Creating New Pathways to Growth & Success
Challenge
With a new rebrand and an ambitious student enrollment goal, Cal Poly Humboldt (previously Humboldt State) set out to distinguish itself from its previous identity. After multiple years of decline in enrollments, the university was ready to forge a new pathway to success that included a plan to move beyond regional recruiting and into opportunities in out-of-state markets. The Director of Admissions and Strategic Communications knew that to reach the goal of turning around enrollment in one cycle, his team would need to understand why students were melting and how to deliver messaging that supported and resonated with students.
Solution
Cal Poly turned to Encoura to get expert data and research that would reveal to the enrollment team a trustworthy strategy for growth. The university’s Encoura enrollment consultant was able to provide an accurate picture of the national student market, point out specific areas for best recruiting opportunities, and empower the team with advanced predictive modeling that focused their student search resources most strategically on students most likely to enroll. Additionally, the team leveraged research on students’ perceptions and college expectations to deliver personalized marketing to students and families.
Strategic Enrollment Consulting
Enrollment Lens®
Smart+® Predictive Model
Eduventures Prospective Student Research™
Eduventures Admitted Student Research™
Predictive Audiences
Results
As a result of the collaborative strategy created and executed by Cal Poly and Encoura, the university saw its inquiry and application numbers soar. After successfully launching digital marketing campaigns and equipping the full admissions team with data and tools to do their best work, they have achieved the enrollment goals set out at the beginning of the partnership. With a strong grasp on the market and prospective students’ expectations (Student Mindsets™), Cal Poly Humboldt has achieved a 55% boost in enrollment over a 3-year period and is currently 11% ahead of last year’s benchmark.
Read More Case Studies
University of Tulsa: Ahead of the Competition
The University of Tulsa wanted to launch their enrollment by building their brand awareness and getting to know students earlier in the recruiting process. With their new strategy in place, the enrollment team was able to connect with high-quality students and better their engagement to increase connections earlier in their recruitment cycle.
Baylor University: Yielding Students From Freshman Year
Baylor University determined to recruit students earlier in their college search process, strategically leveraging predictive modeling to reach out to freshmen and sophomores. This pivot in strategy paid off as their inquiries soared 23.6%, setting the university up to be in a great funnel position for years to come.
Louisiana State University Shreveport: Empowering Students Digitally
Louisiana State University Shreveport aimed to expand to new markets to advertise their programs and differentiate their brand, even with a smaller team of recruiters. Through execution of a strong, new digital marketing strategy, the university saw a 130% increase in new market applications and a 109% increase in applications from minority students.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Keeping in Mind What Students Really Value
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln launched digital engagement and email campaigns to connect with prospective students at their specific stages of enrollment. Along with increased engagement, these campaigns resulted in the highest levels of in-state student post-view and post-click interactions.
Get Started
Encoura is ready to connect with you to get started on your best strategy. Learn more about how higher education leaders are better understanding their market to take their institutions to the next level.