The international student experience begins long before students arrive in a new country and walk on to campus. It takes shape when the student is still far away and considering a shortlist of schools. Institutions that provide stellar encouragement and support during this period are building trust and satisfaction even before students are enrolled.

Brand image is built over multiple touchpoints

If you have ever bought a pair of jeans, a digital device, or any other product online, you know how rewarding it is when a brand creates anticipation and excitement before your purchase. You know the satisfaction of getting an immediate response to your questions and reassurance that should you need to make a return, there is a fair process for doing so.

Once you鈥檝e made your purchase, you look for email updates on your order, estimated delivery dates, tracking information, and notifications about any delays. You grow more eager when you go to your inbox and there鈥檚 a message with an anticipatory subject line, e.g., 鈥淵our stunning new jeans are on their way!鈥�

When the package arrives, you are delighted to see your purchase wrapped beautifully in tissue paper, contained in a sleek, branded box, or accompanied by a personalised note. In fact, 鈥渦nboxing鈥� videos 鈥� where purchasers ooh and ahh as they open their packages 鈥� are so popular that they often go viral on social channels. They are also perfect examples of the power of word-of-mouth marketing.

Clearly, a great deal of brand engagement happens before consumers ever try on or try out their purchase. Online brands that provide great service and communications before and directly after a purchase encourage a positive consumer mindset that inspires satisfaction right from the get-go.

Jeans and headsets are one thing. Study abroad is another 鈥� and it is much, much more
of an investment. Yet many schools miss the opportunity to deliver gold-standard service to prospects still deciding where to go and to keep inspiring confidence after students have applied.

Study abroad begins at home

When designing pre-enrolment student support, imagine a prospect sitting in a living room chatting with family and friends about institutions on their shortlist. Parents are naturally worried and determined to make a good choice. After all, they care deeply about their children鈥檚 happiness and safety and often make the financial investment in study abroad. Friends may also be considering foreign schools or universities, and so there is vigorous debate about the pros and cons of various options.

That living-room discussion touches on all the typical considerations: rankings, affordability, quality, location, visas, programmes, work opportunities, possible scholarships, etc. But also: Which institutions have great websites? Which institutions make it easy for students to contact them?

You can imagine parents poring over emails from institutions to compare pros and cons. And they aren鈥檛 just looking for information. They notice if the tone is professional and friendly, and they notice when an admissions staff member offers to talk personally to them about a programme. They like impressive percentages about post-graduation employment rates. If parents aren鈥檛 proficient in English or another language of study, they appreciate an o聣 er to have information and answers translated into their first language 鈥� which is becoming much easier to do with AI tools, and which is just beginning to happen at some institutions.

Students, meanwhile, look for prompts to speak with student ambassadors, offers to connect with the career services team, and housing assistance. They like links leading to virtual tours of campus facilities and 鈥渄ay-in-the-life鈥� videos of students having fun at orientation and graduation ceremonies, attending lectures, enjoying meals with friends, and interacting with industry professionals as part of their programme.

If those students and parents were looking at communications from your school or university, would they be impressed? Would your email and website strategies truly represent what it is like to study on your campus? If not, it鈥檚 time for a review and rethink.

Keep it going

Congratulations! The prospect you鈥檝e been handling with great care has decided to apply! Ahh, all that effort was worth it. But that鈥檚 not where it ends.

Kasper Baars, head of university partnerships at Uni-Life, notes: 鈥淔or many institutions, the post-application phase is where things go quiet. Students go dark. Engagement drops. And teams shift their focus to the next cycle. But this silent stretch is actually one of the most critical moments in the entire journey.鈥�

Mr Baars continues: 鈥淭he admissions process isn鈥檛 just about checking boxes and verifying documents; it鈥檚 about sustaining momentum, building trust, and reassuring students that they鈥檝e made the right choice.鈥�

As students wait for a visa decision, your institution could:

• Provide one-on-one guidance about accommodation, academic expectations, study tips, course structure, reading lists, etc.;
• Guarantee late admission in the event of visa decision delays;
• Deliver virtual tutorials for students who may need language support;
• Create virtual meet-ups with other international student applicants to start creating community.

Roll out that welcome mat

When new students arrive on campus, arrange for airport greetings and transportation to ensure their first impression of your country and school is incredible. When students tuck in for bed on their first night, you can be sure they are messaging with family and friends at home and posting photos and videos before they go to sleep.

