Clients are always talking to me about the difficulties of recruiting a class with limited resources.

It seems there’s always more to accomplish — with less money, fewer staff and an ever-dwindling supply of precious time.

Here’s a tip to help better-utilize the resources you do have: ask prospects directly if they’re still considering attending your institution.

Already asking the students? Here’s an updated version: ask their parents.

It sounds simple, but the results can help you focus resources more effectively by filtering out those students who just aren’t interested. It’s a strategy that works for many schools at many different points in the recruitment cycle.

Why waste time calling and emailing students who’ve already decided to attend AnotherU? “Asking the question” is a great way for you to hone in on the students who still have a choice to make.

If you haven’t polled this year’s pool recently (or ever for that matter), it’s not too late for an email campaign, a link from a social network or an online survey.

With one month to go until that ominous May 1 deadline, there’s certainly no time to waste.

For help with “asking the question,” including tips on reaching parents, contact me at your convenience.

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