It’s the Fourth Quarter: Last Minute Tactics for Fall Enrollment

John W. Dysart
President
The Dysart Group, Inc.

We are rapidly approaching the end of another recruitment cycle. If you are still hoping to improve your outcomes or at least maintain your current trends, you should make sure your enrollment division administrators are doing the following:

Aggressively encourage new and returning students to apply for financial aid. Send written reminders, email messages and text messages to encourage completion of the FAFSA. Don?t hesitate to get on the telephone and call students who have not applied for financial aid.

Make sure all of the students who have applied for financial aid have been packaged. There is no reason to wait for Spring grades or verification. Show all of your students how they can afford to attend as quickly as possible.

How many applicants for admission have not completed their admission folders? Immediately implement a plan to encourage folder completion in order to increase the number of accepted students.

Think about conducting a late SAT or ACT search to pick up students who may have tested late in the cycle.

Telephone any returning students who have not completed the course selection process for the coming term. Be prepared to address any problems such as financial holds, academic issues or financial aid problems.

Its not too late to schedule a late Spring visit day to bring prospective students to campus. Late visit dates for transfer students can be particularly effective.

Send a last-minute postcard mailing to inquiries in your database who have not applied for admission. Let them know it is not too late to apply.

There are still five months remaining in the cycle. It is not too late to initiate a fourth quarter plan.