‘Colleges use new tools to reel in new students’
Telegram & Gazette
In an article in the Telegram & Gazette, Lauren Tilmont, a freshman at the College of the Holy Cross, discussed what attracted her to the school. “The little things of the Holy Cross blog,” she said, alluding to the College’s efforts to reach perspective students via a wide variety of ways. “The mundane little things that maybe other people wouldn’t think mattered, ultimately mattered to me,” she continued.
While applicant pools continue to become smaller, perspective students continue to become more technologically advanced, meaning colleges and universities must adapt. For instance, social media and college admissions now go hand-in-hand, which explains Holy Cross’ recent marketing efforts. With distinct multimedia materials—such as an unscripted video that was launched three years ago, in which students briefly stated what they loved about life on the hill—the College continues to engage incoming and current students alike. “This authentic personal voice from our students is the best salesperson that we could have,’ said Ellen Ryder, director of public affairs at Holy Cross.
In 2011, the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education honored the College with an international Circle of Excellence Award (bronze) in the category of student recruitment publication packages. In a similar regional competition, Holy Cross’ publications and website was awarded a silver prize, and its viewbook, “Being Holy Cross,” won gold. Proving that the College lives up to its glittering acclaim, Inez Asante, a freshman student blogger on the hill, said that her college experience has surpassed her expectations. “It’s better,” she said.