act epc keynote - enrollment management trends report

Enrollment Management Trends Report

Steve Kappler

Assistant Vice President

ACT, Inc. [email protected]

Eric Sickler

Associate Vice President

Stamats [email protected]

Slideshare.net/Stamats_ACT

What it is?

Enrollment patterns of the 2011 ACT

tested graduating class

Review of last 10 years for trends

Context

College & Career Readiness System

Academic Readiness

Academic Behavioral Readiness

Career and Educational Planning

25 36 32

8th/9th

Grade

10th

Grade 11th/12th

Grade

Longitudinal Assessments College Readiness System Scores

ACT College Readiness Standards

Define Knowledge and Skills College Readiness Benchmark Scores

Test

College

Course PLAN

The

ACT

8th

Grade

9th

Grade

English

English

Composition 13 14 15 18

Math Algebra 17 18 19 22

Reading Social Sciences 15 16 17 21

Science Biology 20 20 21 24

The ACT Benchmark Score indicated a 50% chance of obtaining a “B” or a 75% chance of obtaining a “C” in corresponding credit-bearing college courses

Key Finding 1: Students Tend to Enroll at Institutions that Match the Preferences

They Report to ACT

–Level of college choice

–Type of college preferred

•Public vs. private

•Two year vs. four year

Enrollment by College Choice Number and ACT Composite Score, 2011

77%

Enrollment at Same College Type as Preference by ACT Composite Score

Recommendations for Recruiting

– Understand that students tend to do what they say they

will do (believe it or not); so speak to their interests

Recommendations for Marketing

– Participate in making informed EOS purchases – don’t

chase suspects, chase prospects

– GET ME THAT DATA!!!

Recommendations for Academic/Student Life

– Require official score reports and incorporate the

information you get into advising and retention

programs

Key Finding 1: Students Tend to Enroll at Institutions that Match the Preferences They

Report to ACT

Key Finding 2: Students’ Testing and Enrollment Behaviors Tend to Differ by Academic

Achievement Level

• As scores increase, students are more likely to:

– First-time test in the 11th grade

– Enroll in 4-year institutions

– Enroll out of state

– Enroll a greater distance from home

– Attend the type of public (4-year public or 4-year

private) that they prefer to attend

– Have better Interest-Major Fit scores

– Persist in their major

– Graduate in fewer years

Percent of ACT-Tested College Students Enrolled Out-of-State by ACT Composite Score,

2011

Median Distance to College by ACT Composite Score, 2011

Time of First Testing Among ACT-Tested High School Graduates by ACT Composite Score,

2011

Interest-Major Fit by ACT Score Range, 2011

Persistence in Major by ACT Score Range and Interest-Major Fit

Key Finding 2: Students’ Testing and Enrollment Behaviors Tend to Differ by Academic

Achievement Level

Recommendations for Recruiting

– Use data send on score reports to forecast yield


– Participate in ordering EOS names that match your

school’s likely-to-persist grade/score range


– When placing EOS orders, order by ability bands

narrow enough to distinguish varying student interests

and enrollment behaviors

Key Finding 3: Students’ Testing and Enrollment Behaviors Tend to Vary by the ACT

and SAT Participation Rates in the State

Compared with students in “ACT” and ACT+”

states, ACT-tested students in “SAT” and

“SAT+” states are:

– More likely to first-test in 12th grade

– Less likely to send their test scores to any college

– More likely to enroll out of state

– More likely to travel a greater distance from home

to attend college

Classification of States by ACT and SAT

Participation, 2011

Percent of ACT-Tested College Students Enrolled

Out of State (ACT Composite Score 1-23), 2011

Percent of ACT-Tested College Students Enrolled

Out of State (ACT Composite Score 24-36), 2011

Percent of ACT-Tested College Students Enrolled Out of State by State Category, 2011

Median Distance to College by State Category, 2011

Top-Choice School Description - TeensTALK®

2012

Prospective

students

indicate a

tightened travel

range from

2010:

Up to 30 miles:

40% vs. 36% in

spring 2010

121 to 500

miles: 20% vs.

