institutions.

The steady rise of career services

Students rated their satisfaction with “Career Development” at 4.13 this year, a small increase over the 4.08 rating from 2023 but an impressive gain over four years from the 3.86 rating from 2021. As the term suggests, this aspect of student experience is concerned with, “How well universities support students’ career development through extracurricular courses, workshops, conferences, internship assistance, and other employability-enhancing activities.”

Overall, “Career Development” is the most-improved category tracked in the programme, indicating the greater attention to student support and student outcomes in this respect. Given everything we are learning in recent years about the greater emphasis students now place on those outcomes, this is a particularly relevant finding in the 2025 ratings.

This year’s report also includes a series of related recommendations for institutions planning to further strengthen their career services for students.

• “Facilitate industry professional connections. Organise regular interactions with working professionals through guest lectures, networking events, and mentorship programmes. These direct industry connections often prove more valuable than theoretical career guidance, providing students with realistic insights and professional networks.

• Expand hands-on learning opportunities. Bridge the gap between academic learning and professional application through well-supported internships and real-world projects. Students need practical experience with current industry tools and challenges to feel prepared for their careers.

• Leverage faculty research connections. Ensure professors actively engaged in current research translate contemporary industry challenges into classroom content. This makes education feel immediately relevant and prepares students for the evolving problems they’ll encounter in their professional lives”.

For additional background, please see:

• “How likely are students to recommend your institution?“
• “Global survey says graduate outcomes the most important factor in students鈥� choice of institution abroad“
• “Better living and social environments for students linked to better mental health“
• “Is employability still the holy grail for the new generation of international students?“

The post Global student satisfaction survey highlights growing attention to career services appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

The report鈥檚 findings are based on a spring 2019 survey of international students who were accessed through 40 universities in the US and UK, as well as data drawn from 370,000+ peer-to-peer conversations within the Unibuddy platform. These conversations were between student ambassadors (that is, students already enrolled at a given university) and prospective students from over 217 different countries and territories.

Commenting on the study, Unibuddy CEO Diego Fanara said,

鈥淪tudent-to-student connection has taken over as the most influential and helpful factor when deciding where to apply to university 鈥� even more influential than friends and family. This is a huge shift for universities and colleges. Students are the heart and soul of institutions so it’s no surprise that prospective students value the authenticity of their experience above all else.鈥�

Part of an overall effort

The study found that student ambassadors have the most impact once students are already exploring the possibility of going to a university, and particularly during application and enrolment processes. 鈥淧eer-to-peer interactions do not work as an attraction tool but rather as a resource that students use to deepen their knowledge of institutions they are already aware of,鈥� notes the report.

Influential ambassadors

More than half (57%) of surveyed students said that online conversations with student ambassadors were the most helpful resource for them when they were considering which university to apply to, compared with 47% who said friends and family were the most helpful. In particular, notes the report, students appreciate ambassadors鈥� 鈥渦nique and honest perspectives on academics, student life and local culture.鈥�

The report quoted one respondent as saying, 鈥淭he admission representatives give honest information as well most of the time but the students provide a more realistic day-to-day life perspective. They know more about the practical issues.鈥�

The quote highlights the essential advantage that student ambassadors can give to recruitment efforts: ambassadors 鈥� because they have direct, current experience of being students 鈥� understand what matters to other students. They speak the same 鈥渓anguage鈥� 鈥� the language of their generation and that generation鈥檚 priorities 鈥� and they know what can make or break a study abroad experience.

Interactions vary by region

Students from Africa and Europe, as well as undergraduate students, were the most likely to find student ambassadors to be even more helpful than family and friends.

The survey asked students what kind of information they most valued from student ambassadors. This is the list 鈥� in order of which was determined most helpful to the most students surveyed: academic information, general information, student life and campus culture information, application and procedures, unique student perspective, general helpful resource, personal encouragement, sense of belonging, clarity to specific questions, good general advice.

However, there were variances. In Asia and Europe, information on academics was considered the most helpful, while African students valued the personal encouragement that student ambassadors provide.

Graduate students are more specific

Undergraduate students appreciated the way student ambassadors can provide a sense of student life and also general information, whereas graduate students wanted more detailed knowledge, such as 鈥渁cademic information, ranking, curriculum, concentrations available and faculty, among other details that will help them evaluate their decisions based on career outcomes.鈥�

This finding highlights the more specific focuses that graduate students often have compared with undergraduate students, information that can help to guide the selection of student ambassadors for different academic levels.

