International Student Recruitment, Admissions, and Enrollment

Management: A Case Study of University at Buffalo,

The State University of New York

Presenter: Mr. Joseph Hindrawan, Associate Vice Provost

for International Education and Director,

International Enrollment Management

University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

• Type of Institution: Research-intensive public university

• Location: Buffalo, New York

• Undergraduate Degrees: 100+

• Master‘s Degrees: 205

• Doctoral Degrees: 84

• Professional Degrees: 10

• Student Population: 27,017

• International Student Population: 3,894 (14.41%)

• Top 5 Countries: China, India, Korea, Canada & Malaysia

UB International Enrollment Highlights

• UB ranks 17th in the U.S. in international enrollment (Open Doors 2011, Institute of International Education, New York)

• UB has the largest percentage (17%*) of

international students among the top 25 U.S. public

research universities (*includes OPT and intensive

English)

• UB enrolls undergraduate, graduate and exchange

students from 113 countries

• UB hosts 500 visiting international scholars annually

University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

International Enrollment, 1996-2011

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Undergraduate

Graduate

Total

University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

International Undergraduate Enrollment, 2005-2011

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Other

Canada

Korea

India

China

University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

International Graduate Enrollment, 2005-2010

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Other

Canada

Korea

India

China

International Enrollment Management (IEM)

• UB upper administration recognized a decline in

international enrollment in the early 1990’s

• Started international recruitment in 1995

• Established IEM office – 1998

• Created a strategic recruitment plan for

international enrollment management

• International Admissions transferred to IEM in 2000

from Office of Domestic Admissions

Institutional Planning

• University Vision, Mission, Goals, Objectives &

Values

• Why do we want international students?

• Understand our current international student

situation

• Conduct market research

• How many students do we currently have?

• Where do they come from?

Institutional Planning

• Why enroll international students?

• What attracts them?

• Infra-structure support (admission office,

International Student Services, housing, etc.)?

Are we ready for more International students?

• Develop this information into a SWOT Analysis

(Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats)

• What countries should we target?

Branding/Institutional Recognition • How to develop UB’s name brand recognition?

• How to differentiate UB from other U.S. institutions

of higher education? (Who are our competitors?)

• What are UB’s competitive advantages?

Leverage/build on UB’s reputation in Asia

• Does UB have any cost advantage?

• What is the value of UB’s degree?

• Are UB’s degrees recognized overseas?

Marketing & Recruiting Strategies/ Activities UB Employs • Armchair Recruitment (activities you can do to attract

international student without leaving your campus)

Advertising

Commercial Web Sites

Develop relationships with overseas school

counselors & advising centers

Virtual College Fair (online)

Mass mailing

Marketing & Recruiting Strategies/ Activities UB Employs

• Backyard Recruitment

Recruit locally for both domestic and

international students

• Recruitment Travel

Outreach to other countries – face to face recruiting

Attending Public University Fairs

Visiting “feeder” high schools

Marketing & Recruiting Strategies/ Activities UB Employs

• Third Party Recruitment

Using third party agents to help in recruiting

international students – Pros and cons

How to select effective third party agents?

Manage Recruiting Communication Plan • Purchase commercial software or build in-house a

system to track inquiries, applications, admission

decisions, enrollment and retention

• Develop a communication plan (timeline is different

for different stages):

Prospect stage; Applicant stage; Accepted stage

• Recruiting long term (e.g. applicant in 2 years or more)

• Recruiting short term

Recruiting Tools • Website (attractive, easy to access, easy to navigate,

etc.)

• Brochures and other print publications (creating

effective publicity materials; easy to read; bullet point

rather than lengthy paragraph, attractive design,

culturally sensitive)

• Electronic / Digital Materials

• Social Media (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, IM, etc.)

• Video (expensive)

International Admissions

• Understanding of admissions process

• Understanding of foreign education systems and

credential evaluation

• Student visa regulations

• Ethical practices in admissions

Recruiting Trends and Concerns

What has changed in the last 10 years?

• More competitors (U.S. and foreign universities)

• Direct recruiting versus using third-party agents

• Institutions establishing representative offices in

China

• Growth of regional education hubs (Singapore,

Malaysia, Dubai, etc.)

• Establishment of branch campuses in Middle East

and Asia

Recruiting Trends and Concerns

• Growing access to higher education in China and

India

• Internet marketing outreach

• Growing undergraduate student interest in studying

in the U.S.

• Growing demand for higher education from rising

middle class

• Growing interest in non-STEM fields of study

• Shift from parents’ to students’ decision-making re:

education

Recruiting Trends and Concerns

• Relaxation of U.S. student visa restrictions –

especially for undergraduate students from China

and India

• Develop long- and short-term recruitment strategies

• Consider effectiveness of using recruitment

intermediaries – EducationUSA, placement agencies,

sponsoring agencies, agents

• Consider targeted recruiting in China or India due to

country size

• How important is the university/college brand?

Recruiting Trends and Concerns

• Articulation (2+2 programs), joint degrees, and

dual-degree programs

• Develop attractive and easy-to-navigate websites

• Develop attractive and informative brochures (in

selected foreign languages)

• Develop an effective follow-up process (to handle

large prospective applicant pool)

• Personal presence of college representatives

required to build trust

Thank You

Joseph J. Hindrawan

(hindrawa@buffalo.edu)