Admissions Marketing Group Research--gleaned from studies of parents, students, and counselors--suggested several reasons why public relations professionals should play a major role in the recruitment picture. (MLW)

Suggestions on how to improve first-contact recruitment mailings are provided: involve experts in planning, include cover letter, target messages, find a great writer for brochure and cover letters, keep it short, sell location, print brochure in colors, eliminate evidence of computer-generated messages, etc. (MLW)

The rush to establish effective alumni/admissions volunteer programs is discussed. Institutions call on alumni/admissions volunteers not only because they fill in geographic gaps for the admissions office, but also because they serve as good examples of what a college can do for today's students. (MLW)

Three dissertations are discussed: "An Analysis of the Institutional Image of a Private University ..." (James William Klenke); "Factors that Affect a Student's Decision to Enroll at Francis Marion College" (Joseph Edward Heyward); and "An Analysis of College Choice Influence ....Freshmen at a Large Southeastern Urban…

Traditional recruitment techniques aren't attracting many minority students. Institutions trying to attract minorities are concentrating primarily on blacks. Recruitment strategies should vary according to minority group. (MLW)

Many institutions of higher education are adopting video as a recruitment tool. Different methods of distributing videos include: mailing, networks, recruitment trips, and on campus use. Suggestions for producing a video are provided. (MLW)

Advice to college admissions officers is provided including recognition of individuals and responding to names, faces, interests, and personalities. Alert, personalized care and feeding will encourage the student's interest and can lead to an application and perhaps enrollment. (MLW)

Before alumni can identify prospective students, the admissions and alumni offices have to forge a partnership, considering the other's goals and problems. A program for alumni/admissions volunteers has two purposes: to extend the reach of the admissions office and to give alumni a chance to serve. (MLW)

The use of the phone can help colleges in their general admissions goal: to get the right number and type of students to enroll at the institution. Basic phone tips, preparing for the call, making the call, and building on the system are discussed. (MLW)

The goals of a visitation program at a college or university should be to place prospects and their parents in contact with a variety of faculty and students. Faculty members, talking about their programs, and undergraduates, sharing their own experiences, are the institution's best recruiters. (MLW)

When the product is education, enthusiastic college students make ideal salespeople. Student recruiters use various marketing strategies including helping with recruitment literature; hosting visitors; and telephoning, writing, or visiting interested students. Some sales techniques are described. (MLW)

The spreadsheet can be a powerful tool in marketing. Using a spreadsheet and admissions data, models can be built for: periodic reports of admission status, projections of the size and quality of the incoming class, and long-term recruitment strategy. (MLW)

Media relations efforts at Wittenberg University are concentrated on newpapers, magazines, and radio and TV stations that will heighten the institution's visibility in the areas of student recruitment and fund raising. The college president is seen as the institution's chief public relations officer.

A survey for incoming freshmen was used to identify the two most important influences on decisions to enroll at Ohio University. This information was then used to improve publications used in student recruitment. Turning admissions data into publications is discussed. (MLW)

Changing populations will raise new issues for higher education student recruitment. Some changes include population sizes, characteristics, geography, and enrollment patterns. Steps to take include redefine the problem, make more out of less, improve student distribution, learn from the past, understand limitations, and recognize that each…