Question

Topic: Customer Behavior

How To Increase Foreign Enrollment At Esl School?

Posted by Anonymous on 1/11/2010 at 3:40 AM ET 125 Points
I’m interviewing for a marketing position at a private English language school (affiliated with a community college) that offers intensive English classes for foreign students whose end goal is a degree from one of the areas state universities.

The organization has 2 schools. One well established, in a city with 2 million in the area. The other a few years old, in a small city - 400 thousand. The big city is ethnically diverse. 52% speak another language besides English.

The school bills the small city as the "REAL AMERICA." It is not ethnically diverse. Over 90% white and few foreign born. The big city’s school has a few hundred students and the small city school about 30. Recruiters for both schools are all in the big city, none in the smaller city.

When asked what criteria students used to select the small city school: The answer was there were as many reasons as there are students. I can’t buy that. I think a survey is needed. What to do first?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 1/11/2010 at 5:15 PM Member
    A survey at the time of the application is submitted makes sense. Also, why not survey both student bodies (it's a relatively small number) to find out what would make them want to switch to the "other" school.
  • Posted on 1/11/2010 at 7:22 PM Accepted
    A survey sounds like the right solution. Just be sure you get some professional input for the study (and questionnaire) design, because it's incredibly easy to skew your results (and fool yourself) based on a study design that inadvertently biases the respondents.

    And you may want to conduct some qualitative research first, so you have a good starter list of reasons and a rough understanding of attitudes and brand image for the schools (and for other schools in the area, if appropriate).
  • Posted on 1/12/2010 at 12:33 AM Author
    Thank you, Jay. I think the application survey makes sense, and I would think an exit survey upon course completion as well.

    The switch school idea I had not thought of as enrolled students are already customers.

  • Posted on 1/12/2010 at 12:47 AM Author
    Thanks Goodman! Yes professional input on the survey.

    The qualitative research I will start ASAP. And there are other schools in the area.

    I am wondering about this however:

    Recruiters for both schools are all in the big city promoting both schools. No recruiter lives in the smaller city or knows it like a local would...So goes the thinking of the administrator who believes enrollement in the small city school will most likely increase if the recruiter is from, knows and lives in the small city. Anyone have thoughts on that? (Great site-thanks) Appreciate it!


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