BridgeU In Brief: 23rd May, 2022

How can universities rethink their use of data as part of their wider recruitment and enrolment strategies? This was the question we asked last week, when a panel comprising Jen Mathews, BridgeU Head of Enrolment Services, Matt Criddle, Senior Universities Partnerships Manager and me (James) sat down with Nick Cuthbert from the PIE News.

We used five case studies from our own research to explain why raw statistics can mask much more nuanced stories.

What happens to global application trends if we momentarily remove India and China? How should universities respond to a recent survey that says 67% of international school counsellors want them to maintain some form of hybrid recruitment and outreach? And will the fact that 49% of international school students now apply to two or more countries compel universities to be more globally competitive.

The data stories are all around us. We just need to ensure we're listening to what they're telling us.

The week at BridgeU

• You can rewatch our panel discussion on how universities can rethink data strategy here
• We were featured in the PIE News this week, asking why US universities continue to be so reliant on China and India for their international undergraduate student talent.
• What do counsellors want from today's higher ed institutions? It's a big question. Watch the replay of our most recent webinar in partnership with Inside Higher Ed to hear what three of our BridgeU counsellors had to say.

The week in news

• As New Zealand's higher education system begins to emerge from COVID-19, all eyes are now turning to how NZ's universities will be funded in the years ahead. Higher education in New Zealand is lower than the OECD average.
• Steven Mintz wrote an article for Inside Higher Ed about how US universities are losing their pre-eminence. It's certainly true that, amongst our student community, the US is now receiving more competition from countries like South Korea and Germany.

What's on our counsellors' minds?

It's almost time for 2023 graduating students to start their applications. This week, we've been sharing resources with our counsellors to help students overcome writer's block when answering application essay questions.

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