Marywood is one of the many universities preparing for a projected enrollment cliff in upcoming years, but Associate Vice President for Admissions Rachel Hartz assures that Marywood is taking a proactive approach to keeping enrollment numbers steady.
The spring 2024 semester undergraduate enrollment numbers have slightly increased (1,690 students) since the spring 2023 semester (1,671 students), however, graduate enrollment numbers for this semester (722 students) are falling a bit behind last year’s numbers (743 students).
The number of applications for fall 2024 for incoming freshmen, incoming transfer students and incoming graduate students are currently ahead of last year’s applications. In March 2023, there were 3,072 total applications, and this year there are currently 3,261 applications. Applications do not necessarily ensure commitments, but an increase in applications could lead to an increase in students committed to Marywood from last year.
Hartz said that Marywood is making efforts to become more transfer-friendly in hopes that this will boost transfer enrollment. These efforts include accepting more transferable credits from other institutions and improving the transfer scholarship model.
“We’re trying to make sure that if a student does choose an institution that they don’t feel 100% comfortable with, or they don’t feel like they are happy or they don’t feel successful there; that they have the option and that they see Marywood as waiting with open arms,” said Hartz.
Hartz explained in addition to improving the transfer-admissions process, the admissions office is taking a collaborative approach to continue to maintain steady undergraduate numbers. Collaborations include continuing to foster connections with “feeder” schools, or schools that often send many high school students to Marywood, and also with the Marketing Office to maintain a visible and discoverable presence on social media and in the local community.
Executive Director of Marketing James Brown explained Marywood’s three-part marketing strategy; Advertisement, Public Relations and a user-friendly, accessible website.
Through these three strategies, Marywood is able to extend into the local community and beyond to connect with prospective students.
Brown explained that to stay on top of the latest marketing and recruitment strategies, the marketing team attends seminars and keeps a close eye on what goes on in the general higher education marketplace.
“We always challenge ourselves to fine-tune, adjust and keep best practices in mind with our marketing mix,” said Brown.
Brown explained that there aren’t necessarily new marketing tools being implemented in Marywood’s marketing strategy, but rather already existing tools that are evolving rapidly.
These tools include search engine marketing, campaign tracking, consumer targeting efforts and even tools using artificial intelligence (AI). All of these tools are used to either reach prospective students or to raise Marywood’s brand awareness, in other words, to get Marywood’s name and image out there.
Marywood is in the very early stages of utilizing AI technology in marketing strategy.
Although the Marketing Office has slowly started to use AI as a marketing assistance tool, Brown emphasized the importance of the human connection when it comes to marketing and recruitment.
“No matter how good it [AI] is, at least right now, it can’t capture the essence of the culture of Marywood, who Marywood is. That requires real people, with real knowledge and real experience that have lived it and are currently living our culture,” said Brown.
Decision Day, the day on which many universities close their admissions process, is traditionally on May 1. However, Marywood offers rolling admissions, meaning students can enroll at any point up until the beginning of the fall semester.
See the admissions page for more information.
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