International Decliners Study
What's it all about?
Following the success of the UCAS domestic Track survey, UCAS and i-graduate have teamed up to develop an international version of the study. The domestic survey, which was hosted on the UCAS 'Track' service, was introduced to route A, UK applicants at the point of making their decisions during the 2009 cycle. Over 90,000 domestic applicants agreed to answer four simple questions about why they made certain decisions in terms of the universities they chose and those they declined. Institution specific reports are available to purchase from UCAS.
The International Decliners study initiative will run for the first time in 2010 and will focus on the views and perceptions of EU and non-EU applicants at the decision making stage of the application process. The current Track survey asks applicants to indicate what factors made them accept or decline a particular course or university, making it an extremely useful benchmarking tool.
Why bother?
In a highly competitive university recruitment market, prospective students face a world of choice. To thrive under such challenging market conditions, education providers require a comprehensive understanding of the constantly changing needs, views and expectations of prospective students. Attracting the right student applicants and converting these to offers and enrolments is crucial for institutions in securing their reputation and financial future. The International Track survey aims to help institutions improve conversion rates.
The International Decliners study will...
- Provide evidence to build and support your marketing strategy and refine your tactics - to focus marketing expenditure where it works
- Provide you with a relevant and accurate assessment of your positioning in different markets - plus benchmarking against your competitors at the point of student application
- Identify your real, current competitors in individual markets, as perceived by the applicants
- Enable you to adapt your offers procedure - to ensure that offers of places are made to applicants who have a real likelihood of taking up a place
- Capture applicants at the crucial point when they make their decisions - making it a unique tracking tool
What next?
The study will commence in early 2010 and reports will be available for purchase in Autumn.
We are currently in the development stage and would be happy to consider any comments or feedback you wish to make regarding the new initiative. We would also find it useful to know the potential demand from the sector. If you would be interested in the results of this study, please contact me on the details below.
For more information or to make suggestions please contact Naomi Kenny (naomi.kenny@i-graduate.org).
For more information about UCAS, please click here.