For additional background, please see:

• “Five key steps to driving ROI from your student ambassador programme“
• “黑料官网 Podcast: Beyond the offer letter: The services that drive international student success“
• “How likely are students to recommend your institution?“

The post Building the bridge to campus: The first stage of student satisfaction begins long before admission appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

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 following screenshot shows the characteristics of the survey sample of over 1,600 prospective students. Most respondents were international, and most were looking at undergraduate studies.

University is not always the answer

One key insight is that surveyed students were not necessarily set on a university degree. Many were also considering work or apprenticeships.

The report notes:

鈥淭his is one of several data points in this report suggesting that prospective students increasingly approach the application process with the idea of a 鈥渞eturn of investment鈥� in mind. In this sense, university isn鈥檛 just a formative and educational experience, but an investment into future career prospects.鈥�

This finding highlights how important it is to include messaging about career pathways and outcomes when promoting programmes.

Wanted: support 鈥� and email

The survey asked students what they value most when contacting a university, and more than half (58%) cited the quality of support they receive. Fully 94% said that email is their preferred communication channel, with the university website (59%) and WhatsApp (49%) next. The report makes an astute observation related to many students鈥� price-sensitivity:

鈥淢any international students have expressed concerns about the high costs of traditional communication methods, like phone calls. Universities can play a vital role by providing support for more affordable options, such as WhatsApp calls. This change would help students who live in a different country stay more connected with the university throughout the application process.鈥�

Community matters

A strong majority (80%) of surveyed students said they were looking for a sense of belonging before arriving at a university, and most of those students were motivated by wanting to fit in (42%) and be reassured that they would be safe (21%).

Universities can instill this sense of belonging long before students arrive on campus 鈥� and doing so may well be crucial to a student鈥檚 decision about whether or not to apply. Three-quarters of students said they felt like they belonged at their preferred institution before their first day, and 17% said that they felt a strong connection even before they applied. Another 21% said they felt like they belonged after receiving their offer.

These findings underline the importance of:

• Welcoming, warm, personalised communications from the first point of contact with a lead;
• Communicating admissions offers in a celebratory way 鈥� again using a personalised approach.

The survey report includes valuable insights from students, who were asked to comment on what is most important to them when applying. Examples of quotes include:

• 鈥淎ll emails were responded to within 24 hours.鈥�

• 鈥淎 student ambassador who was eager to answer my questions.鈥�

• 鈥淎 conversation with a staff member, she was so patient and understanding. She explained everything very thoroughly and clearly. She attended to all my questions and even asked if I was satisfied with her answers. She is a very respectful and genuine woman.鈥�

• 鈥淎ttending the Classics course overview session at [University], given so clearly and engagingly, was memorable for me, as I was immediately interested in the information given, and important information was communicated effectively. I was not bored listening, rather even more excited to work harder and apply to [University].鈥�

• 鈥淭here was a time I forgot to upload a document during the application process, and when I realized it, I thought my application was done for. But then I received an email from them saying a document was missing and asking me to upload it so they could continue with the process. I felt so relieved after that.鈥�

• 鈥淲hile I was applying to a university in [State], I had already submitted my application. Three days later, I received an email from the university, and I couldn鈥檛 help but smile. The university considered me for an additional program with lots of benefits (travelling, etc.). As an international student, I was beaming with joy because I never expected it.鈥�

Those are only some of the quotes included in The Ambassador Platform report 鈥� . The study findings emphasise that it isn鈥檛 just the promptness of communications that matters to students 鈥� but the quality.

For additional background, please see:

• 鈥�Prospect survey points to key factors in study abroad planning for 2024鈥�
• 鈥�More students are beginning research for study abroad within six months of applying鈥�

The post Study shows that international students want a sense of belonging long before arriving on campus appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

Most of the respondents to Keystone Education Group’s survey were from Africa (38%), Asia (34%), or Europe (19%). Latin American students were underrepresented in the survey with only 2% of responses. All prospective students responding to the survey were bound for higher education, most for master’s programmes (57%), followed by undergraduate (23%) and doctoral prospects (20%). The survey was open between February and April 2024.

Most important decision factors

The following table summarises student responses regarding the most important selection factors for both an institution and a programme abroad.

The Keystone report calls out the following factors from the table in particular: “Prospective students have a greater interest in internships and work placements, with its popularity growing by 46% from 2023 to 2024.” and “[Accommodation and campus life] is significantly more influential for students interested in studying internationally.”

