It’s that time of year again. The school year is winding down to a close, summer is beginning and high school seniors are on their way out the door and are making their journey onward towards bigger and better things: college.
As students reflect on their educational experiences and memories of years past, universities are already in full swing of pursuing recruitment for next year’s freshmen class. College marketing is an art in itself. A true marketing machine that when operated correctly by the individuals that make up a university’s admissions department, has the ability to receive accolades and notoriety from its student body and the population in general. Many students initially gather interest in a university based upon a few factors. These include: family and friends who have attended, reputation and recognition, athletics, academics and finances. However, it can be argued that the final decision really comes down to the degree of which the admissions department reaches out to them as an incoming student, and more so, a prospect. Universities will first acquire your information via some sort of marketing activity. Whether it be through a campus visit, a college fair, a targeted direct mail piece, or by social media, they now have you in their system and you have a decision to make. You ask yourself, “Is this a good fit? Do I see myself going to this university?” Either way, your interest is now piqued and if you find that it’s somewhere you would like to be for the next four years, you apply. After you send in your application, then comes the actual recruitment process. This is where you become your university’s new best friend. A mass-mail receiving, pen-pal of sorts. You will start receiving monthly, perhaps even weekly e-mails, direct mail and promotional freebies from the universities you have applied to. While this can start to seem over-whelming at times, it’s all a part of the process to convince you that this university is the university for you. The goal of the recruitment process of universities is to make you feel like you belong on their campus, in their classrooms and as a contributing part of their student body. They want you to come to their university, and they will make sure they take every action to get you to do so. Then it’s the waiting game. For months, you wait patiently before you hear back from the universities you have applied to. Some you’ll get into, others you won’t, and in the end, you’ll most likely have a decision to make between choosing from a few different schools. This is when the university’s admissions department has to work extra hard to be sure that you’ll attend their university instead of the others you have been accepted to. Some universities will offer financial aid incentives, full-rides, academic and athletic scholarships or simply the promise of a wonderful education. Regardless, the decision is now in your hands and yours alone. So, as the year is coming to a close, here is your to-do list before you venture off into the world. First, make your final college decision. National Decision Day is May 1st, and the deadline is quickly approaching! Second, get all of your paperwork in order. Attend some courses. I learned how to write my essay with tutor to prepare for exams. Once you decide on a university you have housing applications, FAFSA applications and plenty of other paperwork to complete. Third, try to find a small circle of individuals that you can befriend before heading off to college. Knowing a few familiar faces once you get there helps to make the few days before classes a lot less nerve-wracking. And last, get involved as soon as possible. Make it a point to attend meetings, join clubs and take classes you are super-enthusiastic about.
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