Snow College Recruiting

By Lauren Matthews

College recruitment is changing, and Snow’s new focus on recruiting high school juniors is incredibly fruitful. In the past, statewide focus was concentrated on recruiting seniors though presentations and visits. This shift to statewide “junior tours” is visionary, resourceful, and more than a tad unconventional.

“The junior tour is just one tactic we use to get our message out to potential students,” explained Teri Clawson, assistant vice president for enrollment management. “Any chance we have to get in front of students and share what makes us unique and how we can participate in creating our students’ stories of success is an amazing opportunity. For many students, the junior tour or Utah Higher Education Day is their first interaction with the college and we always want to make the best impression possible.”

Through junior tours, virtual visits, and other means, Snow College’s recruitment team is committed to sharing the Spirit of Snow with potential students. These advisors have a great impact on Snow enrollment, but they can’t do it alone; they call on alumni, employees, and others to share their love of Snow College.

A 2019 presentation at the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), “Finding Untapped Potential in Your Own Backyard,” stressed the “untapped” potential college candidates in high school sophomores and juniors. Presenters Robert Alexander and Vaughn Toland shared research indicating that recruiting high school seniors is less effective; to effectively prepare and prime potential college candidates, look to the juniors and sophomores.

Middle schools and high schools alike are now incorporating college recruitment into their classrooms. There is a push across secondary education (and even from elementary schools) for recruitment presentations, campus visits, and college swag. Jill Trythall, assistant director of admissions, reports that her office fields roughly 10-15 weekly requests from schools nationwide. The research from Alexander and Toland supports this change; Trythall shares that studies suggest that colleges are “more likely to enroll by engaging [students] as a sophomore, and the older [students] get, the lower that percentage drops.”

Recruiting tours put Snow College on the radar of prospective high school juniors. This early appeal invites students to explore and prepare, long before the crunch deadlines for college admission. The tours are exceptionally creative, using staggered chair layouts and sensory stimuli (in the form of orange-scented spray, candy, and Snow College mints). Using these techniques for

Snow College admissions advisors and ambassadors travel to high schools throughout the state. Pictured with counselors from Farmington High School (center, in Snow College t-shirts) are (left) Ambasssador President Kai Kaluhikaua and Admissions Advisor Ashley Shell and (far right) Ambassador Oakley Dunn.

emotional recall, the recruitment team shares presentations, fields questions, and encourages juniors to apply.

Snow College’s admissions advisors believe in the mission of Snow College; among their crew, they count Snow College alumni and a former Snow College professor. Utah is divided into six recruitment territories, and academic advisors are responsible for recruiting within those territories. Snow’s advisors are Ashley Shell, Meagan Allen, Ashley Beyeler, Jill Trythall, and Mike Ashton.

Part of the advisors’ recruitment efforts involves highlighting the unique value of Snow College. Ashton shared that in their junior tours, they are sure to feature Snow’s low and competitive costs, personal academic experience, and lively, tight-knit community.

“Snow College is one of the more affordable schools in Utah; the price isn’t as expensive, and the quality is equal to or better [than] anywhere else in the state of Utah,” Ashton said. Add to that Snow’s tight-knit community and small class sizes, where emphasis is on professors being teachers, and not researchers.

In the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, recruitment and future student support have transitioned into digital recruitment and digital student outreach. Virtual one-on-one sessions are available for any prospective student (and/or family) to meet with advisors. There are also group sessions with other departments on campus, such as Diversity and Inclusion, the Career Center, Residence Life, Scholarships and Financial Aid, and Student Success. Innovative surveys help students create schedules tailored to their interests. Virtual campus tours (available at snow.edu/general/virtualtour/index.html) guide prospective students through the Academy Suites, Karen H. Huntsman Library, and Noyes Building. Throughout the summer, a virtual live campus tour was held every Wednesday at @beabadger on Instagram. As campus restrictions are lowered in accordance to state guidelines, small, one-family groups may be able to tour in person (with some restrictions).

“As personal touch is so important, we have increased our one-on-one video chats and walked students through the application process,” said Clawson. “We are so grateful for the implementation of our new registration process for first-year students. The survey and schedule creation by our Academic Advisors have streamlined an experience that could have been very frustrating during the pandemic. This change has allowed us to increase our enrollment of first-year students and give them meaningful schedules for Fall 2020.”

Students from Green Canyon High School in North Logan participate in a college application day.

Being a Badger doesn’t end when you leave campus: once a Badger, always a Badger. In fact, that is what Trythall tells prospective students: “The hardest part of coming to Snow College is the day you have to leave. You just fall in love with it – you take great memories with you and you’ll share them, so the memory will still thrive, but nothing compares.”

To past and present Badgers alike: Share your Snow experience. Stay up on what Snow is doing and offering. Reach out to past alumni, share your story, and tag Snow College on Instagram (@snowcollege and @beabadger). “It takes everybody,” added Trythall. “And we appreciate everyone’s efforts to share what Snow is and what Snow has to offer, because it’s kind of a hidden gem.”

“Despite our challenges, we have seen an uptick in enrollment so far in our Fall 2020 cycle,” said Clawson. “Our goal is to maintain that momentum and see more students at both [Ephraim and Richfield] campuses.”

Since most students learn about Snow College through word of mouth, alumni are Snow College’s best resource. Especially now, said Ashton. “We need our entire Badger family to continue to be invested in the growth and greatness of Snow College.”