Finding the silver lining in the past year’s experiences for higher education admissions may seem complicated but looking at what has been working before applying it to new target students may prove valuable. 51% of students reported that they are reconsidering their education plans during the pandemic, according to a survey by Salesforce. A university’s pandemic response is an essential factor in retention and recruitment, with 25% of students who transferred to a new institution stating that the primary reason was their former school’s handling of the pandemic. The changes wrought by lockdowns during the pandemic may help recruiting in the future if we can apply the new working methods and learn from any missteps. Expanding recruitment by utilizing techniques that have evolved during the pandemic requires exploring how marketing and communications can adapt to changing higher education climates now and into the future.
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