Transfer students tend to be an overlooked market in the realm of student recruitment, rarely mentioned in admissions marketing or else relegated to somewhere in the nearly hidden back pages.

1. 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students
Slide 1
3 Tips Recruiting Transfer
Students

2. 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students
Slide 2
1. Targeted messages in marketing efforts
2. Unique orientation and transition services
3. Ease Transfer Credit process
Overview
Source: Higher Education Marketing – 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students

3. 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students
Slide 3
 Since transfers are further along than incoming freshmen in
terms of credits and life experiences, they require unique
services to successfully meet their needs.
 Many students considering transferring look to school
websites for answers, so it is imperative that these
resources are clearly available.
1. Targeted messages in marketing efforts
Source: Higher Education Marketing – 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students

4. 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students
Slide 4
 Targeted communication efforts should therefore integrate a
more sophisticated blend of rational argument and emotional
appeal, answering non-traditional student concerns:
 child care
 Housing
 Employment
 campus adjustment
 tutoring resources
 study skills
 mentoring
 peer counseling.
1. Targeted messages in marketing efforts
Source: Higher Education Marketing – 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students

5. 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students
Slide 5
 Thus far U.S. universities have led the way in targeting the
transfer student market, with cost and accessibility
prominent reasons why community colleges are more
popular than ever.
 In recent years there have been greater efforts to build
relationships between colleges and universities in Canada
but there remains much confusion regarding credit
transfers, and many students and their guiding sources are
uninformed about existing possibilities.
1. Targeted messages in marketing efforts
Source: Higher Education Marketing – 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students

6. 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students
Slide 6
Example: Walden University's home page features :
 A tasteful scrolling display of testimonials, including a specific call-
to-action for transfer students.
 The Admissions section features a prominent "Degree
Acceleration" section
 Clicking on Transfer Credits brings an appealing offer to transfer up
to 50% of required program credits with a free transfer of credit
evaluation.
Source: Higher Education Marketing – 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students

7. 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students
Slide 7
 While transition and retention programs are plentiful for first-
year students, few exist specifically for transfer students -
taking the freshman approach and slapping "transfer" on the
title won't work.
 Transfer students often face issues involving both academic
and social concerns, including:
 faculty-student interaction
 campus navigation
 available services.
2. Unique orientation and transition services
Source: Higher Education Marketing – 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students

8. 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students
Slide 8
 Institutional leadership is required to declare your eagerness
to accept these students, with dedicated admissions staff
trained to guide the transition to a different culture and limit
"transfer shock."
 Giving transfer students priority registration will help them
overcome the challenges of entering programs that may be
already closing.
2. Unique orientation and transition services
Source: Higher Education Marketing – 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students

9. 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students
Slide 9
 Consider the characteristics of your transfer student
population in terms of demographics and academic
backgrounds to best address their needs.
 Even commuting adult students with other family and work
responsibilities value campus involvement, and special
social programs can encourage integration and
motivation, while being a recruitment tool.
2. Unique orientation and transition services
Source: Higher Education Marketing – 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students

10. 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students
Slide 10
 Facilitating transitions with counseling, tutoring and non-
traditional student services will increase the potential for:
 persistence
 retention
 graduation
2. Unique orientation and transition services
Source: Higher Education Marketing – 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students

11. 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students
Slide 11
Example: The University of Waterloo provides exclusive
orientation activities for transfer students with a live chat option
to gain valuable advice from upper-year students.
Source: Higher Education Marketing – 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students

12. 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students
Slide 12
 The number of articulation agreements between Canadian
colleges and universities have been steadily increasing over
the past decade.
 Transfer agreements whereby college grads receive
specified transfer credits that reduce their requirements for a
university degree are becoming more
common, though recent research suggests that many
students are unaware or unclear about these opportunities.
3. Ease Transfer Credit Process
Source: Higher Education Marketing – 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students

13. 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students
Slide 13
 Transfer students are often left to negotiate credits one-on-
one with admissions staff with inconsistent results.
 Admission processes often lack transparency and the
perceived complexity of transferring evidently prevents many
students from attempting this path.
3. Ease Transfer Credit Process
Source: Higher Education Marketing – 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students

14. 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students
Slide 14
 Transfer credit promotion can provide an incentive to the
significant population of adults who have earned some
postsecondary credit but for one reason or another haven't
completed their degrees.
 Many universities seem to incorrectly assume that applicants
are aware of transfer credit options and do not emphasize
this in marketing materials.
3. Ease Transfer Credit Process
Source: Higher Education Marketing – 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students

15. 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students
Slide 15
 Universities that make it easier to understand the transfer
process and provide transfer credits will be at a competitive
advantage for this enrollment source.
3. Ease Transfer Credit Process
Source: Higher Education Marketing – 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students

16. 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students
Slide 16
Example: The University of Manitoba provides a Transfer Credit
option in their Admissions section with several
resources, including an impressive Transfer Credit Equivalencies
database, which displays an extensive pre-application
equivalency review according to the institution and subject
transferred from.
Source: Higher Education Marketing – 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students

17. 3 Tips Recruiting Transfer Students
Slide 17
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