Top posts from the blog in the first half of 2013

Here are the most-read posts from the Noel-Levitz blog for the first half of 2013.

We will return with new posts soon, and to see the latest posts from the Noel-Levitz blog, subscribe to our Strategies e-newsletter.

The strategic enrollment planning imperative for colleges and universities
Noel-Levitz President Kevin Crockett  discusses the increasing importance of developing a strategic enrollment planning process for colleges and universities.

Building the right list for campus direct marketing
In the first of a six-part series on higher education direct marketing, Pegi Anton explains why the list is the essential foundation of all campus direct marketing campaigns.

Three ways to use motivational data to intervene with college students
Janene Panfil examines how campuses can use non-cognitive student motivation data to enhance their early intervention and student success efforts with at-risk college students.

The influence of the campus visit on college student enrollment: A parent’s perspective
Julie Bryant shares her experiences—some positive, some negative—about her daughter visiting prospective college campuses during her college search process.

Raising the bar on college completion: New benchmarks provide standards for progress
Data from campuses show that nearly one in five college students at four-year institutions do not persist from the second to the third year.

Top three targeted student populations for student retention programs, as rated by campus officials in spring 2013
Fred Longenecker looks at data from campus retention professionals about the top retention initiatives at four-year and two-year institutions.

Track conversion and yield rates for admissions more accurately with two new funnel metrics
Sarah Coen describes seven metrics  for tracking student progress through the recruitment funnel, including two new metrics that increase the accuracy of that analysis.

Increasing second-year student retention by intervening toward the end of the first year?
Beth Richter explains how campuses can build a bridge toward returning for the second year before first-year students depart for the summer.

Prospective students receiving record number of written contacts
New data show that students are receiving, on average, 16 written contacts from four-year privates, 11 from four-year publics, and five from two-year institutions before applying.