SACUBO 2014

How to Make Your Campus Look Great for Prospective Student Visits

Brad PochardAssociate Vice President for [email protected] @FurmanU

Jeff KallayCofounder and CEO

[email protected]@RenderTheVisit

mailto:[email protected]


Setting the Expectations for Our 50 Minutes Together:

IntroductionsWelcome to The Experience Economy

Investing in Your Campus visitFurman University Case Study

Your Question, Bookshelf and Bookmarks



Furman University Furman University is one of the nation's premier undergraduate liberal arts colleges. We offer outstanding academics, opportunities for a broad range of talented students with a passion for learning, a robust visual and performing arts program and NCAA Division I athletics !Founded 1826 750 Acres 2600 Undergraduates Four Year ResidentialSouthern Consortium Associated Colleges of the South Greenville, SC


Apple Stores average $5700 per square foot in sales. Average retail $389 per square foot in sales.


On global commodity markets, coffee averages $1.10 per pound.Last quarter Starbucks global sales exceeded $4.2 billion.


An average visit to an American Girl Place last 3 hours and rings up $187.Last year American Girl sales were $632.5 million.


Welcome to The Experience Economy

“Customers (student and parents) want memorable experiences, and

companies(colleges) must become stagers of experiences.”

$500

Average price for an eight year old’s birthday


Goals of The Experience Economy1. Premium price2. Fighting commoditization3. Paying for what they didn’t before 4. Selling memories

Enrollment Goals 1. Lower the admit rate2. Lower the discount rate3. Increase NTR 4. Increase academic quality, first gen, diversity…


Challenging Demographics


US Department of Education


Challenging Demographics

wiche.org

http://wiche.org


!“College loans are the new subprime crisis.”

New York Times, June 2010 !“Applications and yield numbers are down.”

NACAC “State of College Admissions, October 2012 !“LOAN and DEBT are four letter words.”

CNN Money.com, December 2013 !!


“What’s does it cost and what’s the ROI?”

Kjersti Kleine, Furman Freshmen BloggerFurman University Family Weekend 2013


Campus VisitParents/Family Members

Current Students/GraduatesWebsite

Printed MaterialsGuidance Counselor

Admissions Staff 24%24%25%26%33%39%

65%

The Experience IS the Marketing

Influencers of Application

!Arts and Sciences

!Hartness Welcome Center


Use the Campus Website

Campus Visit Most Trusted 71%

84%

The Experience IS the Marketing

!Eduventures Survey of 7,867 High school junior and seniors


!

5Top

Recruitment Tactics!

Noel Levitz


!

5Top

Recruitment Tactics!

Noel Levitz


!

6.4%!Higher Education Institute, UCLA

!Higher four year graduation rate for students who visited campus prior to enrollment vs. those who didn't

!President George W. Bush delivered Furman’s 2008 Commencement address


Esthetic

Escape

Entertainment EducationPassive Participation Active Participation

Immersion

Absorption

!Townes Science Center


"If you have a restaurant that is appealing, contemporary, and relevant both from the street and interior, the food tastes better."

Don Thompson, COO, McDonalds

!Charles E. Daniel Dining Hall



Don Thompson, COO, McDonalds“The study by the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers sought to determine “the relative importance of an

institution’s physical assets on a student’s choice of school,” so they surveyed about 16,000 students from 46 colleges.

More than half the respondents indicated that the “attractiveness of the campus” was essential or very important

in their decision where to attend school. Students said that poorly maintained open spaces played a key role. And 50 percent either strongly agreed or agreed with the statement, “When I first

saw the campus, I knew this was the right college for me.” The Impact of Facilities on Recruitment and Retention of Students by David Cain, Ph.D. & Gary L. Reynolds, P.E.

http://www.appa.org/FacilitiesManager/article.cfm?ItemNumber=2567&parentid=2542




“Life is too short to go to college on an ugly campus.” Dr. Gerald Turner, President, SMU

!Renovated Trone Student Center Pavilions on Furman Lake




“Life is too short to go to college on an ugly campus.” Dr. Gerald Turner, President, SMU

!Renovated Trone Student Center Pavilions on Furman Lake

“All organizations, knowingly or unknowingly, build messages to their customers into the settings in which they operate.”

Be Our Guest, Disney Institute!James B. Duke Library




Furman Campus Visit Data3,505 Annual prospective students 8,987 Total Visitors

!Entrance Gates

!

?How to Make Your Campus Look

Great for Prospective Student Visits



Why!You choseto apply

to Furman

!

?How to Make Your Campus Look

Great for Prospective Student Visits



What!Influenced your

decision to attend Furman

(matrics)



Don Thompson, COO, McDonalds!

?What!Influenced your

decision to attend Furman (non-matrics)




!James B. Duke Library

Previous Campus Visit Limited pre-visit communication Hour long Information Session Hour long Walking Tour Limited opportunity to customize Little emphasis on Greenville/locationConversion (Sr. visitors to applicant) 51% (Class of 2009) !









Revamped Campus Visit Improved pre-visit communication Staff and Ambassadors Thorough pre-visit communicate Emphasis on Greenville/location 25-30 minute Information Session 45 minute Walking Tour 45 minute Golf Cart Tour Options for: Class Visit, Faculty Meeting, Coach Meeting,Audition, Portfolio Review and Overnight Conversion = 78% Daily Campus Visitor Yield 44% (Overall yield was 20.5%)

!Furman Mall





!Revised Information Session





Hartness Welcome Center

Before



After



Before



After



Before



After






http://prezi.com/cihdwcybug8l/furman-university-admission-information-session/
















http://chronicle.com/blogs/headcount/some-colleges-show-prospective-students-around-town-too/35887?cid=pm&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en











































































“Brands are mirrors!” We purchase based upon conforming self-image.

What mirror does your campus visit reflect?






Invest in Your Campus Esthetic, It is Ground Zero

Take a tour with Admissions (bring a camera) How does it make your feel?

Does it feel like your price point or quality? Admission Office/Visitor Center is first Impression

3P’s - Parking, Plumbing and Place Concentrate on tour route

Concentrate on thresholds Take a look at your “wallestate”Transparent communication about the

Communicate importance of campus visit to your faculty and staff Empower facilities, housekeeping and maintenance

Educate rest of campus on importance of curb appeal




!Revised Information Session“A poorly maintained setting is just as telling as a poorly designed one.”

Be Our Guest, Disney Institute

Every dollar you cut in maintenance budgets = 10 x in recruitment, retention and campus morale





Your Questions

Your Bookshelf The Experience EconomyBe Our GuestBrand Sense !Your Bookmarksfurman.edu renderexperiences.com civsa.org (Collegiate Information Services Association)slideshare.net/renderexperiences (PDF of slide deck)


http://furman.edu

http://renderexperiences.com

http://civsa.org




