Admissions and Marketing at IWU: Findings from Focus-Group Discussions

Submission Type

Event

Area of Study or Work

Psychology, Marketing

Faculty Advisor

Amanda Vicary

Expected Graduation Date

2021

Location

Center for Natural Sciences

Start Date

4-4-2020 2:00 PM

End Date

4-4-2020 3:00 PM

Disciplines

Education | Marketing

Abstract

When faced with the decision of where to apply to and attend college, students must weigh a variety of factors. To better understand the driving factors that lead to students’ decisions to attend Illinois Wesleyan University, as well as what factors drew them to apply to the university in the first place, eight focus groups were conducted. Participants consisted of 68 students that came from every grade level and from 22 different majors. Results revealed that the most frequent factors that influenced students’ final decisions were the small class sizes offered, the reputation of the school, and the atmosphere felt on campus. Participants also made suggestions to help increase prospective students’ interest in attending Illinois Wesleyan, including adding a virtual campus tour to the school website, increasing contact from admissions before the decision to deposit, and improving the website for easier accessibility to information.

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Apr 4th, 2:00 PM Apr 4th, 3:00 PM

Admissions and Marketing at IWU: Findings from Focus-Group Discussions

Center for Natural Sciences

When faced with the decision of where to apply to and attend college, students must weigh a variety of factors. To better understand the driving factors that lead to students’ decisions to attend Illinois Wesleyan University, as well as what factors drew them to apply to the university in the first place, eight focus groups were conducted. Participants consisted of 68 students that came from every grade level and from 22 different majors. Results revealed that the most frequent factors that influenced students’ final decisions were the small class sizes offered, the reputation of the school, and the atmosphere felt on campus. Participants also made suggestions to help increase prospective students’ interest in attending Illinois Wesleyan, including adding a virtual campus tour to the school website, increasing contact from admissions before the decision to deposit, and improving the website for easier accessibility to information.