Students are filing more applications

Echoing findings from other recent surveys, Keystone reports a dramatic increase in the number of applications filed by each student this year: “This year, we have seen students intending to submit more applications than before, with a 250% increase in students applying to [four or more] programmes.”

Barriers to application

When asked what would prevent them from applying to study abroad, students cited application fees 鈥� underscoring the potential impact of recent and planned increased in visa application fees and financial requirements 鈥� as well as “unclear or missing information” as the most significant factors.

The issue of unclear or missing information is one that recruitment teams obviously have more influence over, and Keystone provides the following tips to help drive conversions at the application stage.

“1. Check the content of your website and landing pages. Is the information up to date and complete

2. Qualify students and discuss how big a barrier the application fee would be. Consider waiving it for students from certain target markets or for specific programme start dates.

3. Gather your student reviews – prospective students trust current students.”

Biggest concerns before study abroad

Perhaps not surprisingly, especially given the growing emphasis on affordability in recent years, cost (69%) was by far the biggest concern cited by respondents.

Other areas of concern included time (in relation to other commitments) (22%), safety (19%), and political concerns (18%).

For additional background, please see:

• “Agent survey finds growing interest in alternative destinations; many students 鈥渉edging鈥� plans with multiple applications“
• “Survey: More students are beginning research for study abroad within six months before applying“

The post Prospect survey points to key factors in study abroad planning for 2024 appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

TikTok’s massive popularity shows no signs of abating despite growing concern that its parent company, ByteDance, could share users鈥� data with the Chinese government. The app is banned from government-issued phones in dozens of countries and is prohibited entirely in Pakistan and India. In the US, the possibility of a nationwide ban looms.

But young people in more than 160颅 countries continue to flock to TikTok, unable to tear themselves away from watching, sharing, and creating addictive short-form videos on the platform.

Even if TikTok ceased to exist, short-form videos would remain a powerful marketing opportunity for international student recruiters. Video is by far Gen Z鈥檚 preferred type of social media content 鈥� students are also happy to indulge in Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. In fact, savvy marketers already use apps that optimise videos across TikTok, Reels, and Shorts to extend their audience reach and ensure their video strategy can withstand shifts in platform access or popularity.

The key to creating short-form videos that resonate with students is to be funny or brilliantly intriguing. TikTok requires a radically di聥fferent tone than Facebook or X (formerly Twitter). Students will quickly dismiss boring, corporate, or overly promotional branded videos. They will, in contrast, engage with and share videos from brands that create entertaining and trending content.

Long-term ROI

A major benefit of short videos is that they can gain new viewers at any point, so their value can increase over time. For example, a video might be picked back up by TikTok鈥檚 For You Page (FYP) months after it was originally published. Ad campaigns can be adjusted so that a video can reach new audiences, increasing the potential for it to go viral.

For international student recruiters, short-form videos are an efficient way of reaching multiple markets even across language barriers: the videos are so short and visual that it doesn鈥檛 take an Einstein to get the gist, even if a viewer doesn鈥檛 understand every word. Ideally, your institution can make videos in prospective students鈥� first languages, but if not, any awesome video can make an impact because it鈥檚 visual and e聬ffects-based first and foremost.

5 tips for reaching prospective students with short-form videos

1. Do your research

• First, check out what your competitors are doing. What鈥檚 their approach and tone? How frequently are they posting? Is it working? The answers can inform your own strategy.
• Second, find out what鈥檚 trending. Hit 鈥淒iscover鈥� when you open TikTok, Reels Trends in Instagram, and Trending on YouTube to see popular e聬ffects, hashtags, sounds, music, and topics.
• Third, consider the type of content your target students already watch. Top categories for Gen Z include fashion and skincare; fitness and motivation; music and pop culture; study abroad, travel, and budget-friendly tips; food and cooking; and humour. The great thing about marketing to students is that they鈥檙e interested in so many things!

2. Tap into what鈥檚 trending in target markets

A global TikTok strategy can be challenging to execute given that TikTok鈥檚 algorithm prioritises local content. In-country representatives, agents, and alumni who have returned home can be very helpful here because they can share your videos in target countries. Other tips:

• Create captions and on-video text in prospective students鈥� languages;
• Interview current international students in their first language and have them share the videos with friends and influencers back home;
• Take part in TikTok challenges that are trending in target countries;
• Follow and engage with influencers in your top markets.

