International Student Recruitment, Admissions, and Enrollment Management: A Case Study of University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

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1 International Student Recruitment, Admissions, and Enrollment Management: A Case Study of University at Buffalo, The State University of New York Presenter: Mr. Joseph Hindrawan, Associate Vice Provost for International Education and Director, International Enrollment Management

2 University at Buffalo, The State University of New York Type of Institution: Research-intensive public university Location: Buffalo, New York Undergraduate Degrees: 100+ Master s Degrees: 205 Doctoral Degrees: 84 Professional Degrees: 10 Student Population: 27,017 International Student Population: 3,894 (14.41%) Top 5 Countries: China, India, Korea, Canada & Malaysia

3 UB International Enrollment Highlights UB ranks 17 th in the U.S. in international enrollment (Open Doors 2011, Institute of International Education, New York) UB has the largest percentage (17%*) of international students among the top 25 U.S. public research universities (*includes OPT and intensive English) UB enrolls undergraduate, graduate and exchange students from 113 countries UB hosts 500 visiting international scholars annually

4 University at Buffalo, The State University of New York International Enrollment, Undergraduate Graduate Total

5 University at Buffalo, The State University of New York International Undergraduate Enrollment, Other Canada Korea India China

6 University at Buffalo, The State University of New York International Graduate Enrollment, Other Canada Korea India China

7 International Enrollment Management (IEM) UB upper administration recognized a decline in international enrollment in the early 1990 s Started international recruitment in 1995 Established IEM office 1998 Created a strategic recruitment plan for international enrollment management International Admissions transferred to IEM in 2000 from Office of Domestic Admissions

8 Institutional Planning University Vision, Mission, Goals, Objectives & Values Why do we want international students? Understand our current international student situation Conduct market research How many students do we currently have? Where do they come from?

9 Institutional Planning Why enroll international students? What attracts them? Infra-structure support (admission office, International Student Services, housing, etc.)? Are we ready for more International students? Develop this information into a SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) What countries should we target?

10 Branding/Institutional Recognition How to develop UB s name brand recognition? How to differentiate UB from other U.S. institutions of higher education? (Who are our competitors?) What are UB s competitive advantages? Leverage/build on UB s reputation in Asia Does UB have any cost advantage? What is the value of UB s degree? Are UB s degrees recognized overseas?

11 Marketing & Recruiting Strategies/ Activities UB Employs Armchair Recruitment (activities you can do to attract international student without leaving your campus) Advertising Commercial Web Sites Develop relationships with overseas school counselors & advising centers Virtual College Fair (online) Mass mailing

12 Marketing & Recruiting Strategies/ Activities UB Employs Backyard Recruitment Recruit locally for both domestic and international students Recruitment Travel Outreach to other countries face to face recruiting Attending Public University Fairs Visiting feeder high schools

13 Marketing & Recruiting Strategies/ Activities UB Employs Third Party Recruitment Using third party agents to help in recruiting international students Pros and cons How to select effective third party agents?

14 Manage Recruiting Communication Plan Purchase commercial software or build in-house a system to track inquiries, applications, admission decisions, enrollment and retention Develop a communication plan (timeline is different for different stages): Prospect stage; Applicant stage; Accepted stage Recruiting long term (e.g. applicant in 2 years or more) Recruiting short term

15 Recruiting Tools Website (attractive, easy to access, easy to navigate, etc.) Brochures and other print publications (creating effective publicity materials; easy to read; bullet point rather than lengthy paragraph, attractive design, culturally sensitive) Electronic / Digital Materials Social Media (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, IM, etc.) Video (expensive)

16 International Admissions Understanding of admissions process Understanding of foreign education systems and credential evaluation Student visa regulations Ethical practices in admissions

17 Recruiting Trends and Concerns What has changed in the last 10 years? More competitors (U.S. and foreign universities) Direct recruiting versus using third-party agents Institutions establishing representative offices in China Growth of regional education hubs (Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, etc.) Establishment of branch campuses in Middle East and Asia

18 Recruiting Trends and Concerns Growing access to higher education in China and India Internet marketing outreach Growing undergraduate student interest in studying in the U.S. Growing demand for higher education from rising middle class Growing interest in non-stem fields of study Shift from parents to students decision-making re: education

19 Recruiting Trends and Concerns Relaxation of U.S. student visa restrictions especially for undergraduate students from China and India Develop long- and short-term recruitment strategies Consider effectiveness of using recruitment intermediaries EducationUSA, placement agencies, sponsoring agencies, agents Consider targeted recruiting in China or India due to country size How important is the university/college brand?

20 Recruiting Trends and Concerns Articulation (2+2 programs), joint degrees, and dual-degree programs Develop attractive and easy-to-navigate websites Develop attractive and informative brochures (in selected foreign languages) Develop an effective follow-up process (to handle large prospective applicant pool) Personal presence of college representatives required to build trust

21 Thank You Joseph J. Hindrawan