The stealth student, in this case, will likely face a disadvantage compared to the engaged – or above-radar, as it were – applicant. The stealth student probably won’t fare as well compared to an otherwise-comparable applicant, which can shortchange the stealth student’s chances of winning acceptance to what may be their top choice school.
And it’s not just the stealth student that loses from this imbalance –the college’s admissions team is also placed at a disadvantage. A would-be applicant’s lack of personal contact with the school does not reflect the likelihood that that applicant might represent a superb addition to the next freshman class. Yet the admissions team might understandably be more inclined to accept applicants who have engaged enthusiastically with them, and do so at the expense of the stealth students.
So the admissions team loses out on an entire category: those applicants who independently obtained all the information they felt they needed to make an informed decision to apply. This arguably undercuts the admissions teams’ core charge of helping the college achieve its admission goals of attracting the best candidates.
The First Step
The savvier admissions departments have already identified this challenge—and the related opportunity—and are deploying the necessary technology and strategies; including adding links to their websites where prospective students can click to schedule a phone or in-person meeting to engage with, and capture, the interest of stealth students.
Those that are slow to move will be playing catch up as potential applicants engage with and select competing programs.
By Lauren Mead, VP, TimeTrade, a provider of appointment-driven personalization.
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