3. Don鈥檛 lecture

Build your credibility and personality through videos that are as fun as they are informational. Create a friendship-like relationship with your fans rather than speaking 鈥渁t鈥� them. Check in with your current international students to see if anyone is already making great short-form videos, and ask if they will apply their talent for the benefit of their school, too.

4. Give it a hook

Gen Z鈥檚 attention span is down to eight seconds, so you have very little time to convince students to check out your video. Here are some ideas for hooks to use in your video description:

• Ask a question viewers really want the answer to;
• Begin with a problem and hint that you have the solution;
• Be a bit shocking or surprising;
• Share a secret (like an early-bird discount);
• Present a bold fact (e.g., 鈥�92% get a job within 6 months of graduation鈥�).

5. Comment and encourage comments

TikTok鈥檚 algorithm rewards frequent user engagement, and it looks for meaningful interaction. Take the time to respond thoughtfully to comments 鈥� TikTok ranks comments by how many 鈥渓ikes鈥� they get, so boring responses won鈥檛 get you anywhere. Comment on others鈥� videos, too 鈥� it鈥檚 another way of increasing your visibility and presence on the platform.

For additional background, please see:

• Attend 黑料官网 Digital, a unique, one-day networking conference focuses exclusively on digital and AI innovations for marketing, recruitment, and admissions professionals in international education.
• “Is your TikTok good enough to get noticed by international students?“
• “What a widening TikTok ban could mean for international student recruitment“
• “Are you paying enough attention to social media in your recruitment marketing?“

The post The art of the short: Viral video for international student recruitment appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

Whatever their circumstances, many parents have even more reason to want their children to study abroad than they did before COVID changed the world. A of over 1,000 agents in more than 70 countries revealed that agents are working with a wide spectrum of families: some families have had their finances negatively affected by the pandemic, some have not been affected, and some have become more financially secure. Of the research, Jon Chew, Navitas鈥� Head of Strategic Insights and Analytics, points out that while of course wealthier families will find it easier, financially, to send their children abroad, those who have become less well-off might be doubly driven to send their children overseas for schooling:

鈥淚n fact, it is reasonable to expect that those who have had a difficult time during the pandemic might be more motivated to study abroad in order to improve their circumstances. The pandemic could thus have the effect of amplifying aspirations and ambitions.鈥�

Mr Chew also mentions other possible new motivations for study abroad:

鈥淎nother driver 鈥� might stem from the psychological scarring of living through COVID in lockdown, without a strong government safety net, and with uncertain access to reliable healthcare. In the same way that economic security has historically been a driver for studying abroad, health security could well be a new reason for the COVID generation to pursue opportunities and life elsewhere.鈥�

Mr Chew鈥檚 point about health security is borne out by a 2021 survey of 5,000 Indian students conducted by education platform . More than 7 in 10 (71%) of the survey participants said that 鈥渂etter healthcare infrastructure鈥� was a key reason driving them to look for opportunities abroad. Akshay Chaturvedi, Leverage Edu founder & CEO, attributed the finding to a greater appreciation among students for the quality of a country鈥檚 healthcare system after India suffered such devastation from the Delta variant:

鈥淎ccess to early vaccinations, as well as basics like healthcare infrastructure, quality of air we breathe, previously little-understood points, have gained a lot of relevance post the second wave in India.鈥�

Yet another new 鈥減ush鈥� factor that may affect international student mobility is parents鈥� drive to repair the damage COVID has inflicted on their children鈥檚 education. among more than 20,000 adults in 29 markets confirms a high degree of parental worry about their children’s future tied to the fact that schooling was so drastically interrupted in 2020 and throughout parts of 2021. (Even now, absenteeism among students and teachers remains a persistent problem as the Omicron and related variants remain disruptive, if not as lethal.)

The Ipsos research, conducted in May and June of 2021, found that globally, over a third (35%) of people felt that 鈥渃hildren will be unable to make up for missed formal education resulting in worse qualifications.鈥� Another 30% felt that 鈥測oung people will face higher unemployment rates and lost earnings in the future,鈥� and this rose to 56% in South Africa.

The significant proportions of people expressing worry about children鈥檚 interrupted education carries with it several implications for international educators:

• Providing strong academic, language, and mental health supports for new international students is absolutely key as many students will have had inconsistent education in the past two years;
• Developing a strong parental outreach program is also highly important, as parents will need more reassurance that their children are safe, supported, and studying in an environment that allows them to flourish in their studies;
• Establishing internships and industry linkages to enable students to gain work experience while studying abroad is an excellent way to highlight the value of a programme;
• Making sure the institutional website clearly presents graduate outcomes, scholarships, and working opportunities (while studying and after) is essential.

