11 Fall Semester Custom Program Recruitment Tips

Planning a custom program with us? You’ll typically need to recruit around 12 students for the trip to be financially viable. But don’t panic; we’re here to help! 

Once we create an itinerary and get a program approved, we don’t just step aside and leave you to get your students excited on your own. Just as “customization” was a keyword throughout the program design process, it will continue to be throughout pre-departure.

And remember: You don’t need to wait until students converge on campus to start promoting your program, especially since, once they arrive, they’ll be inundated with plenty of other distractions vying for their attention.

Here are a few key recruiting tips from our Director of Program Operations, Sarah Reid, and our Director of Institutional Partnerships, Kyle Simmons: 

1.    BRAINSTORM WITH US. Reach out; we’re happy to have a brainstorming session with you to pin down ways we can support your recruitment efforts and creatively reach your students.

2.    BE PREPARED: Have the applications all ready to go before students even arrive on campus!

3.    START IN THE SUMMER. Promote programs regularly—through Instagram stories, for example—during the summer. Include program information in welcome back emails sent out before the start of the semester. Take advantage of moving in week, orientation, community building activities, and similar events that take place before classes begin. These are great places to reach students.

4.    FACULTY FIRST. Work with faculty program leaders to remember why they felt passionate about their upcoming programs in the first place. When they are excited about running a program, it shows! Enthusiasm is contagious and students will pick up on this.

5.    FOSTER ENTHUSIASM. Studying abroad is exciting! Talk about specific excursions or activities that students would be involved in while on their program that show how fun and novel the experience and change in scenery could be (while also giving them a leg up academically and playing a role in their personal and professional development).  

6.    ADDRESS HESITATIONS. Sometimes students worry about falling behind academically if they study abroad. Get academic advisors on board to reassure students they can meet their degree requirements by doing the program. Share any scholarship or grant opportunities that could help offset costs as this is often a deterrent. Speak openly with students about their worries, expectations, and other potential roadblocks.

7.    CONSIDER SCHEDULING. Be conscious of holidays and athletic schedules so they don't clash with study abroad deadlines or recruitment events. You can also use fall events to remind students to talk to family at Thanksgiving about the study abroad program they're looking forward to next year in the run up to potential gift-giving holidays where they might ask for help with raising their program fees.

8. CREATIVE OUTREACH. In addition to traditional outreach platforms, connect with students through a variety of channels from social media to email campaigns to info sessions to thoughtfully organized campus events. Make video content and Instagram reels. Re-post content from EdOdyssey’s Instagram account if your students have been on a similar trip with us before. Collaborate with different campus organizations that may be underserved; there are hundreds and a deep dive might reveal honors societies, clubs or other student groups whose interests overlap with a particular course theme.

9. ALUMNI STORIES. There’s not much that’s more powerful than a recommendation from a peer who has been there, done that—especially recent study abroad alumni who are eager to talk about their incredible experiences. Testimonials and success stories build credibility and help current students visualize themselves in their shoes. Alumni can help table at events and answer questions. They can present in classrooms. They can also share video content, photos, or quotes for social media posts.

10. PERSONALIZATION. Make a personal connection. “I would say overall, recruitment works when students feel like the program is personally relevant to them,” Sarah said. Kyle agreed. “Personalization is key,” he said. “I've heard countless times from students that they signed up for a particular program simply because it was offered by their favorite teacher. Likewise, students often report that they were on the fence about studying abroad, but were convinced by a boisterous, excited faculty classroom visit.”

11. FYE OUTREACH. If your school has FYE programming, partner with them to find out how study abroad can engage their students. FYE students are demonstrated to be more likely participants in activities like study abroad later in their careers, so the earlier you reach them, the better.

FAQs

There are a few questions that often come up from our partners during this time:  

• Can we extend the deadline? This depends on timing. As long as we are not running up against any hard cut-off dates, we usually do try to be flexible. But if it's too late, it's too late.

• Can EdOdyssey provide digital assets to help promote our program? Yes, absolutely!

• Can someone from EdOdyssey be present at a study abroad fair or similar event? Usually, this is a no. However, it does depend on the location. If we have a member of staff living nearby or they happen to be in the area, we will make an effort to attend where possible.

If you have additional questions, please email us!

Custom programs with EdOdyssey

If you’re just starting to think about creating a custom program for your students, reach out for an initial conversation. Our international destinations include Canada, Chile, China, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Peru, Spain, and the UK. We also build a lot of impactful domestic programs right here in the US.