Oct. 7, 2003

Changing With the Times

Recruitment Efforts Go Online

By Greg Licamele

Kathryn Napper, director of admissions, said the best recruiting tool continues to be a campus visit by prospective students so they can see the vitality of campus and its location in the nation’s capital. Beyond the actual visit and one-on-one sessions with local admissions representatives, the Office of Admissions increasingly relies on E-mail and Web site communications.

“Our publications have always been well received, but in the last four years, we have seen a huge shift from print to electronic communication,” Napper said. “Students are much more E-mail savvy. Students used to fill out cards at high school visits or send in letters they’ve written asking for a viewbook. Those requests have really gone down. Students do not need to self-identify themselves to get information about the University.”

This information includes just about every detail of the University, and Web sites are a primary vehicle to find that comprehensive overview. For example, portions of the GW’s strategic plan must be communicated to incoming freshmen such as the University Writing Program.

“We’re the first point where a student and family is going to get the information they need,” Napper said. “We’re going to have to make sure students know about the writing program and the University’s customer service initiative.”

Napper said the admissions Web site, as well as the main University Web site, are undergoing changes to meet these goals.

“There’s a lot more for the University to tell students electronically than ever before, and we are ready to deliver,” she said.

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu

Related Links

Admissions Numbers Hit the Mark

Admissions Selectivity Chart (1994-2003)