- Why are campus visits so important to conversion and yield?
- What can make a tour guide outstanding?
- What are some keys to successful campus visits?
- Should you invite elementary and middle schools that want to visit?
- How can you encourage more students to visit campus?
Campus visits are a key to a successful admissions program. Conversion and enrollment rates at many institutions soar for prospective students who visit campus. In addition, students who visit campus before enrolling face fewer surprises once they begin their freshman year. Decreasing the number of surprises should increase the rate of student retention.
An important truth underlies successful visits
An uncommon insight on successful campus tours was found in the movie Hitch. In the film, Will Smith plays Hitch, the love doctor who teaches clients how to capture hearts. An early scene finds Hitch riding in a taxicab with an exuberant client. The man proclaims, “I did exactly what you told me to do and it worked! She’s going out to dinner with me tonight. What should I do?” The “love doctor” instructs his client, “OK now, she’s made a commitment to you by agreeing to go out with you. So tonight, your job is not to blow it.”
Prospective students who travel considerable distances to visit your campus have likewise made a commitment of interest in your institution. When they arrive, the admissions office’s most important job is “not to blow it.” Many research studies have found that when most people expend considerable effort toward a goal, they will often justify that effort by feeling much more positively about what they’ve done. That positive feeling can result in applications and enrollment for students who visit your campus.
A classic experiment proves the point
In a classic study, renowned social psychologist Elliot Aronson, PhD and co-researcher Judson Mills, PhD offered students at a women’s college the opportunity to take part in a sex discussion group. Some of the students were able to join the group merely by signing up. Others were forced to endure an embarrassing initiation procedure in order to join. The discussion group was held, but it turned out to be far from the scintillating presentation students had anticipated. The group leader and several key members had been instructed by Aronson and Mills to purposely make the conversation as boring as possible. It centered on the mating habits of invertebrates and other animals rather than humans.
Persuasion expert, Dr. Robert Cialdini wrote about the results: “They found that college women who had to endure a severely embarrassing initiation ceremony in order to gain access … convinced themselves that their new group and its discussions were extremely valuable…Different coeds who went through a much milder initiation ceremony or went through no initiation at all, were decidedly less positive about the “worthless” new group they had joined.” Clearly, if putting forth much effort can make a boring discussion group seem extremely valuable to students, a good tour should help students who put forth the effort to travel to campus recognize your institution’s value. What are some key factors that can help make campus visits truly successful?
Tour guides that shine
A roundtable held at the 2010 NEACAC Annual Meeting revealed important things tour guides can do to assure that students and parents enjoy their visit. That list included:
- Dressing and acting professionally
- Assigning a tour guide that can speak to the interests of those in the group
- Asking about the specific interests of families included in their tour group and basing the tour on those interests
- Having an “expert” available at every stop to provide insight on that aspect of the tour
- Relating personal stories of successful interaction with the faculty
- Avoiding bragging and any other social faux pas
- Saving something to show on subsequent visits
Outstanding tour guides can be vital for successful tours. But both research and experience show that there are other important keys to campus visits that get results. What are they? Please feel free to provide your comments as to critical factors in campus visits. The author had additional valuable points to share. Stay tuned.
Tags: admissions, applications, campus tours, campus visits, enrollment, higher education marketing, inquiries, professional development, yield
