What are the most effective ways to increase yield rates for admitted students?

It never feels good to bad-mouth another school or institution. So rather than doing so, group them together. It sounds like this, "Compared to schools with larger students bodies, many of which are closer to major cities, the true benefit of [SCHOOL] is our remote location where our community is the core of all of our activities..." If a student is admitted to your school, there's a great chance they've been admitted to a rival. Speak specifically about the other schools without naming them to maintain professionalism and respect for all institutions.

With yield of admitted students, pro-active communication goes a long way. Chances are if there's a qualified student, they're looking for a decision-helping mechanism to put one school 'over the top.' As an Admissions Officer or Senior Administrator, a 5-minute phone call can make all the difference in the world, especially if this is the first child in the family to attend school away from home in the case of boarding schools or colleges. A personal phone call puts parents at ease, demonstrates care and personalization, and shows a family the warmth and character of your school.

Don't shy away from connecting incoming students from the same city so that they can plan their move together. If you have the logistical ability to organize Farewell Dinners with alumni from the same city or even staff or faculty, it increases the commitment of the group of incoming students and increases peer pressure. They see what their future classmates are like, they bond, and stepping away will be more difficult.

What made the difference for me personally (deciding between five boarding schools on the East Coast of the US) was the 're-visit day.' I was matched with some amazing students that completely transformed my opinion of what life at that school was like. Taking time to carefully select which student spends time with your prospective students is an investment worth making! The school that was originally my top-choice school dropped to the bottom after poor match-making, while my number two school rose clearly to the top after my re-visit day.

One of the best ways to increase yield rates for admitted students is to organize personalized tutoring sessions in the form of discussions of about 15-30 minutes one-on-one with each of them, face-to-face or remotely. Once learners in difficulty are identified, it becomes possible to follow them personally more than their peers who do not encounter any particular problem. Discussing directly with their teacher allows the learners on the one hand to benefit from the personalized advice that can be given to them and thus overcome the difficulties they encounter more easily than if they were alone, but above all to strengthen their motivation because they no longer feel isolated but know that the teacher is particularly interested in them.

Demonstrate your commitment to students’ success and encourage them to pursue the activities that will ensure future professional achievements. Often, going beyond the call of duty by working well past official hours and by engaging students during campus coffee breaks or setting aside time to converse with them at various locations of the university. Don’t become a static figure but a real human being who cares about the individual’s perceptions, well being and interests. Sincere demonstration of concern about each student often gives them the “boost” they need to exceed their expectations of themselves and lead to present and future success.

Immersing them with the brand as much as possible with sizzle reels, webinar welcome sessions, virtual campus tours and swag (yard signs, vinyl stickers, etc.) helps to instill pride and affinity with your school.