If marketing in higher education is oversold, it may be that it is not fully understood. Higher education can learn from marketing as practiced in the profit sector, but it needs to research and practice those aspects that are good for education and discard those that are incompatible with education's value structure. (JMD)

The only form of marketing important to an admissions department, direct marketing, whose principal vehicle is direct mail, is identified as an organized method for sharing and distributing information to prospective students. Target audiences, marketing administration, and effective mailings are discussed. (MLW)

College and university admission officers need to be aware of the costs associated with current campaigns to recruit, educate, and retain a diverse student population. Misrepresentation of the campus community in promotional materials and failure to anticipate demands created by a diverse student body are among these costs. (DB)

To manage enrollments, today's colleges and universities must incorporate marketing strategies and organizational changes that until now have generally been used only by business and other private sector professionals. (MSE)

Those in the profession of college admissions counseling worry about student "numbers," filling dormitories, academic quality, diversity, athletes, alumni legacies, etc. A perplexing development of the 1980s is the bidding war over financial aid and merit scholarships. The life of an admissions officer is described. (MLW)

A study on the use and effectiveness of marketing in postsecondary admissions is discussed. The study shows that only 8 of 16 marketing techniques were used by more than half of the respondents. The broader scheme of marketing is seen as not having been put to use fully by admissions officers. (MLW)

To determine how to mail information to prospective students identified through the College Board's Student Search Service, Xavier University researched three hypotheses: August and December are good mailing times; the easier it is for students to respond, the higher the response rate; the easier it is to respond, the lower the final enrollment…

The roles and responsibilities of admissions professionals at 144 institutions throughout the country are outlined. Topics covered include admissions procedures, requirements, test use, prediction, student mix, transfers, academic quality, recruitment, data management, financial aid, projections, and placement. (LBH)

Any systematic, centralized effort devoted to recruitment at the graduate level is relatively uncommon. The essential components of any sound marketing effort include research, strategic planning, communications, and evaluation. The future of graduate recruiting is discussed. (MLW)

There have been dramatic changes in the environment surrounding American higher education and admissions professionals have had to adapt to them. Demographics, new societal attitudes, new complexities in admissions work, and new economic restrictions are seen as having changed the admissions profession. (Author/MLW)

Direct-mail communication with potential college applicants can be a highly effective way of increasing an institution's applicant pool or it can be an expensive waste of time and money. Techniques learned by the Student Search Service are discussed along with other factors such as response rate, cost, editorial and graphic quality, and honesty.…

Declining enrollments and a changing student population in the 1980s will require the admissions officer to achieve new and more varied skills, including those related to research orientation, information management, and financial aid understanding. New campus power may result. (MLW)

The economic benefits of enrolling foreign students in colleges and universities far outweigh the liabilities. Foreign-student enrollment should be studied, developed, justified, and improved like any other U.S. industry that hopes to retain its competitive edge in world trade. (MLW)

Speech is a major medium for the admissions message, and how well it is utilized needs to be evaluated. An understanding of speech communication and the role it plays in the information process can help admissions professionals to help people make better college choices. (Author/MLW)

Pace University's efforts to attract and retain adult students include contacting nonmatriculated students to encourage commitment and resolve problems and contacting part-time students the first semester they stop attending. The results of the university taking the initiative have been increased retention and greater information about student…