28% in spring

2010

Base: All 2012 TeensTALK® respondents (n=496)

Distance to Current Top-Choice Campus from Home

Mean Score: 204 mi

Number of College Choices at Time of First Testing by State Category, 2011

Time of First Testing Among ACT-Tested High School Graduates by State Category, 2011

Key Finding 3: Students’ Testing and Enrollment Behaviors Tend to Vary by the ACT

and SAT Participation Rates in the State

Recommendations for Recruitment

– Understand how state environment affects test taking,

score-sending, and enrollment behaviors


– Use state testing knowledge to inform selection of

target markets and round out your class

– Don’t invest significant brand-building resources in

low-potential markets


– Use information for student life and academic

interventions

Key Finding 4: Students Who First Take the ACT in 12th Grade Are a Largely Overlooked Subset of Act-Tested High School Graduates

– These students have a lower likelihood of being

selected by any college through EOS

– They are selected by far fewer colleges than

students who first test in 11th grade

– Higher tendency towards males and minorities

Percent of EOS Students Selected by Time of First Testing and ACT Composite Score, 2011

Average Number of Times EOS Students Were

Selected by Time of First Testing & ACT

Composite Score, 2011

Key Finding 4: Students Who First Take the ACT in 12th Grade Are a Largely Overlooked

Subset of Act-Tested High School Graduates

• Recommendations for Recruitment

– Counsel students who test, especially late test takers,

on score sending and EOS name release

• Recommendations for Marketing

– Visibility campaigns must continue to target late-

deciding high school seniors

– When placing EOS orders, don’t forget students who

first test as 12th graders

• Recommendations for Academic/Student Life

‒ These students will likely need more guidance

Key Finding 5: Many High School Graduates Are Not Prepared Academically for College Success

– 28% of the ACT-tested graduating class of

2011 did not meet any ACT College

Readiness Benchmarks

– Important to use multiple measures

Percent of ACT-Tested High School Graduates by

Number of ACT College Readiness Benchmarks

Attained, 2011

458,399

397,712 242,869

278,528

245,604

College Type Attended by College Readiness

Benchmarks Attained, 2011

High School GPA Distribution Among ACT-Tested

High School Graduates Who Reported Grades,

2011

ACT Composite Score Distribution Among ACT-

Tested High School Graduates Who Reported

Grades, 2011

Bachelor’s Degree Completion Within 4 Years by

ACT Composite Score Range and High School GPA

Key Finding 5: Many High School Graduates Are Not Prepared Academically for College Success

Recommendations for Recruitment

– Pay attention to ALL of the information you receive

and not just a COMPOSITE score


– Messaging strategies must accurately reflect your

school’s unique balance of rigor, support, and fun


‒ Partner with local schools to offer academic and

support services to help students prepare for college

‒ Have a clear voice in conversations with K-12 and

state officials about adequate academic preparation

for success in college

New for 2012

Enhancements to the ACT Electronic Record

Beginning in September 2012, ACT will

begin appending 5 new data elements to

the ACT Score Report:

– Interest-Major Fit score

– Four predictive modeling indexes

The Interest-Major Fit Index

The Fit score shows the strength of the

relationship between a student’s profile of

interests and the profile of interests of

students in a given major.

Interest-major fit clearly benefits both

students and the college they attend:

students in “good-fit majors” are more likely

to stay in college, stay in their major, and

finish sooner.

Predicting Enrollment Behavior with Four Indexes

The Mobility Index predicts the likelihood of a

student enrolling at an out-of-state institution

The Institution Type Index predicts the likelihood

of a student enrolling at a private institution

The Selectivity Index predicts the selectivity of

the institution at which the student is likely to

enroll

The Institution Size Index predicts the size of the

institution at which the student is likely to enroll

The Case For the Score-Sender

Sample Inquiry Pool Data: Regional Public

Total Inquiries N App Enroll Yld

18,973 3,409 1,186 6%

ACT Scores N App Enroll Yld

4,873 1,185 561 12%

All Other Inquiries N App Enroll Yld

14,100 2,224 625 4%

Sample Inquiry Pool Data: Regional Public (contd.)

Applications N App Enroll Yld

940 854 251 27%

All Other Inquiries N App Enroll Yld

13,160 1,370 374 3%

The only source code yielding higher than ACT

scores was applications:

If you take applications out of the mix, the yield

for all non-ACT score inquiries was:

Initial Source Types in the Funnel

Enrolled

Applicants

Initial Source N All Other Sources 69% ACT Scores

26%

ACT Scores

35%

ACT Scores

47%

All Others

40%

All Others

32%

Apps 5%

Apps 25%

Apps 21%

Slideshare.net/Stamats_ACT

Enrollment Management Trends Report

Steve Kappler

Assistant Vice President

ACT, Inc. [email protected]

Eric Sickler

Associate Vice President

Stamats [email protected]