Which link deserves higher visibility: Inquire or Apply?

[Saraheva]

Hi there-

hope this is an appropriate area to post this topic.

I'm curious about your perspectives on which link should be featured more prominently and more often: inquire/request info OR Apply now.

My instinct says Inquire, but the site I just inherited at my new job has an Apply prompt on almost every page--from what I hear, this was a deliberate choice made after much debate. The link goes to a page where the student can create credentials to use our ApplyYourself application.

It seems like students can't/don't apply on the spur of the moment given GRE requirements, long essays, recommendations, etc, and we'd be better served by using that web real estate to invite to submit their info in order to allow us to follow up with marketing materials.

Am I overlooking something obvious?
thanks!

[Genevieve Howard]

This is a good question and I can understand your logic. I don't have any research off-hand to back this up but I like the idea of Apply before Inquire because applying is the most important action that you want students to take.

Speaking from a personal point of view, when I applied to grad school, I didn't formally request materials or further information. I looked up what I needed on the Web site and did everything online independently.

[Steve Wilson]

I agree. I would expect that information they can get on our website far outweighs that of any printed publication. Therefore, the apply link is much more important in my opinion than an inquire link.

[Mark Greenfield]

I've been responsible for Admissions sites at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Prospective grad students definitely have a different thought process. I would also recommend making the apply link the most prominent.

[Saraheva]

Thanks so much for your feedback...this is very interesting.

In the past we've used inquiries to project application numbers, but more and more we've been getting what we call "stealth applications," or apps from prospectives who've never inquired. In the context of our demographic, this shift makes total sense to me.

The bigger issue is that this new pattern suggests that we may need to change our basis for determining marketing strategy from our well-established set of predictive criteria--that's a big step.

What other kinds of trackable actions (besides inquiries) have worked as indicators? I'm beginning to wonder if we should stop attempting to monitor research steps and jump all the way to looking at our conversion rate from Applications Started (which only entails creating a username and is quick and easy to do) to Application Submitted.

thanks again...looking forward to more dialogue.

[Karlyn Morissette]

I know I'm a bit late jumping in here, but I think I would go with "apply" having priority. It's the big call to action that you ultimately want to push all students who are remotely interested in attending your school to do.

"The bigger issue is that this new pattern suggests that we may need to change our basis for determining marketing strategy from our well-established set of predictive criteria--that's a big step."

The times are going to change whether universities want to adapt to it or not. As a former admissions person, I realize how much this throws off projections, but doesn't it do it in a good way? So you're going to have MORE applications than you project....what a great problem to have!

[Todd Barber]

I agree. Apply Now, after all that is where the $ is coming from:) not to sound too business like. Hopefully in this age of computing, all the information the students would want to inquire about is already on the web.