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.