Highlights
- Great intake of 200 new international students – almost double of 109 last year
- Boosted its “volume-to-quality ratio”
- Secured high-quality thoroughly vetted student applications
Challenge
The University of South Dakota is a flagship university in the US but has a relatively small cohort of 10,000 students, including 400 international students.
Patrick John Morrison, Interim Director of USD’s Gallagher International Center, says the institution doesn’t have trouble attracting enough applicants – and the international cohort is diverse, coming from 50+ countries – mostly from South Asia.
Although, he says, while “the volume of applications is there”, finding admissible students – those with the right qualifications and ability to secure a visa – can be the real challenge.
Solution
University of South Dakota signed up with Adventus.io in 2020, in the hopes of securing more high-quality, thoroughly vetted student applications and to boost its “volume-to-quality ratio”.
“We want to build relationships with partners who can help us find those serious applicants – the students that are the right fit – because, ultimately, we’d rather have 100 applications and get 80 students than 1000 applications and get 100,” says Patrick.
“Because maybe those 20 extra students are not the right fit – and nobody is served by not finding the right fit.”
Overcome
Since signing on to the marketplace, University of South Dakota has welcomed Adventus.io students for the last three semesters – and continues to receive applications from students who are a genuine match.
“While Adventus.io might only send 15 to 30 applications for a particular intake, we’ll get maybe upto and over 50% students from that,” says Patrick.
“We have at least four or five Adventus.io students on campus right now; we had two new students in the spring; and we’re already getting Adventus students for spring ’23 – so we’re definitely seeing numbers build over time.”
Patrick says his ultimate goal is to deliver a good experience for students throughout their whole journey, and now he has the confidence that those who come through Adventus.io are starting off on the right footing.
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