Pairing student ambassadors with students

When students use the Unibuddy system, they are able to choose student ambassadors based on a variety of considerations. By far the most important for students was that they were paired with someone who shared the same academic focus as them. Otherwise, African and Asian students were more likely than those from other regions to want to chat with ambassadors who shared their ethnicity or country of origin.

Applying and enrolling

Of the two-thirds (65%) of surveyed students who ended up applying to the universities that had made student ambassadors available to chat, 67% of those students had decided to use the chat system prior to applying for admission. That is, those students knew of the university but hadn鈥檛 yet decided to apply to it 鈥� which showcases the incredible value that student ambassadors can represent in recruiting. They may provide the final bit of encouragement that takes a student from indecision to action.

Naturally, not all surveyed students who applied went on to enrol, but the discrepancy was notably minor at the graduate level, where 74% of students applied after speaking with a student ambassador and 53% then enrolled.

For additional background, please visit:

• 鈥�Let them talk: the power of student reviews鈥�
• 鈥�Five steps to a more active alumni programme鈥�
• 鈥�Student testimonials are an untapped source of competitive advantage in recruitment marketing鈥�

The post The peer-to-peer effect in international student recruitment appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

The findings come from the latest edition of the  (formerly the Gallup-Purdue Index), conducted in mid-2018 among more than 5,100 US college graduates with bachelor鈥檚 degrees or higher. 鈥淐ollege students’ expectations are clear on this issue; they are expecting and demanding a good job upon graduation,鈥� says an accompanying research note. 鈥淕allup research suggests that there are many important activities students can engage in during college to increase their odds for landing such a job 鈥� namely having an internship during college in which a graduate can apply what they were learning in the classroom 鈥� but the research does not support widespread claims that alumni networks are doing so.鈥�

This finding is all the more notable given that many universities tout their alumni networks as a key benefit for students once they graduate and enter the job market. On that point, the survey found that there was very little difference in how students perceived the value of their college鈥檚 alumni network across university rankings, with elite institutions rated only slightly higher on how much their alumni networks helped with graduates鈥� job prospects. One in six (16%) graduates from institutions ranked in the Top 50 US News rankings perceived their college鈥檚 alumni networks to have been helpful, compared to 10% from colleges ranked 51鈥�100 and 8% from colleges ranked lower than that.

The minimal increase in perceived helpfulness attached to elite colleges is also noteworthy given the great extent to which these institutions include their alumni networks as key elements in marketing materials and campaigns. In this sense, by not working to enable a more active alumni network, institutions are effectively foregoing an important source of competitive advantage for student recruitment and retention.

As we have observed in the past, 鈥淎lumni can add a powerful personal element to a marketing programme. Former students have first-hand knowledge of what it鈥檚 like to study at a college or university, and that鈥檚 exactly what prospective students are looking for in making study abroad decisions.鈥�

A lost opportunity

The Strada-Gallup Alumni Survey follows another survey we reported on a little while back that highlighted the need for a stronger alumni relations effort in many institutions. That report, produced jointly by  and , gathered responses from more than 100 administrators at American colleges. A major finding there was that a majority of respondents said that their institutions are not doing enough to connect with international alumni; nearly two-thirds reported having no dedicated staff time for global alumni relations.

However, that same study found that more than 50% of responding administrators said that they felt that their alumni networks were 鈥渧ery important鈥� to their international recruitment and branding efforts. But the ability of alumni to impact recruitment results could be blunted by less active alumni networks that are less able to help graduates connect to career opportunities. This represents a major opportunity lost for many higher education institutions, especially given that international students are increasingly choosing universities and programmes on the basis of perceived employment outcomes.

As the Gallup researchers note:

鈥淢aking an alumni network useful takes work and intentionality, and that most alumni networks are not actively engaged in supporting fellow alumni in the job market. Importantly, creating an engaged alumnus is nearly impossible if that graduate did not experience a fulfilling undergraduate experience. The most active and successful networks will be the result of programming that shows students support while they are students and that motivates them to contribute upon graduation.鈥�

Faculty a major career support

While a minority of US college students surveyed by Strada-Gallup find alumni networks helpful in their search for a good job, a much greater proportion (88%) received at least some career advice from either faculty or career services.

