OUR SUCCESSES

Our client list includes colleges and universities across the United States and Canada.

The following case studies provide insight to our work with a few of our recent clients. We welcome the opportunity to share the successes of other colleges and universities in their quest to provide more students with a high quality educational experience.

Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA
Agnes Scott College by its own admission was a quiet small southern four-year college for women too frequently overlooked by top students. It was facing an enrollment decline enrolling less than 110 new students a year, primarily from the southeast. Agnes Scott was simply not seen as a first-choice college among top female candidates seeking a women's college who instead chose one of the "seven sisters," the elite of the women's colleges.

Agnes Scott College eagerly went through the research and assessment phase before moving forward with a coordinated imaging and recruiting strategy. Research showed that the College should tie itself closely with the dynamic city of Atlanta, compete for top students through aggressive scholarship investment, link experiential learning to the vast resources of corporate Atlanta, strengthen its recruiting program, emphasize the College's distinguished faculty, and clearly explain how the Agnes Scott academic experience is different from other leading women's colleges.

The strategy has paid off. Working with a strong Director of Admissions and able staff, new student enrollment increased over 70% in the first year - achieving an all-time record enrollment for the College in just three years. Agnes Scott College is competing effectively for top candidates and confidently stands among the leading women's colleges in the United States.

Gordon College, Wenham, MA
Gordon College had been facing a trend of declining enrollment over a three-year period. The College lacked a clear, strong position in the Christian higher education community and drew students principally from the northeast. Through our research and subsequent consultation, Gordon has developed, with the full participation of the staff, a comprehensive marketing plan which has consistently yielded strong enrollment growth, as well as a significant increase in the quality of its freshman class, drawing students from an expanded national market. As a result of this strategy and growth, Gordon has been strengthened across campus, new residence halls are under construction, and the living and learning environment has been invigorated. Gordon College is now recognized as one of the nation's foremost Christian liberal arts colleges among top college-bound high school seniors seeking a Christian college education.

Lindsey Wilson College, Columbia, KY
This United Methodist college represented one of our greatest marketing challenges. Located in rural Kentucky, the College had very little identity beyond being viewed as a small struggling college for rural folks and had an enrollment of only 222 students.

Based on careful study, a skillful marketing strategy that embraced new product development, as well as repositioning the College as a potential first-choice option for college-bound students, Lindsey Wilson College has become the fastest growing college in Kentucky. It now has 1,372 students, two graduate degrees, and over 500 students residing on campus. With strong leadership at all levels of the administration, the College is now becoming positioned as one of the foremost private colleges in the state, with recognized centers of excellence in teacher education and human services. Lindsey Wilson College has recently completed an $18 million capital campaign and draws students from across Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, and Ohio and twelve foreign countries.

Medaille College, Buffalo, NY
Confronted by a decline in overall enrollment and increased competition from three aggressive public colleges and four private colleges. The College had lost a significant share of its adult student population and the application pool of traditional-age freshmen was shrinking even though the admissions staff had worked hard to reverse the situation with only marginal results.

Working closely with the admissions staff and administrative cabinet, we advised them to reformulate the College's marketing message, expand into new, carefully selected markets, upgrade the admissions data management system, and skillfully coordinate admissions and financial aid strategies. Getting people and the process working together combined with many hours of training in relationship marketing were the keys to its success.

The original admissions staff has been retained. This very capable team has been energized by their success, an increase of 30.5% new students. Perhaps most important, the entire college community has become more cognizant of their individual roles in retention and enrollment development. With additional funds from the increased enrollment, the College is now able to add new programs and enhanced student services.

Medaille College is now one of the most important private colleges in the Buffalo area with an enrollment of 914 students and growing.

Mississippi County Community College, Blytheville, AR
MCCC serves a predominantly agricultural region in Northeast Arkansas. The College had suffered declining enrollments resulting in budget cutbacks. The situation was further aggravated by the expanding university system that was directly competing for MCCC students through their regional centers.

