Growing Enrollment by Bringing Data to Life

Challenge

Like most colleges and universities, Cairn University knows that each enrollment cycle is both a challenge and an opportunity to reach new student groups and markets to increase enrollment. In 2018, Cairn teamed up with Encoura to boost enrollment and generated a 17% increase in enrollment in the first year. This year, with the population of the Northeast changing, Cairn dedicated itself to reaching strategic students–like homeschooled high schoolers–to get a lead over its competition. Knowing that the admissions team was in a training stage with new staff, the university’s VP of enrollment management turned to its long-standing partnership with Encoura to develop an effective strategy to reach these new populations to grow enrollment.

Solution

Cairn knew that this new strategy would be most effective with the right technology to bring its data to life. The enrollment team and its Encoura Regional Director leveraged the Encoura Platform to view three-year comparisons of its funnel, to use the Smart+® predictive model to focus on prospective students most likely to enroll, to access parent/guardian contact information to engage the entire family, and to do one-on-one analyses with each counselor to strengthen recruitment in their territories. With a foundation of strong data and training, the university was then able to build an effective marketing strategy and webinars to reach these right students and their families.