Interestingly, more graduates (a third) said that they often received advice from faculty or staff compared to those who said they did through their career services office (22%). And the quality of advice was also deemed to be better when it came from faculty or staff: 49% found staff/faculty guidance helpful or very helpful versus 30% who said the same about guidance from career services.

For additional background, please see:

• 鈥�Five steps to a more active alumni programme鈥�
• 鈥�Study finds lots of room to improve in international alumni relations鈥�
• 鈥�Extending your recruitment effort with international alumni鈥�

The post Survey says that alumni networks have limited impact on job prospects appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

In that, they鈥檙e quite right: alumni can add a powerful personal element to a marketing programme. Former students have first-hand knowledge of what it鈥檚 like to study at a college or university, and that鈥檚 exactly what prospective students are looking for in making study abroad decisions.

鈥淪tudents who鈥檝e completed their studies aren鈥檛 just graduates,鈥� says Gretchen Dobson, one of the primary authors of the report and the president of global alumni relations with . 鈥淭hey have the potential to have a lifelong relationship with the institution.鈥�

Alumni as brand ambassadors

Investing in international alumni relations allows educators to leverage the support of former students. 鈥淎lumni based overseas can be engaged, for example, to deliver independent talks in schools and colleges, extending the institution鈥檚 reach into areas where recruitment officers may not operate,鈥� says Nicholas Miller in a report for the UK鈥檚 Higher Education Academy. 鈥淚nternational alumni can also serve as ambassadors, engaging with prospective international students and their parents to help boost recruitment efforts and grow connections overseas.鈥�

The following graphic highlights how alumni add a critical element of authenticity to an institution鈥檚 recruitment effort.

How alumni can strengthen recruitment strategies. Source: Adapted with permission from Nik Miller of the More Partnership

Five steps

1. Seek buy-in from senior leadership: Ms Dobson, who led international alumni efforts at Tufts University for a decade and now consults and writes widely on the subject, notes that the more support there is for an alumni strategy, the more successful it will be.

2. Get organised: The Academic Assembly/Intead report recommends establishing a budget, and ideally, 鈥渆stablishing a cross-functional team from admissions, advancement, international programmes, and career services for grassroots alumni engagement.鈥�

3. Don鈥檛 lose track of your graduates: Ms Dobson advises educators to put some good, basic data systems in place to log information about international graduates. Her report suggests classifying international graduates as 鈥渢ransnational alumni鈥� who may go on to further work or study in the US or a third country, and/or return to their home country over time 鈥� all possibilities that hold potential for them to be brand ambassadors. Every year, alumni should be invited to update their contact information.

4. Connect with the students you have now: Anne Hayner, the associate director for alumni relations with the University of Notre Dame鈥檚 Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, points out that alumni relations begin with current students. 鈥淪tart with the students you have now,鈥� she says. 鈥淐onnect with them and make sure they feel connected to you.鈥� International networking and engagement with foreign graduates are both central to the institute鈥檚 programmes, and Kroc has a long-established and active network of global alumni as a result.

5. Start small and build from there: Commit to making international alumni part of what your institution does, and understand that first steps lead to more steps. Ms Hayner points out that any institution can begin to strengthen its efforts in this area, even with modest budget or staff resources.

Engaging with your network

Engaging with alumni means not just asking them for help, but also being responsive to what they need, notes Ms Hayner. 鈥淎sk people what they need or want,鈥� she suggests. 鈥淔or example, part of my job is to help the students professionally network. So we keep them advised of what people are doing in the field through professional or alumni profiles, and we help them to stay connected to faculty or research resources so that they can stay on top of contemporary scholarship in the field.鈥�

Recognise effort

Writing in , Aaron Zdawczyk points out that 鈥淢ost alumni programmes are volunteer-based, so the opportunity for the graduate to represent his or her alma mater in the community and to engage with local students and families is often reward enough. However, developing a public system of recognition to highlight exceptional efforts and commitment is [a valuable step in keeping] alumni excited and energised.鈥�

Some institutions are going so far as to reward alumni monetarily for direct referrals. Vancouver Island University, for example, offers a $300 鈥渢hank you鈥� to current students and alumni if they refer an international student and that student is accepted and attends a full semester of ESL, undergraduate or graduate studies at VIU. This real-life example is a powerful testament to the immediate impact on enrolments that an alumni鈥檚 vouching for an institution can have.

