Marketing and College Admissions

1972 Words4 Pages

For centuries, studying at a university has been a common notion that many young people aspired to. With time, this idea grew to become an expected step in the lives of young adults. Regardless of how regular and expected this life decision may seem, the decision to attend a particular institution to pursue one’s postsecondary education is quite possibly the most important decision one will make in their early adulthood. However, these choices and decisions are only as good as the information on which they are based. So what can schools do to make sure that they remain on the radar for prospective students? More importantly, what can small private liberal arts colleges, like Salem College, do to compete with big name public institutions? Through Social Psychology and the science of persuasive techniques as well as the science behind how people develop and change their attitudes; it is clear which admission tactics are more effective and could reap the most benefits to your institution. As a marketing consultant, I can provide you with my professional suggestions based on current research and data and if you choose to follow them, I can explain the expected outcomes and effects they could have.
Primary Issues
For many decades, extensive research has been conducted to explore the facts involving human nature and thinking in respect to life on college and university campuses. Kurt Lewin, Leon Festinger, Elliot Aronson, and Robert Cialdini are all very respected social psychologists have conducted numerous studies to answer key questions about how people are influenced and particularly how people are influenced to make important decisions, such as which postsecondary institution they should attend. Thousands of university ba...

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