Recruiting Smarter to Strengthen Student Retention
Challenge
Winthrop University knew it could depend on its steady recruitment success every year; that is, until the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Following the pandemic, the university faced incoming classes that had plummeted as well as a decline in current student retention. Determined to turn these patterns around, the Winthrop admissions team knew it had to refine strategies at the top of the enrollment funnel to focus recruitment on students who would be set up for success at the institution.
Solution
Turning to Encoura as a trusted enrollment partner, Winthrop University chose to leverage the Smart+® predictive model to find students within its primary market who were most likely to enroll. The team then leveraged Smart+ to strategically open secondary and tertiary regional markets with students who would yield. Through the guidance of its strategic enrollment consultant, Winthrop had a true partner entrusted to continually keep an eye on its funnel and provide expert recommendations for market growth. The collaboration also enabled the Winthrop team to deliver the right messages to students identified by Smart+ using student personas.
Strategic Enrollment Consulting
Funnel & Market Analysis
Eduventures® Prospective Student Mindsets™
Encoura Combined Data Set
Smart+® Predictive Model
Class Planner®
Results
Winthrop’s new strategy transformed its enrollment and retention over the last year. Through the success of the partnership with Encoura, the university was able to strongly retain over 90% of its freshman class through spring–a first since 2017. Additionally, after just the first year of leveraging the Encoura Platform and Smart+ to reform its recruiting strategy, Winthrop grew the freshman class by 22%, making a strong recovery from the pandemic. Seeing that this year’s incoming class is also on track for a strong increase in enrollment, the Winthrop team is confident that predictive modeling and strategic enrollment consulting will continue to put the school in the best position to achieve enrollment goals year over year.
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.
Huston-Tillotson University: 10-Year Record High Enrollment
Through Huston-Tillotson University's new digital marketing strategy, the university achieved a 10-year record high enrollment, overflowing housing interest, and skyrocketing campus visit attendance.
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.