For additional background, please see:

• 鈥�2018 Agent Barometer: Global survey tracks agent perspectives on destinations, online learning, alumni, and student experience鈥�
• 鈥�Study finds lots of room to improve in international alumni relations鈥�
• 鈥�Extending your recruitment effort with international alumni鈥�

The post Five steps to a more active alumni programme appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

International students 鈥� social media enthusiasts who spend hours of their time on the Internet 鈥� are highly influenced by online peer reviews of schools and destinations, especially when the destination is far away and they can鈥檛 visit before enrolling. They are well aware that institutional websites tend to showcase only positive testimonials, and so they often turn to third-party school selection and review websites such as CourseFinders, Go Overseas, Student Hut, and Hotcourses Abroad. These websites post both positive and negative reviews about schools and universities.

Their existence, and their popularity, has profound implications for educators. Some of the most successful schools today encourage their students to post reviews on these third-party sites.

A screen capture from a Google search results page showing both the impact of review content on search ranking as well as a summary of review ratings within the search results.

Take the bad with the good

The rise of online review culture has prompted a trend toward so-called 鈥渘aked鈥� or 鈥渢ransparent鈥� marketing, whereby savvy brands accept, embrace, and respond respectfully to what their customers say about them.

Consumers consider a brand to be transparent when they believe that it is ethical and honest about both positive and negative elements of its products, services, and operations. Furthermore, their trust in the brand grows if the brand acts quickly and meaningfully to address consumer feedback.

Adrienne Weissman, CMO at G2 Crowd, a peer-to-peer business review platform, says that the key to naked marketing is to 鈥渉ave a good product, deliver killer customer service, and showcase how all of what your customers think of you.”

Ross Holmes, CEO of , agrees, noting that research shows that consumers trust the reviews attached to a brand more if there are both good and poor reviews. 鈥淚t demonstrates that the company isn鈥檛 hiding anything. If people see only positive reviews, they become suspicious, and many of them will search elsewhere on the Internet to look for other opinions.鈥�

The fear of students posting critical opinions can make schools and universities nervous to engage in review culture, says Mr Holmes. But avoiding it is a mistake, he believes. 鈥淣o one can make everyone happy all the time, and students know this,鈥� he says. 鈥淚n our experience, students care more about how complaints are dealt with than they do about the content of the complaint. Replying to reviews is a great opportunity for schools to show that they listen, care, and that they鈥檙e human.鈥�

鈥淭he thing to do 鈥� assuming you鈥檙e running a good school of course 鈥� is to encourage reviews by building this element into an existing system, for example, adding it as a component of the evaluation that students already fill out at the end of their studies.鈥�

The goal is to have a critical mass of student reviews posted on third party sites. Research shows that the vast majority of consumers  before they feel they can trust a business, which makes the case for encouraging as many reviews as possible about your school or university.

Mr Holmes notes that satisfied students often pen lengthy reviews detailing what made it so great. Other students will write about both the best parts of their time at a school and the parts that they weren鈥檛 happy with, which is actually an excellent opportunity. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 when you can really engage in the conversation. Listen to students鈥� feedback and respond promptly, because they expect an almost immediate response. Acknowledge their complaint and, if appropriate, outline what action you have taken or will take to address it. Negative comments in reviews help you spot areas of your business that need attention, and your reply helps differentiate you from your competition.鈥�

Authenticity matters

Both the quantity and the quality of reviews impact whether or not students trust what they鈥檙e reading. For example, a school that has dozens of reviews looks more impressive than one with none. In terms of quality, the trustworthiness of a review has been shown to go up when it contains the following: linguistic fidelity (e.g., the way students really talk, so not overly formal), replies from other people and the brand itself, and the face of the reviewer.

Encouraging reviews is good marketing

Study after study shows that encouraging reviews, and not being afraid of the odd bad one, should now be an essential part of business strategy. Here are a few facts to prove the point:

• 92% of consumers now read online reviews
• Only 9% say they never search for a business online
• 48% will visit a company鈥檚 website after reading positive reviews
• 95% suspect censorship or faked reviews if they don鈥檛 see bad scores
• 68% trust reviews more when they see both good and bad scores
• 58% said they have recently begun leaving more and more online reviews based on customer service

And finally: Reviews produce an average of 18% uplift in sales. The potential is amazing, so if you haven鈥檛 already asked students to post reviews of their experience at your school or university, it鈥檚 a great time to start.

