Elements of effective check in
When thinking about the elements outlined in the first module I believe that the example given had great value and I will be adding a few parts to my admissions process. I especially liked the portion stating "I'm really here to learn and listen so I'd like to ask you a few questions to get started. Will that work for you?" I have used something similar in the past but this is clearer and asks for engagement from the prospective student. Did anyone else find that they will be adding something similar to their process?
During my check in/introduction I also like to include what we will accomplish during the visit. Many prospective students visit other colleges where as soon as they enter Admissions it is a high pressure environment where they want to secure an enrollment very quickly so they often come in unsure of our tactics. I prefer to let my prospective student know that the purpose of the visit is to discuss their program of interest and requirements, tour the labs (during which we discuss the background of the college) and transition to Financial Aid so they can receive an estimate and assistance with their FAFSA application. I make it clear that overall, my job is to give them the information they need to see if our program is feasible for them and a match for their needs and if they decide to make progress we can discuss how to move forward with the application. Once they hear that, they relax more and know that I am not driven to pressure them to sign up for something today and that I our retention rate is important. So this step in the research process will ensure that the prospective student will be able to make this decision based on the facts and come to the conclusion on their own.
Aside from my own process, I will include the suggested open ended questions instead of simply making statements which I sometimes tend to do. And I usually save the questions until after we've covered the information portion. I prefer to do it this way so the prospect can get the information they came for and in the end I can ask probing questions to see if there are any obstacles prohibiting them from moving forward and if so, how to conquer those. I want them to walk away seeing the possibilities and not the obstruction to their goal.
I also prefer to use elements of check in prior to the initial visit including during the initial phone call and the follow up emails prior to the interview.
If we've completed an effective check in process, prior to the visit I find that the prospects likelihood of showing up to the interview increases. Also, if they are researching several schools, they tend to show up to the interview with the Admissions rep who took the time to ensure they have given them the information they requested instead of holding out for an actual interview. I would like to know if anyone else has other tactics that aid in the engagement of the student.
Hi Andrew, I enjoyed the example questions give. One question that I try to always ask prospective students is "how did you hear about our University?". It opens up for discussion and building further rapport with the student. I also try to ask the student "what would you like to accomplish?" This gets them thinking about their end goals.
Tina, great! Keep us posted as to how that works with your students.
Dr. Jean Norris
Andrew, thanks for sharing this. This questions is very focused and will help you engage the student. Keep us posted with how this works in your project.
Dr. Jean Norris
I concur with you Andrew, I have not used this technique but while going thru the module my thought was "I need to add this to my interview"
