Positive Affect of Longer Admissions Process
I worked at a technical college for many years that had very aggressive admissions processes in place that often put pressure on students to make a decision, enroll and complete financial aid within a two-three hour time frame. The college saw a lot of attrition due to this, often within the first three months of starting. So much so that the school added a metric to Admission's Reps review tracking their performance for "persistence" from the first term to the second, which had no affect as it did not change its actual admissions practices.
I have now worked for a massage school for sometime, which has a much more in-depth and longer admissions process. This makes a big difference. Although we still have students who occasionally have a change of heart, it is rare.
Has anyone else experienced this? Either due to changes at their school in the admissions process or working for different schools? What part of the admissions process do you think makes the most difference?
For us, those students who express a fear of the sciences or anxiety at massaging a stranger are invited to sit in a science or hands-on class. The majority of prospects respond positively to this. On occasion, we do have prospects who have a change of heart after this experience and who would most likely not have been successful.
-Jeannette
Jeannette,
If the "persistence" tracking was in place without any consequence it was doomed to fail in making a change. I've heard of Massage schools requiring prospective students conduct a small massage or touch someone in the manner expected. Yes, this "reality check" does dissuade some students from this career choice.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
I worked at a vocational school that offer many different majors. One of the pitfalls in admission is competition between departments. Often,admission process gear toward enrolling as many students as possible without looking into the aspects of retention.
Roshally,
If you are finding new students being a mismatch with the program please consider providing product knowledge with the Admissions department.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
I work at a community college and find that the admission representatives use a placement tool that finds what the students likes and dislikes. This helps in placing the student between career choices. I find that they do learn quit a bit about the prospective student this way. It also helps the students completion chances.
Rebecca,
What is the name of the test? Or is it a "homegrown" test?
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
