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

University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

Type of Institution: Research-intensive public university Location: Buffalo, New York Undergraduate Degrees: 100+ Masters 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

UB International Enrollment Highlights

UB ranks 17th 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

University at Buffalo, The State University of New York International Enrollment, 1996-2011
4500 4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Undergraduate

Graduate
Total

University at Buffalo, The State University of New York International Undergraduate Enrollment, 2005-2011
1600 1400 1200 1000 800 Other Canada

Korea
India China

600
400 200 0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

University at Buffalo, The State University of New York International Graduate Enrollment, 2005-2010
2500

2000

1500

Other Canada

Korea
1000 India China 500

0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

International Enrollment Management (IEM)

UB upper administration recognized a decline in international enrollment in the early 1990s 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

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?

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?

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

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

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

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?

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

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)

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

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

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

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?

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

Thank You

Joseph J. Hindrawan (hindrawa@buffalo.edu)