Why use data segmentation and BI for enrollment strategy?
Originally shared on: https://sightlinedata.com/social-post/why-use-data-segmentation-and-bi-enrollment-strategy
It has become common practice in the enrollment management space to use predictive models to target outreach and recruit the right students. It can be challenging to view each student as a whole, rather than identifying the top one or two factors that may impact their enrollment decisions. Additionally, developing individualized enrollment outreach strategies for each student is not practical from a human resources perspective.
For these reasons, we use data clustering, or segmentation processes, to quantify the different types of students that apply and ultimately enroll at an institution. This data-based method allows the enrollment team to consider 10’s to even 100’s of factors impacting student enrollment decisions.
This is particularly important when enrollment factors are dependent on each other. If we fail to assess the student holistically, then outreach strategies could have unintended negative consequences.
We are using the power of data, predictive modeling, and clustering algorithms to holistically describe students and determine what may or may not be their barriers to enrollment.
HOW WE DO IT:
Here are the key steps that we follow:
- Develop and validate a probabilistic enrollment model.
- Apply the model to a new applicant pool to estimate the probability that each individual student will enroll.
- Select a clustering algorithm to identify students who are similar to each other.
- Describe these groups, or student segments, to brainstorm what their roadblocks or barriers to enrollment may be.
Once we gain an understanding of students who do or do not enroll at the institution, we use behavioral science/intelligence (BI) processes to generate hypothesis around:
- The challenges these student segments encounter during the application and admissions process
- Specific financial or opportunity barriers
- Educational or marketing and communications shortcomings from the institution
- New challenges that deserve a deeper dive through university personnel and student interviews to describe and address the problem more clearly
After we have identified barriers that may be hindering education access for different student segments, we can work with the institution to develop and prioritize tailored communications outreach to address these challenges. We also recommend implementing these solutions incrementally with A/B testing to validate any strategies prior to scaling up for broader communications.
At Sightline we apply BI, solutions to the entire student lifecycle, from recruitment through graduation. We aim to reduce barriers to educational access, proactively identify student financial challenges, and provide the right retention resources to the students who need it the most.
To learn more about using student segmentation analysis in combination with BI solutions, we have an on demand webinar on applying BI for enrollment management.
