Drexel is making itself tougher for prospective students to apply to, as part of a major strategy shift to enroll students who will stay to graduation.
Drexel’s application numbers had skyrocketed over the last decade, which was not necessarily the best thing for the University, says Randy Deike, who was hired last year as the senior vice president of the newly formed Office of Enrollment Management and Student Success.
The culprit was the “Fast Apps” or “VIP Apps” system, which allowed a large volume of email recipients to apply to Drexel with one click.
“Volume recruitment significantly increased the number of prospective students applying to Drexel but, unfortunately, many of those students applied because it was easy and not because they intentionally selected Drexel,” says Deike. “We ended up with so many applicants who knew so little about us, we had to continue admitting more of them to get a small fraction to come. That’s not a good way to do business and it doesn’t provide a good service to students or families or guidance counselors.”
Recognizing that its enrollment approach was unsustainable, the University eliminated the Fast App, hoping to attract “best-fit” students through building relationships with students, their families and guidance counselors, Deike explains.
The University developed a new framework that builds a relationship with each student from the first point of contact through graduation
and beyond.
“A higher percentage of our students graduating will be the ultimate measure [of success].”
“Our goal is to support student success by identifying strengths and areas of needed improvement to make certain we put students in the best position to take advantage of all Drexel has to offer and to graduate,” says Deike.
Enrollment numbers are expected to remain stable in the long term, but one change implemented is the complete elimination of the rolling admission process — Deike says that will allow for better distribution of financial aid.
“Our goal is to invest all the institutional financial aid that we have. We’re in a better position to do that and to invest in helping students finance their education at Drexel when we know what the need profile of the class looks like, and what their academic profile looks like,” he says.
For the first time, Drexel is imposing a $50 fee for applications, which will be waived for low-income applicants. The fee, like removing the Fast App, was designed to ensure that those applying have a serious desire to attend Drexel.
Overall, the implementation of the new strategy means that the number of applications will drop. Deike says he and his team are well aware.
“From my very first conversations at Drexel I shared, ‘We will see a significant decline in applications. Please embrace this as positive change,’” he recalls.
“It’s an adjustment based on the bigger-picture vision,” he adds. “The vision is we’re obligated as an institution to do the best job we can to help our students be successful and graduate. Part of that is identifying students who are right for Drexel and for whom Drexel is the right fit.”