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“Effective Communication Techniques: Making Your

Message Count”

Mary Hall, Roncalli High SchoolAlexis Wolf, University of Notre Dame

Martin Kirkwood, St. Theodore Guerin High School

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Noel-Levitz, OmniUpdate, CollegeWeekLive, and NRCCUA (National Research Center for College and University Admissions) conducted a survey of more than 1300 participants about communicating

with prospective campuses.

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Who do families want to talk to during an on-line presentation,

and how do they want to be invited?

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On-line Conversations

--69% of students and 72% of parents said they have had online video conversations using a Webcam…

…but WHO do they want to talk to?

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WghWho do they want to talk to?

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Roncalli Parent Survey

Survey:1. Senior Parents Only2. Less than 1003. No validity to this survey

Why:Compare to published surveyAccuracy of published survey in local

community

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Roncalli Senior Parent Survey

When are live conversations of high importance?.

Before applying

12%

After applying 4%

Not important 7%

Before and after applying.

76%NS:B&A: 62%Before: 15%After: 17%NI: 6%

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How Influential In Choosing Schools Are the Following?

Avg. S

core

Coll. Tour

Websit

e

Student

Adm Rep

Coll Site

Cnslr

Broch

ure

Face

book0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

NS: 4.5 4.0 3.8 3.8 3.7 3.7 3.1 2.3

4.3 3.5 3.6 3.9 2.7 3.9 2.6 1.7

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Parent Participation In A Video Conferencing using Webcam

NO

60%

YES

40%

NS:Yes: 72%No: 38%

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Who To Talk To?

Adm Rep Student Fin Aid Rep Professor Alumni

15%

93%67%

36%

33%

NS: 78% 69% 69% 56% 19%

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Preferred Type of Invitation to Online Presentation

Email

HS Visi

tM

ail

College

Fair

Counselor

Coll Site Text

Phone

FB Gro

upFB

Ad0

102030405060708090

100

NS: 81 40 31 30 34 22 28 29 10 4

92 65 33 32 69 11 13 13 2 1

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Recommendations from Survey

1. Create opportunities for communicating.Websites with links and resourcesContact information

NameEmail addressTelephone number(nice to have address on website)

Live chats

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Recommendations2. Multiple methods of communicating

On-linePrintIn personTelephone CITY

UNIV

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Recommendations3. In-person visits at high schools

(or ‘in-person” via Skype).--Admissions and financial aid rep visits to

high schools--Skype contact to answer specific family

questions--Follow up by text, telephone, email to

students’ families after visit to high school

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Recommendations4. Maintain or add live chats to your

communication strategies.--Has declined in past years but this is of

high interest as a method to communicate.

--Specific dates publicized on website and sent via email to students indicating an interest

--Fin aid rep should be available

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Recommendations

5. Keep social media in perspective. --Do not make SM the focus of your

communication strategy.--Remember that not everyone has internet

access or prefers it as a communication tool

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What Works for Us?1. “Go to” person in financial aid

--Presents at our Financial aid night--Will answer questions about FAFSA--Will answer financial aid questions of parents

via email--Updates me re: new programs and changes

in financial aid--Resource for parents

2. Financial aid night by fin aid specialist3. Who to contact about stackable/non-stackable

scholarships

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What Works for Us?4. College Goal Sunday5. Name of fin aid rep to share with parents

who have financial aid questions6. Financial advisor evening program (might not

work for everyone) separate from FAFSA7. Attendance at fall financial aid update

meetings (counselor)8. Encourage families to establish relationship

with a fin aid rep

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Other thoughts1. Adopt a local high school and be their ‘go to’

person2. Offer financial literacy program/session in

high school classes (economics, business, consumer/family science, etc.) as a guest speaker

3. Specific handout for HS visits--Timeline --Dates--Forms --Hints for fin aid process

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Other thoughts

4. Programs for families and counselors re: financial aid--On campus --On-line live--Video library on website--Summer--Encourage as part of visit program

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Other ThoughtsWebsite

--Is it easy to use?--Specific section:

“Important Info for Incoming Freshmen”--Deadlines--Needed forms

--Does it have FAQ?--Are deadline and Indiana state edit dates clearly explained?--Federal code number easy to find?

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More ThoughtsWebsite

--Is the Net Price Calculator obvious?--Does it talk about Satisfactory Academic

Progress?--Who can counselors/parents contact—

name, email, or phone number--Dates of evening/week-end live chats or

webinars--FAFSA link* and hotline contact--What will it really cost? Payment options?--Average graduation debt?

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Some More ThoughtsScholarships

Are they stackable?Are they renewable?Clear deadlines?Do you super-score test results?Are there additional scholarship resources

on the website? Are there links to departmental, service, etc. scholarships?

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Even More ThoughtsWebsite/Office

--Do you have someone with “other” languages in your office based on your “community”?

--Information for families regarding disability services programs and contacts? Voc Rehab re: aids/services

--Standardized financial aid award letters--Presentations to middle school parents on

understanding affording college

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Yours Is A Global Market1. Can other individuals with different world

languages easily access your website?2. Can international students access financial

aid and/or scholarship information?3. Do you skype to international schools in

recruitment areas?

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This may be how you feel!

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Characteristics of A Good Financial Aid Representative

1. Knowledgeable2. Professional3. Good listener4. Patient5. Honest6. Respectful7. Returns calls/emails in a timely fashion

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Ways to Connect IACAC and ISFAA

1. Present to new IACAC counselors on federal and institutional methodology.

2. Add a financial aid info site to IACAC websitea. Fin aid updates and changesb. FAFSA info (ISMcollegeplanning.org)c. 21st CS update and changesd. Post links to fall fin aid info meetinge. Link to individuals willing to do FA nite

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Ways to Connect IACAC and ISFAA

3. Continue presenting the high school financial aid presentations

4. Make HS Counselor section of ISFAA a link on IACAC website

5. Continue to present topics at IACAC Congress6. Is dual membership possible?

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Time to Communicate!

Thank you for listening to us

and now………your

ThoughtsQuestions

Comments