For additional background, please see:

• 鈥�Student testimonials are an untapped source of competitive advantage in recruitment marketing鈥�
• 鈥�Study finds lots of room to improve in international alumni relations鈥�
• 鈥�Global survey highlights the importance of peer review and detailed insights for prospective students鈥�
• 鈥�Everybody鈥檚 doing it: social proof and recruitment marketing鈥�

The post Let them talk: The power of student reviews appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

These are some of the top-line findings from a new study released today by Academic Assembly and .  gathers responses from 103 administrators at American colleges and universities for a first-ever national benchmarking survey of best practices in international alumni relations.

The overarching observation in the study is that there is considerable room for institutions to improve their engagement with international graduates. As the following chart reflects, most respondents do not rate their institution鈥檚 current efforts very highly.

Survey respondents鈥� self-assessment of their institutions current global alumni engagement efforts. Source: Academic Assembly/Intead

The survey respondents most commonly cited 鈥渋nsufficient time鈥� (51%) and 鈥渋nadequate budget鈥� (28%) as the main impediments to expanding their institution鈥檚 global alumni engagement. Nearly one in three respondents (30%) also noted 鈥渋nsufficient internal leadership support鈥� as a significant issue.

If these results represent a baseline for international alumni relations in the US, they come as no surprise to Mitch Leventhal, former vice chancellor for global affairs at the State University of New York, and now chairman at Academic Assembly: 鈥淚n my decade serving as a senior international officer I never once heard a colleague indicate anything close to satisfaction with their alumni outreach efforts, while I heard many bemoan the seemingly disinterest of their president and/or alumni association in investing any resources into leveraging this valuable asset.鈥�

At the same time, the survey respondents identified strong awareness of a number of key benefits to greater engagement with international alumni. Chief among those, as reflected in the following table, was the role that alumni can play in international recruitment. Indeed, more than 50% of responding administrators said that they felt that global alumni management was 鈥渧ery important鈥� to their international recruitment and branding efforts.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just what happens to [the student] as a 22-year-old graduate,鈥� says Gretchen Dobson, one of the primary authors of the report and the vice president of alumni and graduate services with Academic Assembly. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about their lifelong relationship with the institution.鈥�

Respondent perceptions of the value that global alumni offer to the institution. Source: Academic Assembly/Intead

Other important benefits noted by respondents include: increased fundraising opportunities and expanded connections to employment opportunities and professional networks for alumni and students.

鈥淭he purpose of international alumni relations is to leverage the support of this potential group of brand ambassadors,鈥� says the study report. 鈥淭he cumulative effect of this will increase your global brand projection, boost enrolment and fundraising, and create new employment opportunities for current students and recent graduates. It鈥檚 about making good use of the powerful resources you already have.鈥�

The way forward

Ms Dobson, who led international alumni efforts at Tufts University for a decade and now consults and writes widely on the subject today, offers a straightforward path to better global alumni relations.

First, put some good, basic data systems in place to capture information about international graduates. Next, start small and build from there 鈥� in other words, do what you can but make international alumni part of what your institution does. Finally, recognise the importance of buy-in from senior leadership.

The study picks up the question of data management in calling for an entirely new classification for foreign graduates: transnational alumni, a term that recognises that international graduates may go on to further work or study in the US, in a third country, and/or return to their home country over time. 鈥淐apturing this kind of nuance requires a commitment to internationalising your [data] systems and annually inviting alumni to update their contact information,鈥� says the report.

This is a distinction that makes a lot of sense to Anne Hayner, the associate director for alumni relations with the . International networking and engagement with foreign graduates are both central to the institute鈥檚 programmes, and Kroc has a long-established and active network of global alumni as a result.

Even so, Ms Hayner points out that any institution can begin to strengthen their efforts in this area, even with modest budget or staff resources. 鈥淪tart with the students you have [on campus] now,鈥� she says. 鈥淐onnect with them and make sure they feel connected to you. Then have a way to capture and update contact information over time whether that鈥檚 a simple Google Form or whatever else.鈥�

On the question of engaging with an alumni network, Ms Hayner again offers a straightforward approach: 鈥淎sk people what they need or want,鈥� she suggests. 鈥淔or example, part of my job is to help the students professionally network. So we keep them advised of what people are doing in the field through professional or alumni profiles, and we help them to stay connected to faculty or research resources so that they can stay on top of contemporary scholarship in the field.鈥�

