Get Your Students Hired
As an instructor at my campus I am not very familiar with the admissions process and therefor cannot speak intelligently about how it may help a prospective student. Maybe the process can be improved by becoming more familiar with it. I do know that we are not allowed to give an entrance exam, but maybe the potential student could be asked to submit a self evaluation.
As much as the admissions team can be a key roll in retention. If they misrepresent, or do not fully disclose information. They can cause a student to feel lied to and that student will find it much harder to commit when presented with the academic or financial challenges that other student may stick through.
Hi Ben,
Yes, the accuracy of information in admissions and academics needs to calibrate as well. Students become frustrated when admissions does not tell the whole story. What is the result? Students drop from school.
Dr. Banks
I feel admissions is one of the most important for showing the benifits for the school.
Agreed. Now, what can you do establish a "relationship" early on? Remember, a relationsip equates to trust.
L
Our admission department meets with all incoming
prospects, they will escort the prospects around our campus. While taking the time to stop in at differrent class that are going on. They can ask the teachers question about the class. I feel it gives the prospect abetter picture of whats going on here.
I think that the admissions process at my school can be lengthened to help with retention. Often I see students rushed through the process even after orientation has taken place. Late enrollments are more likely not to persist in school. I think my school should implement a longer admissions process and put an end to late enrollments.
Good point. The school needs to give information in a fast, friendly, and accurate manner. Students remember what was said, and sometimes what was not stated.
Dr. B
Always the admission process can be improved. It is an evolvement and needs to be continuously monitored and evaluated. Admissions reps are trained initially; however, the feedback that can come through those who have been assited into the process by admission reps is valuable to insure credible information is presented and reliable presentation methods are being utilized in conjunction with professional procedures. Also, infomation regarding coursework and policies must be up-to-date, accurately presented and promises of service (i.e. follow-ups) must be done for the credibility to flow. Admission reps must personally delivery what they promise and just as important they must know that the insitution can deliver what has been promised in the admissions presentations.
Misleading, either intentionally or unintentionally, has no place in the world of admissions.
But of course it can be improved, there is no doubt we need to improve. People change, life change, what we did yesterday may not work today. High expectation, high tech, our customers want more for their money. It is an everyday challenge, ant it is what make it fun and alive.
Sounds like a great idea. Do all that you can to link with admissions early in the process.
Dr. B
There's always room for improvement! Our college has implemented a program whereby faculty observe an admission intake for a potential student. They can observe what expectations the student may have obtained just from the admission process. I am from the education side of our college, so I'm not privy to all or any changes the admission department is making toward their processes.
A process can always improve, but moving people to change is the challenge. There will always be some measure of tension, positive and negative, between the need for admissions to meet their enrollment numbers and academics working with new students who they feel are under-prepared or uncommitted. We are working to eliminate the independent silos of admissions and academics recognizing that we all need to work together as we're not on opposing teams. Admissions staff sits in on classes to become more familiar with the classroom experience while instructors have been working to try to sit in on admission's interviews to have a better understanding of how the acceptance process works. Team unity is very important.
You know, a checklist is a good idea. By standardizing the process, you have a better chance of communicating important points. The key is to build a relationship that is linked with admissions and academics.
Dr. Banks
I do believe that the process can be improved. We can develop and administer a checklist. At our campus we have a couple of distinct programs that would make this process somewhat simplified. We could tailor the questions around our programs and the type of student it takes to be successful in the program. We could also possibly shorten the length of our admissions process. I think that spending too much time with a student who probably would not be successful in our programs takes time away from meeting with students who would be. Coming up with a better screening process could actually save time, energy, and money.
Sounds like you have an organized approach to admissions. The key is to link to jobs and to keep the vision alive all through the program. And, that starts from the first time they step into the school.
Dr. Banks
Our school has a pretty comprehensive admission process and seems to really promote job opportunities in their industry (culinary arts). I am not saying they couldn't add more, perhaps some mentoring?? One thing we recently (I believe) added is a very good retention program in place on our portal, where all instructors are reminded to use and then, the school follows up with the student. I recently used it and had great follow-up right away with a student who had missed classes and it turned out to be simply a matter of a "no-gas money" issue...He really wanted to be there, so the school is working with him now.
Working as a team to enroll and keep students is a major key to improving retention. And, you ought to pay attention to a mentoring process.
Dr. L
I believe that as a company we have a very good admissions process. I feel we could improve if we worked better as a team starting from the field reps thru the admissons personal to the education management team to the instructo team. In many aspects we could be mentorss.