As admissions counselors, you're well aware that prospective students are being marketed to daily across platforms like Instagram and TikTok. These students are exposed to a barrage of data and success stories, often presenting results in a way that resonates with their goal for the product or service being sold. Quick facts and numbers that are impressive, memorable, and trigger something they likely want or desire are very impactful for driving engagement.

Given this environment, it’s a good idea to have some of these statistics and strategies in your tool belt this fall  that mirrors these successful marketing tactics. Think of your conversations during rep visits as opportunities to share "ROI" that aligns with their ambitions. When you articulate data points that reflect concrete outcomes—like job placement rates, earning milestones, or satisfaction scores—you’re speaking to the long term goals that their counselors, parents, and administrators are challenging them to think about. 

Why does this matter?
This kind of messaging not only prepares students mentally but also makes your conversations more memorable. Stats are easy to recall and can serve as compelling proof points that differentiate your institution. Plus, students need multiple touchpoints to make informed decisions—just like in sales and marketing. Multiple data points reinforce your value proposition and help them see the tangible benefits of choosing your institution. 

How to Choose the Right Stats and Highlight Your Bright Spots

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To effectively showcase your institution’s strengths, focus on data that reflect your institution’s unique value and positive outcomes. Here’s how to think through it: 

• Identify What Matters Most to Your Students: Are they most interested in employment rates, earning potential, transfer success, or student satisfaction? Use data that directly speaks to their priorities.
• Leverage Alumni Success Stories: Highlight alumni who have achieved notable milestones—successful entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals, or graduate students—whether through career placement or further education pathways. Alumni data can be incredibly powerful if it demonstrates real-world success.
• Use Enrollment and Retention Insights: Share enrollment trends, retention rates, and transfer statistics to underscore student satisfaction and institutional stability. These figures hint at the stability and quality of your programs.
• Highlight Special Programs or Opportunities: If your institution offers unique internships, work-based learning, or guarantee programs, make these a core part of your stats. They are concrete advantages and bright spots to showcase.
• Focus on Quantifiable Outcomes: Graduation rates combined with employment, starting salaries, or graduate school placements are easy for students to remember and visualize their future success.

Finding the Data 

• Collaborate with your institutional research or analytics teams for up-to-date, accurate info.
• Review recent enrollment and graduation reports for trends — which programs are growing, what successes are most frequent?
• Collect alumni data through career services or alumni relations offices to gather stories and stats on post-graduation outcomes. Picking up the phone and asking a department you don’t know for some organic stories may allow you to gather some great facts. 
• Use student satisfaction surveys and engagement metrics to demonstrate campus vitality and community support.

Being prepared with these tailored, positive statistics allows you to address student questions confidently, demonstrate your institution’s strengths, and guide prospective students toward making an informed, confident decision. 

Remember, in the competitive world of college recruiting, being data-driven and echoing success stories—focused on student goals—can give you the edge this fall.

Interested in learning how you can broadcast this data to more students? Consider posting videos and joining district events on SchooLinks this year. Get started by creating an account here, and click here to get training and support.