The benchmarking study echoes the value of starting small and demonstrating success as a means of building linkages within the institution as well as the buy-in of institutional leaders. In practice, global alumni initiatives may originate from different points within the organisational chart, most often from the international office or the alumni or advancement office. The report cautions, however, that, 鈥淚nternational alumni relations can鈥檛 be managed in a vacuum鈥easonable expectations must be set for interdepartmental cooperation, and a reasonable budget must be allocated. Ideally, a cross-functional team from admissions, advancement, international programmes, and career for grassroots alumni engagement.鈥�

Needless to say, the study is focused on the current context for global alumni relations in the US. However, readers in many other host countries will no doubt recognise many of these same characteristics and perspectives within their own institutions. With that in mind, it is fair to say that the findings and recommendations in the benchmarking report offer important insights for international educators around the world.

For additional background, please see:

• 鈥�Global survey highlights the importance of peer review and detailed insights for prospective students鈥�
• &苍产蝉辫;鈥�Student testimonials are an untapped source of competitive advantage in recruitment marketing鈥�
• &苍产蝉辫;鈥�Extending your recruitment effort with international alumni鈥�
• 鈥�Engaging your alumni in international student recruitment鈥�

The post Study finds lots of room to improve in international alumni relations appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

The importance of this topic is underscored by the intensifying competition for qualified, self-funded students in markets around the world.

Alumni have a distinct credibility with prospective students that neither academic nor recruitment staff can match and, needless to say, this can be a profound source of competitive advantage for your recruitment effort.

Alumni can speak firsthand about the benefits of studying at your institution. They share a language and cultural context with prospects from their home country. And they have insights into career prospects in their home country and in yours.

鈥淟iving overseas or completing an academic degree abroad is a transformative experience and gives those who do it a different perspective to those who are born, educated and work locally,鈥� John Arboleda wrote recently in the .

鈥淚t is important to harness the enthusiasm among international students, to help alumni establish a sense of belonging and to nurture a life-long relationship鈥� Today鈥檚 international students and alumni abroad want to be engaged, involved, heard and to have a vested interest in the wellbeing of their institution.鈥�

How then to harness that natural interest and enthusiasm of alumni? A recent report commissioned by UK-based The Higher Education Academy (HEA) provides some concrete examples of how British universities are leveraging alumni relationships for recruitment.

Case studies

The first HEA case study looks at how the established a team of ambassadors in order to expand both the reach and impact of its international recruiting.

鈥淭he university was keen to extend the reach of recruitment activity in established markets that are geographically large. Colleagues make regular recruitment visits to China and North America, visiting major cities where the returns on recruitment activity are most fruitful.

They typically miss out on other markets within a country, such as the Midwestern United States and areas of inland China, because a comprehensive visit is unfeasible.

Research undertaken with the alumni relations team revealed that the university has a considerable number of alumni based in 鈥榦utlying鈥� recruitment areas. Some of these graduates were well known to the University, and could be depended on to engage prospective applicants in schools and universities, delivering presentations and workshops independently.鈥�

York鈥檚 solution was to recruit a cohort of International Ambassadors during their last semester of studies at the university. A pre-graduation orientation programme helped ensure the new Ambassadors were well prepared to represent the university, both in collaboration with the recruitment team and independently, through a series of briefings, rehearsal presentations, and other training on campus. Ambassadors were also provided with access to a password-secured website with additional training and support resources.

鈥淭he programme is beginning to add significant reach and impact to international recruitment in key markets,鈥� notes the HEA case study. 鈥淚t is also helping to address the challenge of engaging international alumni based in cities where mainstream events and activities are not usually focused.鈥�

A second case study for , University of London describes how the university recruited international alumni to act as 鈥淧oints of Contact鈥� for prospective students on the Royal Holloway website.

鈥淓ngaging alumni in the recruitment process helps鈥rovide an authentic and informed voice about the university. They cannot be 鈥榩rimed鈥� to answer prospective students鈥� questions, and their views are therefore considered to be more credible than those of someone working directly for the university.

Moreover, alumni are able to converse with prospective students in their native language鈥� As well as general advice about courses, and the institution, alumni also often give detailed and experiential guidance on adapting to the UK culture and education system, and information on obtaining financial support from a particular government.

