International Recruitment Strategies For Universities Pt.1

There is no universal recipe for universities on how to be successful in their international student recruitment efforts. What works for Ivy League may not be the best option for a small town community college. Most of the time, international student officers design recruitment strategies based on their previous experience, partnerships network, involvement and knowledge of staff.

All in all, international student recruitment is a complex process with so many details to consider. That is why we try to share with you different perspectives and various possible approaches towards this task.

Join us this week as we outline two interesting strategies for international recruitment at the university level!

Strategy Nr. 1: They will come because they have heard about us

This strategy is explained in an article for the Guardian by Dean Schmill from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). explains, that this strategy works well for the university because they are usually having too many students that want to attend.

Usually used by well established universities, this strategy works only if the supply of open spots for international students is lower than the demand. This is all about information availability and clear communication: university doesn’t put too much effort in active recruitiment, but offers a way of easily accessible information for everyone who is interested in joining the ranks:

Update your website

Make sure you have all the relevant information available without putting in too much effort. It goes without saying that you have to make your website responsive, mobile-friendly, as well as optimised for relevant keywords. Also, use web analytics to find out what works and what doesn’t!

Use social media

We’ve been repeating this over and over again. Using social media on a strategic level is much more than simply opening an account. Can you say you are confident your social media stream is reaching the right students audience? Do you manage to providing all the information in a timely but also entertaining manner? Does your institution enjoy a growing and vibrant social media community?

Focus on user experience

Your international office’s efforts go not just towards recruiting itself. Do you make it easy for international students to reach out? Does knowing about you mean that they understand the main principles of tuition, scholarships, admission and life on campus?

Stay tuned for part 2!