Approach to recruiting students gets more personal, high tech

Holly Setter/The Pleiad

Albion tour guides are now told to tell a different story about Albion, one more rooted in experience than statistics and facts. Prospective students are encouraged to sign "the rock" in the Bonta Admissions building lobby. Admission counselors are surfing the web, looking at profiles of students nationwide whose college preferences and scholastic background match Albion’s preferences.

Those are just a few of the new approaches that the admission staff is using to reach out to prospective students.

"We have really been looking for ways that we can enhance the student body," said Kevin Kropf, director of admission. Kropf went on to say that the staff is attempting to do that by increasing the number of out-of-state students, as well as the diversity of the incoming classes.

Admission is changing its approaches for a variety of reasons. According to Kropf, other colleges are changing their approaches to be more personal, and Albion felt that our approaches had become too robotic, detached, and no longer genuine to the college.

Here’s a closer look at the new ways Albion is attempting to change its approach.

According to Kropf, one way that Albion is trying to reach out to interested students who might fall outside the normal recruiting area is through the website Zinch.com.

According to the website, Zinch "exists to extract the wealth of potential in today’s high school students. Through Zinch, students are empowered to showcase their greatness to colleges and universities as an invitation for recruitment."

Essentially a Facebook for prospective students, people can create profiles for colleges to peruse. Zinch is a free service that allows Albion to search for students nationwide who are interested in colleges like Albion, and who fit the profile of an Albion student.

Kropf noted that while it’s hard to define a typical student, most Albion students show "intellectual curiosity, service mindedness, tolerance, are active outside the classroom, and a commitment to lifelong learning."

Features of the profile include the basic information boxes (personal and school information, an "about me" section, academics, extracurricular activites, etc.), as well as more admissions-specific features (a z-folio where students can upload examples of artwork, writing, photography, and more; college preferences; family life; awards and distinctions).

There is also a feature that allows students to let schools know that they’re interested.

"Students can give ‘shout-outs’ to colleges they’re interested in [on their profiles]," Kropf said. "We can then, in turn, send them love [with brochures, emails, and other contact from the college]."

Albion is also trying to be more appealing to those who come to campus for tours by adding a personal touch. Kropf said that the previous approach to campus tours was very fact heavy; an approach that appealed more to parents than to prospective students. With the new approach, tours are becoming more story-based.

"Instead of saying ‘This is our $42 million science complex with this many labs,’ we want [tour guides] to tell a story," Kropf said. "Like about how a bunch of students had a sleep-over in the atrium even though they weren’t supposed to.

"You don’t connect with people with facts, you connect with stories."

Matt Baciak, Canton junior, worked all summer as a tour guide using the new style and noted that facts still play a role in the tours.

"People still want to know things like class size, student to faculty ratio, and other things of that nature. So we make sure tour guides know those facts before going out, but largely the quality of the tour now depends on the tour guide."

Baciak also said that the experience allowed him "to actually see the difference in how families perceived Albion, and the difference was staggering. People loved the new tour style much more. They asked more questions, they opened up to the tour guides more, they felt as though they made a new friend rather than just went on a tour."

Prospective students have positive things to say about the tours as well.

"I really enjoyed the tour," said John Gignoc, a prospective student from Grand Rapids. "It was great, very informational."

The staff in the admission office is also trying to point to some of the things that make Albion unique, according to Kropf.

"We’ve created a theme around the Rock," Kropf said. "We’re trying to draw attention to some of the traditions here. The Rock is something all students can relate to."

Tour guide t-shirts have a picture of the rock with "Go Brits!" painted on it on the back, with the slogan "Like the rock."

They have also put a large plastic replica of the rock in the lobby of the Bonta Admission building, and they ask all the prospective students who come through to sign it with various colored Sharpies.

"As a student, I think that showcasing the rock in the admission office is a fantastic way of inviting prospective students to have their own Albion experience while visiting campus," said Lizzy Thornton, Buchanan junior and tour guide coordinator.

"On tour we feature the rock and talk about all of the traditions that come from it, but I think it really becomes special to the prospective students when they are invited to sign their name on a similar rock in the admission office."

According to Kropf, Albion is also is trying to recruit outside of Michigan by creating "micro-areas," or small, specific areas in other states and regions, to focus recruiting efforts. Kropf said that these areas have a high potential for Albion students, and include areas such as Houston, Texas and New England high schools with a strong equestrian background.

Although the college has the option to "buy names" in those areas, Albion doesn’t, Kropf said. Kropf explained that all colleges contract with the ACT and College Board to purchase names and profile information on potential students. The colleges can choose the names in terms of geographic locations and educational interest.

It was a previous practice for Albion to buy more names in other regions of the U.S., but they have stopped because of budget concerns. "We might get five or six students for every thousand names we buy. It just doesn’t make sense."

One last tactic that Kropf would like to see implemented is word-of-mouth from students and alumni.

"Tell the story when you get the chance. All I’m asking is for people to ask one question to potential students—have you thought about applying to Albion?

"If they have, then you have the opportunity to answer their questions, tell them more about Albion."

Kropf noted admission is currently operating with the most experienced staff in the last 15 years, and that the current admission counselors relate to people well. Nevertheless, the task of recruiting students to Albion can be a tough one. Kropf cited Michigan’s economy as a road block.

"Recruiting students to Albion is kind of like the Peace Corps," Kropf said. "It’s the toughest job you’ll ever love."