Ask Us Anything - New York/New Jersey Edition
February 19, 2020
Ally Cannon and Joel Brown
First report
- Where we went (Mt. Laurel and Asbury Park, N.J., and New York City)
- What we learned
- Early results
- Follow up
- Where to next?
What is 'AUA'?
Ask Us Anything is a partnership program between Parents Clubs, Alumni Chapters and Recruitment to meet our communities of alumni, parents and prospective students in a relaxed, fun atmosphere and offer a chance to learn more about WVU.
Goals
- Yield
- Brand awareness
- Connection
By the numbers
- 15 people on travel team
- 4 non-traditional locations
- 2 states
- 375 students, school personnel and alums
- 100+ high schools
Recurring Themes
- Came from long distances – stayed late
- Transportation, buses
- Diversity – non-white, LGBTQ
- Food, housing, lifestyle, friends
- D1, club, intramural opportunities
- Post-grad employment/outcomes
- Wowed by our non-traditional approach
- Football tickets
Jack Doyle's NYC
- 54 people: 19 students/35 guests
- 3 depositors
- 13 admits
- 1 pending
- 2 inquiries (1 – 2020, 1 – 2021)
Conversation themes:
- Prestige
- Connections/alumni involvement
- Greek life
- Diversity
- Party school image
Top Golf – Mt. Laurel, NJ
- 97 guests: 37 students/60 guests
- 10 depositors
- 17 admits
- 3 pending
- 6 inquiries (1 -2019, 4 -2020, 1-2021)
- 1 current student
Conversation themes:
- Alumni/parent club engagement
- Financial aid
- Intense/worried
- Confused about next steps
- So few had visited
- Fear of Honors/AP stress syndrome
Asbury Lanes - Asbury Park, N.J.
- 67 guests: 26 students/41 guests
- 9 depositors – academic and housing
- 7 admits
- 10 inquiries (3 – 2019, 6 – 2020, 1 – 2022)
Conversation themes:
- WVU gear!
- “just here to enjoy”
- Presentation (lack thereof)
Results
- 4 Pending > Admits
- 8 Admits > Depositors
- 1 Depositor > Housing Depositor
- 11 Admits > Registered for Decide after attending an AUA event
A few takeaways
- “Right people in the room” – every person has a role
- Students essential
- Format works
- Daily debrief/prep
Follow-up
- General email thank you to attendees w/push to visit
- Casi/Jacquie:
- Email thank you
- Phone call encouraging next steps, call to action (visit, deposit, NSO registration, review/acceptance of aid)
- Fee waiver for juniors/sophomores
- Calls to no shows
- Notes from Old Gold New Blue
Future AUAs
- March 7 – Columbus, OH
- March 19 – Charleston, WV (Beckley, Morgantown)
- March 21 – Fayetteville, WV (Beckley)
- April – Hurricane, WV
- Maybe Parkersburg?
Leaving on a Good Note:
Thank you for your hospitality last night. I appreciated you taking the time to speak to me and my sister Eryal about West Virginia University. We already registered for the campus visit on March 23rd and we are excited about experiencing what WVU has to offer.
On the way home my sister insisted on playing John Denver’s song “Take Me Home, Country Roads”!
Sincerely,
Luke