Our consultation has helped the College redirect its marketing and recruiting effort. It was comprised of more targeted marketing, greater emphasis on student-customer service throughout the College, and a comprehensive marketing plan which included media advertising, market segmentation strategies, new programs and services, and engaging faculty in marketing their programs. Within one year the College experienced a 17% enrollment increase.

MCCC has moved from a non-descript institution to one of the most respected mission driven community colleges in the state and a valued partner in economic development throughout the region.

Pratt Community College, Pratt, KS
This residential community college in rural Kansas faced one of the most serious enrollment challenges in the state.

Unlike most state-wide public college systems, each community college in Kansas is autonomous and competes directly with all other public colleges within the university system.

On our first campus visit the president said, "We have tried everything we know how to do, and it hasn't worked. We need to increase enrollment ... we need help."

After studying the market carefully and assessing the college's extensive admissions operation, we advised a total restructuring of the process and a fresh imaging of the College. Although the budget was very limited, we worked with the staff to ensure the maximum benefit from every budget dollar spent. The inquiry pool was increased, programs of distinction were identified and developed, staff were trained extensively in our 12 marketing strategies, and faculty and staff activities were integrated into the marketing process. In addition, based on market research, extension centers were opened and on-line classes offered as part of a new "College for You" program.

In the first year, new student enrollment increased 36 percent. Resident student enrollment increased, retention from fall to spring jumped to over 80% achieving one of the highest rates among community colleges in the nation, and Pratt Community College captured a significantly higher share of its service area market. A new residence hall was built to accommodate increased enrollment.

University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Belton, TX
The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor was experiencing a seriously declining traditional-age student enrollment in the face of increasing competition among public and private colleges and universities in Texas. At the same time the long-range plan called for significant growth, especially among its on-campus residential student population. The University retained our firm to complete geodemographic market analysis and perception market research studies. The findings and subsequent recommendations and marketing plan were instrumental in effecting a very significant turnaround, with new student enrollment growth increasing annually at 8-10%. President Bawcom stated in a letter to us that ". . . the results of our association exceeded my expectations. Through your firm's involvement, the University is prepared for the competitive environment in recruiting and retaining quality students."

University of Massachusetts-Boston, Boston, MA
UMass Boston was an urban university with the right product and the wrong image. Based on market research, we learned that the public perception of the University was that it was the overlooked stepchild of the Massachusetts University System, when, in fact, it had several centers of excellence and a huge market that was not being reached. As a result, enrollment was declining, forcing a restructuring that had the potential of weakening the educational program. Our work consisted of comparing internal and external perceptions of the University, sizing its market and developing a strategic imaging campaign. The program has been extremely successful with a revitalized internal communications plan, more effective and targeted advertising, and a heightened sense of institutional pride among faculty, staff, and students. The new imaging has helped rebuild enrollment, attracting more high caliber students, as well as support the University's first $50 million capital campaign.

Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA
Clearly one of the finest, although relatively unknown, private, four-year liberal arts colleges in California, Westmont College enjoys capacity enrollment and solid fiscal health.

Under the dynamic and visionary leadership of Dr. David Winters and an extraordinary management team, Westmont sees its future linked securely to its traditional mission. It draws the most creative and talented students from across the United States who seek a value-centered education and learning experience that will challenge them intellectually and spiritually while building an educational foundation for life, as well as a career. It now plans to be ranked among the leading national liberal arts colleges.

To achieve this ambitious goal, Westmont retained our firm to conduct extensive market research to identify how the College defined its core values, how the public perceived the College, and how best to move the College from a regional institution to one of the leading liberal arts colleges in the United States.

Based on our research and marketing strategies, Westmont is taking bold steps to build its infrastructure, image, awareness, and name recognition. Its remarkable success is having a direct impact on planning, enrollment and fund-raising. Most important, Westmont is shaping the lives of more talented students who will become leaders in their professions and communities.