Recruitment Toolbox

Recruiting graduate students is crucial for any graduate program and is an essential component of a successful Graduate Enrollment Management (GEM) plan. This toolbox is designed to provide your program with effective tools to help you recruit students. The toolbox includes valuable resources to assist you in promoting your program and attracting potential candidates.

Tools

Tips for Program Website and Factsheets

Prospective graduate students often rely on program websites and factsheets to learn more about the program they are interested in. Therefore, it is crucial to keep these resources current and accessible. Using current photos, especially of the campus and facilities, can provide a visual representation of the program. Additionally, including an alumni page that highlights recent graduates and their career placement following graduation, along with other notable alumni you want to highlight, can give prospective students a sense of the types of careers they could pursue after graduation. It is also important to ensure that all links are working so that prospective students can access all of the information they need. Lastly, listing funding opportunities and current graduate students whom prospects may contact for further information and questions can provide a comprehensive understanding of the program.

Tips

Keep website and factsheet current and accessible.
Use current photos.
Include an alumni page that highlights recent graduates and their career placement following graduation, along with other notable alumni you want to highlight.
Ensure that all links are working.
List funding opportunities.
List current graduate students whom prospects may contact for further information and questions.

Promising Practices in Outreach and Campaigns

Promising practices in outreach and campaigns for GEM require a multifaceted approach. It is crucial to have speed and personalization in your outreach efforts to capture the prospective student’s attention. Maintaining continuous communication from “prospect to enrolled” students is equally important for creating a sense of community and building a relationship with the student(s).

The “Sprint and Marathon” mindset is necessary for planning campaigns that are both short term and long term in nature. Establishing and maintaining “feeder programs” can help build a pipeline of students who are likely to enroll in your institution.

Finally, post-April 15th surveys for students who do and do not accept your offer can provide valuable insights into what did and did not work in your outreach and campaign efforts.

Promising Practices

Speed and Personalization
Continued communication from Prospect to Enrolled Student
The “Sprint and Marathon” mindset
Establishing and maintaining “feeder programs”
Post-April 15^th surveys for students who do and do not accept offers

Prospect Lists

Prospect lists are an essential tool for any GEM program. Using these lists can help you identify potential candidates who may be interested in your program. There are three prospect lists available for your programs recruitment activities. By using these prospect lists, graduate programs can target their outreach efforts more effectively and increase the chances of attracting competitive candidates for their programs.

Lists

Please note that accessing these data requires OBIEE access with WSU CS GS 06 or W_BI_ANSWERS roles.

2024- 2025 McNair Scholars Directory – This is a database of Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program Scholars projected to graduate soon. The Directory includes student names, contact information, undergraduate major, the graduate field of interest identified by the GRE taxonomy codes, and undergraduate research presentations. By filtering the Directory through GRE codes or by state, graduate programs can recruit students interested in a particular study area or from a specific region.
2024 – 2025 National Name Exchange (NNE) – New cycle posting spring 2025
2024 – 2025 WSU Undergraduates – This list is a crucial resource for graduate programs featuring current WSU undergraduates with 60 or more credit hours and a GPA of 2.75 or higher. Recruiting these students is beneficial because they are familiar with WSU’s culture and resources, have established connections with faculty, and can transition smoothly to graduate studies. Many WSU faculty have expressed a growing interest in retaining their undergraduate researchers for graduate programs in recent years. Additionally, many undergraduates are interested in staying at WSU for their graduate education due to familiarity with the university, proximity to family, and cost considerations. Additionally, this approach helps retain talented students and is often more cost-effective than searching for candidates elsewhere.

Student at a help desk — Grad School Resource Fair and Job Fair on Mall on the campus of Washington State University, Tuesday, August 15, 2023.

Support from the Graduate School

The Graduate School staff is happy to offer support to graduate programs with their recruiting efforts. Whether it’s providing guidance on creating effective campaigns, assisting with advertising, or connecting you directly with potential students, we’re here to help. Our goal is to ensure that your program attracts the best possible candidates and continues to thrive. Call on us to

Assist with creating mailings or campaigns
Develop marketing content
Discuss recruitment strategies
Update applications and admissions information
Learn about different types of email campaigns

GEM Organizations and Professional Development

Connecting and engaging with organizations focused on GEM can help tremendously in meeting your recruiting goals. These organizations often offer professional development opportunities for GEM professionals as well. Here are two organizations that you may want to join:

NAGAP

NAGAP, The Association for Graduate Enrollment Management is the only professional organization devoted exclusively to the concerns of individuals who work in the GEM environment. The mission of NAGAP is to engage and advance GEM professionals by promoting excellence and collaboration through education, research, and professional development.

Pacific Northwest Community NAGAP Listserv (pnwnagap@uw.edu)

The mission of NAGAP PNW Interest Group is to engage and advance GEM professionals by building community and promoting excellence and collaboration through education, research, and professional development in the Pacific Northwest (British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska).

Graduate Fairs and Conferences

Recruiting at conferences and graduate school fairs is still an important activity for graduate programs and their GEM efforts. These events provide an opportunity for programs to showcase their research, faculty, and facilities to potential students. It also allows them to engage with individuals who have shown an interest in the field and may be seeking further education. Furthermore, conferences and fairs provide a platform for graduate programs to network with other institutions and industry partners, thereby expanding their reach and building lasting partnerships. In addition, attending such events helps graduate programs stay up to date with the latest trends, research, and best practices in their respective fields, which is essential for maintaining their relevance and competitiveness. Here is a list of items to take with you for tabling at a fair or conference:

Program tablecloth

Marketing and promotional items

Table-top banners or similar signage

QR code for prospects to scan for information about your program

Sign-up sheet for prospects to receive follow up information