THE BOX MODEL

Removing Distractions

Note: For context, you should read the posts in the "Enrollment Funnel Failure" series before reading this article.

A better model would acknowledge that institutions fit into the student decision-making process, not the other way around.  The stages, therefore, would exist from the student’s viewpoint.  But in order to be useful to institutions, the transitions between stages must be identifiable using criteria we can measure.  That would allow us to identify where in the process the student exists so we can craft messages and recruitment initiatives that provide real value.

Let us build this better model step by step.

We already identified the boundary between prospect and inquiry as a false distinction that provides no real value to recruiters.  Everyone is a prospect until they apply.  This matches how a student views the college search process: he does not start the search by deciding which schools he will attend; he is focused instead on determining which schools he will (or will not) apply to.  He would never label himself an inquiry and would be the first to tell you that his list of schools could change at any time.  Our model should remove the inquiry stage entirely, even as it acknowledges that not all prospects are equally committed to an institution.

The new model discards the inquiry stage entirely and instead segments prospects into three cohorts based on their relationship with an institution. As with all our stages, the three prospect stages exist from the student perspective.

The lowest cohort encompasses the traditional definition of prospects, responders, and early inquiries.  Basically, it is the set of students who have not yet made a firm commitment to your institution.  This includes students not traditionally considered prospects, such as search responders.  These students may have met with a representative of your institution in their hometown or even interviewed.  But, since contact does not indicate interest, you have not yet seen any clear indication that your institution has been placed on the students’ so-called “shortlist” of schools to which they may apply.  Think of it as purgatory–your school faces the very real possibility of being either kept for further consideration or discarded entirely.  Understanding your position this way will drastically change how you communicate with this cohort.

The medium cohort contains students who have not yet decided to apply to your school but like what they have seen so far.  They have demonstrated some measurable indication that your school ranks favorably on their list.  This stage is the rough equivalent of the traditional definition of inquiry.  Most institutions like to pretend that all their prospects exist in this stage.

The highest cohort contains prospects who have decided to apply to your institution as soon as the chance is offered.  They may be seniors, juniors, or sophomores; their age is completely irrelevant as long as the decision has been made.  Still, until they apply, they will continue to require your occasional focus and attention.  These students have made a not-inconsequential emotional commitment to your institution that requires a different communication approach than you would use for either the low or medium cohorts.

We must not fall back into the erroneous belief that we can push students through stages that only have meaning for us; these three cohorts exist from the student perspective.  But, in order to make our message and recruitment activities meaningful, we do need to be able to identify when students have made the transitions between the three cohorts themselves.

Next: Prospect Transitions