Summer melt is a common challenge that colleges face each year, where students who have been accepted to a college fail to enroll and attend in the fall.
This phenomenon can occur for various reasons and affects different types of students. At iFactory, we understand the importance of maintaining strong communication and engagement with prospective and accepted students to reduce summer melt. Here’s how colleges and universities can strategically address this issue.
Understanding summer melt
Summer melt can happen to any student—from high school graduates to adult learners. However, it’s estimated that between 10-40% of high school graduates who intend to go to college fail to complete the enrollment process.
Overall, summer melt is often driven by losing interest, finding other opportunities, and feeling unprepared for college. But by looking at where students are in the enrollment process when they drop out, you can better understand how they’re impacted by summer melt.
At the top of the funnel, it includes students who have shown interest in a college but haven’t even applied yet. These students might lose interest or get distracted by other options. For accepted students who haven’t fully committed, they might find another school, face financial issues, or feel overwhelmed by the transition to college.
Enrolled students, who have already decided to attend but are not yet on campus, can also experience summer melt. They might change their minds due to personal circumstances or a lack of engagement from the college.
Implementing summer melt strategies
“It’s a lot of not taking any student for granted. You’re still trying to recruit these students until they’re on campus, through the door.”
To effectively tackle summer melt, colleges should adopt a well-rounded communication strategy that’s personalized, uses multiple channels, and fosters collaboration across departments. Here are some ways to make that happen:
Personalized communication
Tailoring messages based on where students are in the enrollment process is crucial. For those at the top of the funnel, encourage applications by highlighting your institution’s benefits. From great programs to a welcoming community—use your story to show students why your school is the college for them and what their return on investment (ROI) will be.
Accepted students should receive clear next steps and resources for financial aid, housing, and class registration. Link out directly to helpful pages on your website. For example, if you’re telling users a specific scholarship’s deadline is coming up, link directly to the scholarship, not to the general financial aid page.
For enrolled students, share information about orientation, welcome week, and campus life to keep their excitement levels high and help them navigate their first days on campus.
Omnichannel communication
Employ a mix of communication methods to reach students. Email campaigns should be personalized and action-oriented. Avoid generic subject lines like “Update from College” and instead use direct calls to action such as “Register for Classes by [Deadline].”
Social media platforms are excellent for maintaining engagement, offering opportunities to share stories and videos that paint a picture of what life will be like on campus and in the classroom. Highlight events like move-in day and welcome week to keep students looking forward to the future.
Departmental coordination
Coordinating between admissions, marketing, and information technology (IT) departments helps ensure that you’re reaching all of your audiences on all of your platforms, with the information they need.
Admissions and marketing teams should work together to create cohesive and targeted communication strategies, ensuring that all messages align with your institution’s mission, vision, and brand.
Your marketing funnel involves multiple tools—from lead capture in Request for Information forms to contact information given in admissions applications to analytics data that doesn’t capture individuals but still gathers broad trends.
That’s why it’s so important to involve IT. If you can make a smooth technical experience across platforms, you may simplify processes like setting up student accounts and prevent disengagement. Better yet, your teams might learn a thing or two from the others.
Last-minute recruitment
As the new academic year approaches, capitalize on the back-to-school buzz to engage undecided students. Reach out to those who are still on the fence and provide compelling reasons to commit. Leverage social media and digital ads for targeted campaigns that can quickly and effectively reach students in the final weeks before classes start.
Monitoring and adjusting student retention strategies
To ensure your strategies are effective in combating summer melt, it’s crucial to regularly monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and adjust your tactics as needed.
Start by conducting a thorough analysis of the enrollment funnel. By examining where students are dropping off in the process, you can identify potential bottlenecks or areas where students may be losing interest. This analysis will allow you to refine your tactics accordingly, whether it involves providing more detailed information, simplifying procedures, or offering additional support at critical stages.
You can also track email engagement metrics, like open rates and especially click-through rates. These metrics will help you gauge the effectiveness of your email campaigns and determine if your messages are resonating with students. If you notice low engagement, make edits, like refining your subject lines or personalizing the content further.
In addition to email metrics, use website analytics to monitor visits to specific pages related to registration and enrollment. This data can provide insights into which information students are seeking and how effectively your website is guiding them through the enrollment process. If certain pages are receiving less traffic than expected, consider enhancing their visibility or simplifying the navigation.
Student retention strategies in higher education with iFactory
Combating summer melt requires a holistic approach that includes personalized communication, omnichannel engagement, and ongoing monitoring. These retention strategies allow colleges and universities to maintain student engagement and enthusiasm about their upcoming college experience, ensuring a seamless transition from acceptance to enrollment.
At iFactory, we are dedicated to helping colleges refine their digital marketing and communication strategies to minimize summer melt and maximize student retention and enrollment success. Contact us today to learn how we can support your institution in achieving its enrollment goals.