The most significant advantage of involving alumni in the recruitment process is that prospective students are given greater personal contact time, whereas this might not be possible from within the recruitment team. 鈥楶oints of Contact鈥� typically demonstrate great commitment to the responsibility, investing significant amounts of time with each prospective student.鈥�

Points of Contact are nominated by university staff or may volunteer for the programme. They sign a contract that sets out their role and responsibilities, and their communications with prospective students are monitored by the Royal Holloway alumni relations team.

Lessons learned

The HEA report makes the interesting point that, while international alumni are increasingly involved in recruitment, this engagement is not often the product of systematic planning. The examples of Royal Holloway and York are particularly noteworthy in this respect, in that they represent thoughtful, carefully coordinated initiatives in alumni engagement.

Some of the common threads that emerge from the two HEA case studies include:

• The importance of effective selection and support mechanisms for alumni representatives.
• The need to balance autonomous alumni activity with mechanisms for monitoring and quality control.
• The value of coordinating international alumni efforts between alumni relations and international recruitment staff. At York, for example, 鈥淭here is a collaborative approach鈥ith initiatives driven by the alumni relations team, but often emerging from the international recruitment team, academic departments, and the international relations office. This includes joint planning of international visits, shared budgets, and collaboratively preparing briefings and promotional materials. The teams have become effective at identifying opportunities to host alumni engagement events overseas, when colleagues might be travelling for other purposes, in order to increase capacity and visibility in priority areas.鈥�

You’ve got to give to get

A recent item by Washington and Lee University鈥檚 Ryan Catherwood on Higher Ed Live addresses another key consideration in alumni engagement: the motivation of the alumnus.

鈥淪o much of what we sculpt as our alumni engagement initiatives requires operating under the paradigm that your alumni owe the institution something. They do not鈥� You must continue to earn their [engagement] by giving something.鈥�

Catherwood sets out a some key paradigms for alumni engagement, including that continued involvement by your alumni must be earned by the institution and that the most effective alumni strategy is one built around the needs and interests of the alumni.

鈥淥ur young alums particularly want us to help them provide networking opportunities to facilitate personal and professional successes,鈥� he adds.

鈥淥ur approach to alumni engagement is to promote a sense of continuing education by facilitating conversations about the work world, graduate school, and work/life balance鈥� We work hard to provide advice-based, alumni-supplied content, as well as share the personal and professional success stories we can find resulting from active engagement in the alumni network.鈥�

A great deal of this communication naturally happens in online channels these days. In particular, much has been made of the importance of social media in alumni relations. When applying Catherwood鈥檚 alumni-centred, value-added perspective, however, the impact and application of social media channels in supporting alumni engagement begins to feel more profound and relevant.

The Canadian journal University Affairs recently reported on an interesting example from .

“This past October, when Felix Baumgartner became the first person to break the sound barrier in a free-fall jump from the stratosphere, the alumni relations department at McGill University realized that the person who designed the outfit used for the jump was a McGill graduate. Within hours, the department had posted an article about the designer on three separate Facebook pages: that of the alumni department, the faculty he鈥檇 graduated from, and a volunteer-run branch of alumni.

“The opportunity to piggyback on news to deepen connections with alumni is one of the many ways social media can benefit university alumni and development offices across Canada. 鈥榃e need to be where our alumni are,鈥� says Derek Cassoff, director of communications for McGill鈥檚 office of development and alumni relations. 鈥榃e need to be in their newsfeeds.鈥欌��

The McGill example points to a virtuous circle that underpins many successful alumni programmes: by encouraging the active engagement of alumni relations and recruitment staff with students and alumni, the institution is better able to identity its most promising ambassadors. It is also better able to understand the interests and perspectives of its alumni, and more likely to be alert to their notable achievements.

Those success stories can then be shared across the network to help deepen alumni engagement with the institution.

As much as anything else, the examples featured in this post demonstrate that alumni engagement is a process – one that begins with an appropriate perspective on alumni motivation as well as a commitment to address the goals and interests of the alumni themselves.

These examples speak also to the benefits of effective coordination between alumni relations and recruitment staff, and of an approach that opens up the recruitment process to allow qualified graduates to act independently within appropriate oversight and quality controls.

The benefits – particularly in terms of greater reach and impact in recruiting – for those institutions that adopt a more systematic approach to alumni engagement seem clear.

At the same time, the competitive advantage that arises from such a strategy derives in part from the reality that most institutions won鈥檛 pursue this opportunity in a systematic or effective way. Will yours?

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