According to the findings of a recent survey of Indian and Chinese students looking to study abroad, a university’s website is one of the most critical aspects of its recruiting arsenal. While program quality and personal security are the most important factors for students in narrowing their search for an overseas program, initial contact is highly likely to occur online, according to the survey findings.
The study was conducted by Rahul Choudaha, Jeffery Johnson, Christopher Price, and Don O´Neill and Tony Lee in September 2010 for a presentation at last year’s European Association of International Education conference in Nantes, France. While the survey sample was relatively small, with just over 200 responses from prospective Indian and Chinese students (87 percent of whom were hoping to study in the United States), the findings offer insight into the two markets and how best to approach the marketing of your institution to students there.
For both groups, program quality and post-graduation career prospects are paramount, as one might expect given the financial investment of an overseas education. However, for Indian students, the availability of scholarships and the ease of the visa process are significantly more important than they are for Chinese students, according to the survey findings.
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The visibility of an institution is, according to the survey results, tied closely to its web presence – both through its own website (the most influential factor) and discussion occurring on forums and social networking sites. For Indians, the opinions of friends and family appear to be more persuasive than those of agents, consultants and admissions officers; whereas for Chinese students the opinion of paid consultants and admissions officers is as, if not more, important as those of family and friends. For both groups, rankings are influential.
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Overall, 79 percent of Indian students versus 70 percent of Chinese students rated the importance of the internet in the decision-making process a 5 out of 5 (Very Important).
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While the survey sample for this particular study is small, it does suggest that traditional recruiting activities such as attendance at education fairs have become less important in today’s market than an institution’s presence and visibility on the internet.
Institutions of higher education have the power to control and target online content on their own websites, but in the social networking media your institution’s reputation will be beholden to the opinions and thoughts of those who have had an experience with your institution. This in turn circles back to providing a top quality education in addition to a safe and rewarding international experience, and ensuring that those students who have studied on campus share their thoughts with friends and peers through alumni networks and online forums.
Stay in touch with alumni and encourage them to contribute to the online discussion!