Determining and Organizing a Summary of Goals and Procedures for the Student Recruitment Practices for Conserve School

Abstract

This study focused on developing a summary for the best recruitment practices for Conserve School. As Conserve School went through a transition from a 4-year boarding school to a semester school, their recruitment practices needed to change. Therefore, after discussions with the Director of Admissions at Conserve School, it was clear that they are in need of analysis of various recruitment strategies and practices in order to best fit their current and future needs. By examining why it is beneficial for students to attend Conserve School, this study has been able to determine appropriate marketing strategies to recruit the kind of students Conserve School wants. Ongoing communication with Conserve School’s Director of Admissions has helped convey the needs of the admissions department which in turn helped guide this study. Interviews were conducted with admissions departments from similar semester schools in order to figure out what worked best for them. This will allow Conserve School to sample ideas and strategies that have already been tested and practiced. Additionally, questionnaires were distributed to students in the fall 2010 and the spring 2011 semesters to see how they heard about Conserve School and to gauge their reasons for attending. Results showed that “word of mouth” is still the most powerful recruiting tool for Conserve School, along with internet advertising and networking through Facebook. Also, an overwhelming majority of students claimed to not only want to pursue secondary education in environmental studies, but would also like to pursue an outdoor or environmental career. Furthermore, a number of suggestions were taken from admissions staff at other semester schools, such as alumni gatherings and search engine optimization. A summary of suggested recruitment practices has been included as an appendix in the report.