In addition, the new pressures and concerns facing international students鈥� families suggests that:

• Strengthening career services departments should be a top priority for colleges and universities;
• Incorporating live chat and other ways to quickly respond to questions and confusion for students and parents browsing the institutional website should also be a priority;
• Gathering on-the-ground feedback from agents and current students about the real circumstances affecting families they know in key markets is a must.

Overall, the research underlines that barriers to, and drivers of, study abroad are unique according to where in the world students live and what kind of pandemic experience their families have had. Taking the time to have personal conversations with students, agents, and families will in their own way be as important as sophisticated digital campaigns when it comes to assuring families that deciding to study abroad with your institution is worth the investment.

For additional background, please see:

• 鈥�Are you paying enough attention to parents in your recruitment marketing?鈥�
• 鈥�Agent survey highlights important demand factors for study abroad into 2022鈥�
• 鈥�Student decision-making factors are changing: why and how?鈥�
• 鈥�Integrating mental health supports throughout the international student journey鈥�

The post New research explores student and parent perspectives on study abroad appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

This means, however, that there are still significant numbers of institutions and schools in major destinations that are not currently engaging peer-recruiters. And this is in spite of the fact that the impact of peer recruiters is really well established in student surveys, where a strong majority of prospective students consistently say that contacts with student ambassadors were highly influential in the students’ choice of institution or school. “One of the earliest lessons I learned in college admissions was that our current students were our best recruiters,” said industry consultant during a recent webinar. “When I talk about recruiters, I’m talking about those who can sell your institution better than you can as an employee.”

Also on , Ellis Platt, a student recruitment officer for Manchester Metropolitan University, added, “[Prospective students] appreciate the ability to communicate with peers, and often don’t want to speak just to staff. They just want to gauge what their overall student experience will be like.”

A new whitepaper from (TAP) aims to demystify the process of building an effective peer recruitment effort, and sets out five key planning questions that educators can use to build or expand ambassador programmes.

• “What problem will a student ambassador program solve for us?” For many educators, the answer to this question will revolve around recruitment targets or conversion rates. But the underlying idea for any effective ambassador programme is simply that prospective students really value the chance to hear what current students (or alumni) have to say about the institution or school and the experience they have had.

• “How will we facilitate interaction between prospects and ambassadors?” For the most part, this will happen online via whatever channels students would normally use to talk with friends or other peers. But it probably starts with your inquiry process, and in creating opportunities for direct contact with peers for inquiring students. As Mr Platt points out, a lot of that contact will happen quite naturally. “Maybe the [prospective students] wouldn’t have the confidence or see the need to bother a member of staff. But if they feel like they are just talking to a student, it’s just like messaging a friend on WhatsApp or whatever. It’s no big deal.”

• “How much content will ambassadors be expected to produce, where will it go, and what form will it take?” This too will be student-led to a great extent, in the form of online chats and Q&As with prospective students. A recent TAP survey found that ambassadors are mostly asked about course details, admissions processes (and requirements), and housing. But ambassadors can also set down some foundation content as well, including published responses for frequently asked questions or even videos showing the campus, community, or (as in the example below) a typical day (or week) in the life at your institution or school.

• “Who will be responsible for managing the student ambassador team, the content they produce and the events they take part in?” While overall management of the peer programme will likely rest with recruitment managers or other international staff, senior ambassadors can also play a key role in supporting peer recruiters.

• “Does our budget allow for remuneration? If not, what can we offer?” A related survey of student ambassadors, also from TAP, offers some important insights on the question. As the following chart reflects, most ambassadors say they are motivated by the opportunity to assist students, boost the profile of their school, and gain work experience. Less than four in ten cited the chance “to earn extra money” as an important factor in their decision to become an ambassador. Just over half (56%) of ambassadors responding to the survey said they were paid by their institutions, the remaining 44% were not.

That finding again underscores the tremendous opportunity for every ambassador programme: prospects want to talk to current or former students and those same peers have a natural interest in assisting new students. Needless to say, that is a very strong foundation for starting or expanding an ambassador programme at any institution or school.

For additional background, please see:

• “The peer-to-peer effect in international student recruitment“

The post How to build a better peer recruitment programme 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.