I give benefite of my college and tell them that is not what I do, it isn't my job to compare schools for them, they need to do their research because what is important to one student may be different for another and they need to find the school that fits their needs best, if it is my school great, if not, no hard feelings as long as they feel it is a place they can be successful.
I believe that you should only speak about what you know to be true at your campus. The best pratice is to advise the student to practice "due dilligencec" If the student has questioned about another program offered at another institution, encourage them to do their research. You will not gain a "better reputation" by speaking to things you have no idea about.
I stress the value and the benefits of attending my intuition. I have no problem encouraging students to check out other similar institutions before making their decision. I want the student to make sure he/she knows that they are making the right decision.
I give the student the information on our school only. If I am asked questions pertaining to another school I suggest to the prospective student that they meet with that college one-on-one. I encourage all of my prospective students to sit with other schools and then decided on the best fit for them and no one else. I tell they have to do the homework before they get to the real homework.
I discuss the benefits of the programs that my college offers. If the prospect wants to know if college B is better than my college, I tell him/her it would be wise to research college B and see what they have to offer. Then compare the two colleges to see which one has a program that is more suitable for him/her. I tell the prospect that I want him/her to make the best educated decision for himself/herself. By throughly educating the prospect and being honest; you will find that to be a competitive advantage.
I usually respond to the student's question about how we compare to XYZ College by asking the student what he/she knows or has heard about XYZ College and I then transition to the details of our program. I am careful to neither confirm nor deny what the student says about XYZ College but I do take note of the topics he/she shares so that I can discuss the particulars of our program.
For example, the student may say that XYZ College works on a 5 week quarter system and offers basic certification programs and I will respond by informing the student that we operate on a 12 week quarter system and offer 30+ programs that range fromcertificates to bachelor degrees. In short, I do not discuss XYZ College but I do share the comparable details of my school's program.
I do agree, but am wondering what your techniques are for deflecting these types of questions. Can you speak to your verbiage?
I would start by saying that I am not sure of what the other institution offers or how their programs work, but I can give you very specific information about how we do things. Then you can take this information and compare it to what you find out from XYZ College. I believe that it is very important for students to do thorough research, as this is a big investment in their future and they need to find a college that they feel will give them the best opportunity to graduate.
I commend the student for researching his/her options and let them know that I am not familiar with any programs outside of my institution. I then point out how our program prepares students for their career.
As I do not work for the other school, I am unable to give fair and accurate information about the school. Therefore I would recommend doing some research online or setting up a campus visit with the other school.
In my role, I've found the best way to be competitive is to understand what the student's desires and needs are toward this professional field. I'm an expert in the programs and services offered by our school, so the better I understand their needs and what they hope their education can provide them, the more I can help them in determining if our school is equipped to meet those needs. If we are a good fit for those needs, students will use our benefits as a measuring tool to see if other schools can competite with us. Our strategy is simple, it's about providing excellent customer service to prospective students to determine if we can be the right school for their individual needs. Every student is different, and we should be servicing them with excellence regardless if they choose to attend our school or go elsewhere.
Simple "I'm sure xyz school is great as well. I can't speak to what they do but I can tell you what we offer and certainly compare the two throughout your research"
When this topic comes up I always encourage my student to conduct research on the other schools and then encourage them to make a decision based on that research.
We pride on speaking positively about another school or campus if a student mentions it, and simply point out the benefits and strengths of our program.
Provide our school data and benefits and recommend that they visit and compare other schools to determined the best fit for their career goal.
I would suggest that a student request information about the school in comparison to mine and have them make the decision based on facts obtained from each.
I tell students that they need to decide and make a list of what the are looking for in a school. I also encourage them to research and visit the different schools so they can see what they are looking for.
Terri,
This is a great way to approach this situation.
Kimberly Stein
I do the same. I tell them to go check out the other school and then let me know what they decide.
By focusing only on what your institution provides to the prospective student.
