Remember when going to university meant striking out on your own, perhaps moving across the country for a new adventure? Well, things have changed. Today’s prospective students, shaped by their pandemic experience, are showing noticeably different behaviours – and it’s changing how universities need to think about recruitment.
“We’re seeing that students’ willingness to engage has decreased somewhat,” explains Ruth Swan, Associate Director for Global Prospect Experience at Wat University. But here’s the real kicker – as students have become more hesitant, parents have stepped into the spotlight like never before.
Think about it: these are students who experienced their first year of sixth form through a screen. Is it any wonder they’re more anxious about major life changes? They’re not just less likely to move far from home; they’re actively seeking more support throughout the application process, and their parents are increasingly the ones driving engagement with universities.
Here’s where things get interesting – and where universities are missing a trick. While parents are becoming more influential in university choices, most institutions haven’t adapted their programmes to engage this crucial audience. As David Glees from the University of Manchester points out, there’s “a lot more we can do to engage that audience group.”
Most universities still don’t have clear channels for parent communication. Want to sign up for information as a parent? Good luck finding that option on most university websites. It’s a gap that’s becoming more obvious by the day.
“We absolutely have been forced to become really good at being data-led,” says Swan, and she’s not kidding. Universities are finally getting serious about recognizing exactly what makes students tick – and what makes them enrol.
The University of Manchester, for example, has discovered that students who attend open days are twice as likely to apply. But it’s not just about single touchpoints anymore. The magic number seems to be three: get a prospect to engage meaningfully with you three times – whether through an open day, a webinar, or a conversation with a current student – and you dramatically increase your chances of converting them.
Remember when everyone thought virtual events would replace in-person open days? Well, that hasn’t quite panned out. While virtual events haven’t lived up to the hype as standalone recruitment tools, they’ve found their place as part of a bigger picture.
Think of it like this: the in-person open day is still your headline act, but virtual events make great support acts. They’re particularly valuable for international students or as follow-up engagement after someone’s visited campus.
Let’s be real – universities are dealing with tighter budgets while facing increased recruitment pressure. The smart ones are letting data guide their spending, utilizing automation where it makes sense, and leveraging AI for round-the-clock student support.
The future of recruitment is shaping up to be an interesting blend of high-tech and high-touch. Universities are working on utilizing AI to create personalized communication plans while simultaneously focusing more on student wellbeing and mental health support.
The real challenge? Finding ways to track and analyze how all these different touchpoints – from chatbot conversations to campus visits – work together to influence student decisions. As one panelist put it, “It’s not just about getting students to enrol – it’s about understanding their needs and supporting them properly from first touch to enrolment.”
The universities that are going to thrive in this new landscape are the ones that can walk a careful line: utilizing technology smartly while recognizing that they’re dealing with real people – often anxious young people and their concerned parents.
Success isn’t just about having the best tech or the biggest budget. It’s about recognizing that today’s prospective students need more support, more reassurance, and yes, probably more parental involvement than ever before. The institutions that get this right are the ones that will win in what’s becoming an increasingly competitive market.
Time to rethink those recruitment strategies? Probably. But at least now we know what we’re really dealing with.
