From cell phones to Blackberries to social networking, today’s college students of all ages stay connected. To alert prospects to what the College of Business Administration has to offer—ranked programs, well-respected faculty, expert career services, and much more—requires a savvy strategy that takes into account changing communication preferences. The college has fashioned such an approach, and it’s working.
Connecting with prospective students where they are.
Many prospects for the Chapman Graduate School are part of the digital generation, or Millennials, and we have invested in tools, such as Google’s AdWords and Yahoo! Sponsored Search to reach them as they surf the web,” said Luis Casas, the college’s director of marketing and recruiting. “We’ve also increased our presence on social networks, such as Facebook, focusing on demographics or particular geographies.”
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A campaign on Facebook about the International MBA (IMBA) received nearly fifty clicks daily, while an ad on the radio, cable TV, and in theaters plugged into Millennials’ attachment to their cell phones.
“The ad invited people to text message their email address,” Casas said. “They were able to receive information via email without having to write down the number and remember to send us a message from their computer. And, our Uncommon Thinkers web campaign shows how our programs help students apply their creativity to achieve business success.”
Tried-and-true efforts work, too.
 Priscilla Ferreira (MSHRM ’06, MBA ’00) |
Upping the frequency and adding variety to the format of its information sessions has yielded a huge increase in applications and enrollment for the Chapman School.
“The results of the four monthly sessions have been amazing,” Casas said. “Enrollment in the past two years has gone up by about forty percent at a time when other business schools are struggling.”
Global outreach ensures truly international student body.
Priscilla Ferreira (MSHRM ’06, MBA ’00), senior recruiting manager, Chapman School, attends international recruiting events, meeting with agents and students eager to hear more about the college’s AACSB International accreditation, scholarships, and rankings.
“Unlike programs that claim to have an international business focus but only five or ten percent of their students come from outside the United States, each IMBA group has up to seventy percent international students,” she said. “Our students really learn how to work with people from other cultures and educational and professional backgrounds.”
