Transitions and the Applicant Experience

Alyssa Newman

Admissions Project OfficerStudent Experience Project, Applicant Experience

Student Recruitment & Admissions

• Linking transitions and the applicant

experience• Overview of the Applicant Experience

(AE) strand• Research findings • Current pilot projects• Example pilot project• Initial findings • Next steps • Questions & answer session• Group activity & discussion

Presentation outline

Linking transitions & the applicant experience

Pre-application

Application Post-application Transition

Source: Supporting Professionalism in Admissions (SPA), 2011

RETENTION and GRADUATION

• Aim: to enable greater self-selection by prospective applicants, early in the application process; to select students best equipped to benefit from the Edinburgh experience, from diverse backgrounds; to develop admissions policy and practice to enhance the applicant experience

• Three distinct project phases: research, pilot projects, and project evaluation

AE Strand: an overview

• Authentic student voice • Managing students’ expectations • Early engagement • Expanding information on the non-traditional student

experience• More informational resources/ tool kits to students’

advisors

Full report on the AE initial research findings https://www.wiki.ed.ac.uk/display/SEPROJ/Applicant+Experience

Research findings

Current AE Pilot Projects General Under- and Postgraduate

General Undergraduate

General Postgraduate

Undergraduate – subject specific

Templates for Open Day speakers

Capturing the UG and PG Edinburgh

student experience

Integration of admissions data

PG student profilesExemplars to better articulate entry & selection criteria

UG prospectus

Informational resources/ tool kits

to students’ advisors

Differentiating between similar sounding degree

programmes

Understanding what a subject area involves

AE Pilot Project: an example

Please click on the links below to access the full suite of videos for the pilot project ‘Capturing the under- and postgraduate Edinburgh student experience.’ These videos can be found on the University of Edinburgh’s Youtube site and main website.

University’s Youtube site:Undergraduate student videos - Youtube playlist Postgraduate student videos - Youtube playlist

University’s main website:Undergraduate student videos - website playlist Postgraduate student videos - website playlist

Evaluation: initial findings• Open Day template tool-kits

“I found the [Open Day presentation] templates worked very well. The slides were great and really enhanced the professionalism of my presentation. A great initiative, so thank you!” – Member of academic staff

• Open Day experiences video

• All projects will be monitored and evaluated

22%

78%

Very usefulQuite useful

Over 2,000 views in five months!

Next steps

• Progressing each pilot project• Monitoring and improving • Evaluating the impact• Concluding • Disseminating

• Applicant Experience strand wiki: https://www.wiki.ed.ac.uk/display/SEPROJ/Applicant+Experience

• Fair Admissions to HE: Recommendations for Good Practice - the Schwartz report (2004) http://www.admissionsreview.org.uk/downloads/finalreport.pdf

• Moogan, Y. J., & Baron, S. (2003) An analysis of student characteristics within the student decision-making process. Journal of Further and Higher Education

• Moogan, Y. J. (2011) Can a higher education institution's marketing strategy improve the student-institution match? International Journal of Educational Management, 25 (6), pp. 570 – 589.

• Rigby, S. (2012) Student Report Review• Shaffer, D. (2011) The Applicant Experience, Supporting Professionalism in

Admissions (SPA) http://www.spa.ac.uk/support/applicantexperience/ • Student Experience Project website: www.ed.ac.uk/student-experience• Wasmer, D.J., Williams J.R. & Stevenson, J. (1997) A re-conceptualization of the

marketingmix: using the 4 C’s to improve marketing planning in higher education, Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 8(2), pp. 29–35.

References

• Student Experience Project website: www.ed.ac.uk/student-experience

• Student Experience Project wiki: https://www.wiki.ed.ac.uk/display/SEPROJ/Home

• Applicant Experience strand wiki: https://www.wiki.ed.ac.uk/display/SEPROJ/Applicant+Experience

• Contact Alyssa directly at:E: alyssa.newman@ed.ac.uk or T: 0131 651 5538

Further information

Group activity and discussion

‘ What can you do in your discipline/ area to enhance how you manage student expectations

during the admissions process and to set students up on a pathway for a successful transition to

university?’