Whether you work in a colleges marketing department or as a product reviewer, freelance writer, or blogger, global outreach is increasingly necessary. For example, colleges, except for the really well-known ones such as Harvard, must do even more work to explain how they are different from their competitors. Glossy brochures with nice-looking students simply arent enough; a global recruiting effort is one way for colleges to work on becoming distinctive. Heres a look at how technology can aid these endeavors.
1. Blogging
These days, blogs should be about much more than text and pretty pictures. For example, video content that shows a day in the life of a current student from India can help a college reach even more potential Indian applicants. Likewise, blog posts, infographics, how-to guides, and the like that have been translated into various languages are helpful.
A how-to written in, say, Spanish, Hindi, or French and that explains the route an applicant from each country took to get into the college is more helpful than a generic how-to. Similarly, college marketing officials can do guest blogs on popular websites and blogs in the countries they are targeting. In fact, they can contract with freelancers to develop even more useful content; as this article from USC shows, many people enjoy communicating online. Click here if you are interested in USC’s communication masters degree and/or in making extra money blogging.
2. Online Programs
Online programs are another way to increase global outreach. Students can stay in their home countries if they want, taking all of their classes online. Depending on the program of study, this can work for practically any levelbachelors, masters, and doctorate. To add more fun and personalization to the mix, the college can arrange for in-person meetups for students who study in a certain city or area.
3. Long-Distance Mentors
Mentors, international student clubs, academic support sessions, and international student advisers are just four of the ways in which many colleges have a built-in infrastructure to help international students. However, colleges should start earlier in some of these areas. For example, with mentors, theres no reason that a student has to wait to arrive on campus to learn who his or her mentor is.
Mentorship can begin as soon as a student agrees to attend the school; both people can communicate through video chat and instant messaging. Similarly, online-only students will benefit from long-distance mentors, although with some planning, a college could possibly arrange to find a mentor who lives within a few hours of an international student. This would make a few (or more!) in-person meetings feasible. If youre interested in these higher education trends, you can learn more.
4. Clear Communication
Quite a few international students end up disappointed by their U.S. college experiences. Part of this is due to communication issues and cultural misunderstandings. One way to prevent or minimize such occurrences is for colleges to hold online workshops before students ever arrive on campus. Colleges can also set up online job banks with information that makes it easier for international students to apply for on-campus jobs before they leave home.
In a time when differentiation is increasingly important, many colleges continue to not quite hit the target with international students. Online workshops and videos in blogs are just two of the ways in which schools can step up their game.
