Online or in person
Is it more effective to have a prospect look at site instead of a visit the campus for question about the schools history?
Justin,
Technology does give us new ways to stay connected. Webcams are certainly a great way to do so.
Patty Aronoff
It's really cool how far technology has come. It allows you to do both. At the school I'm at, we can do interviews with prospective students via webcam. It really gives you a face to face with the student. Nothing is like the real thing, but for people who are always on the go, I think it helps them a lot and makes the situation personalized.
brittany,
Prospective students need to see it..feel it..experience it. The personal experience is far different than any virtual tour.
Patty Aronoff
I agree, its always better to visit the campus and see everything first hand. I do feel that both are beneficial, but not visiting the campus beforehand could severly hinder your retention rate. Students have to feel comfortable with the environment and they also have to feel like they are getting what they pay for, a campus visit will help put their mind at ease.
Even if the student is from another state, or country, it is beneficial to them to come a day or so prior to orientation and the class start to better acquaint themselves with the environment.
As far as the history is concerned, most schools post their graduates and honors in the halls of their institutions. Again, seeing them in person tends to make the situation more comfortable.
lenroy,
It is a very different experience in a virtual world than the real world.
Patty Aronoff
Sandra,
Everyone is different so there isn't a one size fits all. Some students are better online than others.
Patty Aronoff
Sadie,
Some schools require a tour as part of the admissions process. The tour changes up the experience with an opportunity for additional questions.
Patty Aronoff
Jim,
In person is always best. However, when it is not possible, they can view the website.
Patty Aronoff
I feel it is better to have the prospect visit the campus to get a feel of what it will feel like to be in his new career.
It’s my belief that a person is always better off visiting a campus if they can but that is my opinion. When I take myself out of the equation it really depends on the person and what they want and feel most comfortable with. Some people prefer online or learn better online than in person. These same prospects may not want to visit a campus.
I think it is always more effective to have a prospective student come in and visit the campus regardless of the questions they have! This way once they are on site, ALL of their questions can be answered and if an admissions rep doesn't know the answer or isn't supposed to go into detail about certain answers, then that rep can always bring in the person from a different department so they can get their questions answered. If they want to know the history of the school, i could ask them more open ended questions, or ask what specifically are they looking for in the history of the school. We have our school director that is available to answer questions of that sort or other directors as well. But if they went to the website they may just stop looking and they may not enroll simply because they didn't get their answer to their questions.
