Email Admissions Out of the Blue
Someone has figured out Gen Z and college Admissions, and it’s brilliant.
The first quartile edge of the Gen Z cohort is entering or considering college. While smaller in cohort size, as a group they don’t want the debt. They don’t trust the college system (and they shouldn’t) and are looking for the “right fit” in all things future education. In the business world, you’d tag them as one tough cookie.
Well, shock and awe! Check out the first few paragraphs of this Chronicle of Higher Education article;
“Caroline Heiney was sitting in her high school history class last winter when her phone buzzed. It was an email with a curious subject line: “Your Direct Admission to Montclair State University.” She hadn’t even applied there so she figured it was a scam.
But the email was legit. It explained she had been “selected” for admission because she lived in New Jersey and met Montclair State’s academic requirements, based on information she had entered into her Common App account. To claim her offer, she just had to submit a Common App to the university by May 1.
After cheer practice, Heiney visited Montclair State’s website. The detailed descriptions of its English and Psychology programs impressed her. She saw that her grade-point average would qualify her for an institutional scholarship. All of a sudden, she wasn’t so sure about attending the University of Scranton.
Heiney submitted her application to Montclair State and got an aid offer a week and a half later. After seeing she would have to pay about $20,000 less than she would at Scranton, she says, she decided to enroll at a university that had never been on her list.
Just like that, the teenager had become a participant in a grand admissions experiment.”
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I PROMISE this is no experiment. This IS the future. And, it will rapidly become the norm before the end of this decade. Why? Because of these significant social changes facing our colleges & universities- smaller numbers of students available, competition from high-paying trades positions, and a nasty inflation-driven economy robbing students of familial financial support. Family savings, such as they were, have gone to gas, groceries, and rent.
Further down in the article it says, the Admissions tables have been flipped. Instead of begging to get in, students are being “shown some love” on the front end. And, thanks to extremely detailed data analytics, they can and will pinpoint the kind of student they want; and that student might be yours.
Admissions Departments must get creative and start “hunting for their next class”, using data mining to find prospective students. They set their parameters, looking for baseline academics, physical proximity, and other data points to increase their chances of enrolling enough paying students. The shoe is now on the other foot.
This is unexpectedly masterful and I applaud them. One characteristic of the Gen Z cohort considering college now is the overwhelming after-effects of the Pandemic. There is widely reported anxiety among many Gen Z’ers, and this “reverse admission” process is perfect for reducing that & while lowering the cost of applying to a bunch of schools. Now, some students are getting real solicitations and admission offers to explore. Obviously, some colleges and Universities are hoping to “steal” students from other schools. It’s a form of the sports transfer Portal, but for potential incoming students.
And, it’s working.
I like the idea of competition for a student. BUT- Admitting them is just a first step.
My standing question to every college and university is this; when will you tackle the abysmal graduation rates of between 41% and 61% at 4 years and 6 years respectively? It is unacceptable to take their loan money yet only graduate 4 in 10 in four years, or 6 in 10 in six years of college. It is a disgrace.
If the Federal Loan program were to tie incremental improvements in graduation rates, AND offered funding to tackle the issues of retention & learning skills, actual results would be seen within 5 years.
That is just as important to me as “showing some love” in Admissions.
Let’s show some love by getting them through school WITH a degree.
Until Next Time,
All My Best,
Bonnie
