Slide 1

Advancing to the
“Top 100”
Through Rigorous
Enrollment Management
Dr. Philomena Mantella
Northeastern University
March 27, 2006
 Slide 2

Outline of Presentation

Introductory Remarks
About Northeastern University
Strategic Enrollment Management the necessary
ingredients
Concluding Comments
 Slide 3

About Northeastern
 Northeastern University is a private, urban, research university,
located in the heart of Boston’s Back Bay
 A leader in practice oriented education
 NU enrolls approximately 19,000 full and part-time undergraduate,
4,500 graduate and professional students
 On campus population 7,400
 9 new residence halls in 7 years
 Frosh planning to live with parents: 32% (1992)  6% (2004)
 Northeastern’s neighbors include the Museum of Fine Arts, the
Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Huntington Theatre Company,
and the New England Conservatory
 Fenway park
 Slide 4

NU
 Slide 5

The Fall 2005 Freshman Class

25,467: Applications for 2,800 places

1,225: Mean SAT score
47%: Acceptance rate
66%: Freshmen from outside Massachusetts
70th: Selectivity Rank in US News (2006 edition)
115th: US News Ranking (2006 edition)
 Slide 6

Enrolled Freshmen Mean SAT

1300 1225
1200
1110
1100 1052
984
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
1990 1995 2000 2005
 Slide 7

Freshmen-to-Sophomore
Retention Rate
100%
90.0%
84.0%
78.8%
80% 75.0%
70.0%

60%

40%

20%

0%
1992 1995 1998 2002 2005
 Slide 8

Six Year Graduation Rate

100%

80% 72.0%
61.0%
60% 52.7%

40.2%
40%

20%

0%
1990 1995 2000-Proj 2005-Proj.
 Slide 9

EMSA Organizational Chart

 Slide 10

What’s the Goal of

Enrollment Management?
Reach your aspirations around the students you
attract (recruitment)
Reach your aspirations around level of
performance of your students (retention)
Look for best ways to achieve your aspiration
(strategy and performance)
 Multiple Levels of Enrollment
Slide 11

Management
Continuous Goals and KPI’s
Performance evaluations
Evaluation Student evaluations
Market position and trends
Price and net price
Strategic indicators to influence Strategic
Changing student expectations
Competition Marketing plans; territory selection
Event, program and service plan
Conversion plans
Tactical FA leveraging model
Retention plan
Planning model
Revenue forecast Communication/Collaboration
Goals and Outcomes Organizational alignment
System support
Structural Information management tools
Research
 Slide 12

The Necessary Ingredients

1. An integrated Enrollment Planning

process
2. Invest in Research
3. Clear idea of brand, value, market
position
4. Establish clear, measurable goals &
benchmarks
5. Track and monitor regularly
 Slide 13

An Integrated Enrollment
Planning Process
Strategic
Integrated part of University planning
Defined within the academic context of the
institution
Comprehensive in its approach to
enrollment:
 Identification
 Recruitment
 Retention
 Delivery
 Evaluation
 Slide 14

An Integrated Enrollment
Planning Process
 Sustains long term health of the organization
 Well articulated goals that hang together and
recognize compromises – a process of optimization
 Feasible
 Institutionally supported (not consensus)
 Have a plan – write it, present it, know how to
measure it, and prepare to adjust it - the 80/20
Rule
 Have a long term and short term view & tracking
mechanism
 Slide 15

NU SEM Plan Example – Long Term

STUDENT CENTERED

Goal 7 – To retain undergraduate and graduate students at a level commensurate with a high
quality, nationally recognized private university.

Measure Context Status

Attain freshman rate of 89% by Graduation rate in 2003 was Model predicts
’04, 90% by ’05; remain minimum 60%; Freshman rate was 87% reaching FY’04 level
of 90%

Attain a six-year graduation rate 59%

of 60% by 2004, 62% by ’05, 64%
by ’06, 66% by ’07, 68% by ’08,
and 70% by ‘09
 Slide 16

The Necessary Ingredients

1. An integrated Enrollment Planning
process
2. Invest in Research
3. Clear idea of brand, value, market
position
4. Establish clear, measurable goals &
benchmarks
5. Track and monitor regularly
 Slide 17

Framework for EM Research

A Competitive Context

Research

External Internal

Demo/Economic Funnel Funnel Funnel

Market/Competitors
Context Pop to Applicants Apps to Enrolled Enrolled to Alumni
 Slide 18

Market/Competitors
Sources of Information
 ASQ
 Reports
 Electronic file with individual student data
 US News
 Readily available, already compiled (and available
electronically), widely understood
 IPEDS
 Institutional characteristics
 Enrollments
 Degrees conferred
 Finance
 Faculty salaries
 Slide 19

The Necessary Ingredients

1. An integrated Enrollment Planning

process
2. Invest in Research
3. Clear idea of brand, value, market
position
4. Establish clear, measurable goals &
benchmarks
5. Track and monitor regularly
 Slide 20

Competitive Landscape
2001 2004 Abs Chg % Chg
Public Univ Tier 4 88 50 -38 -43%
Priv Univ Tier 4 34 25 -9 -26%
Northeastern 2,234 2,058 -176 -8%
Priv Univ Tier 3 72 72 0 0%
Public Univ 51-129 808 824 16 2%
Public Univ Tier 3 178 182 4 2%
Total 5,314 5,741 427 8%
Priv. Univ Rank 26-75 1,286 1,645 359 28%
Priv. Univ Rank 76-129 163 209 46 28%
Public Univ Top 50 149 220 71 48%
Priv. Univ Rank 1-25 302 456 154 51%
 Slide 21

Type of Institution:
Religious Affiliation:
Competitor Chronicle
Private
None
Founded: 1839
Academic Calendar: Semester
Setting: Urban
Carnegie Classification: Doctoral/Research-Extensive
NU Competitor Group: Core; Lucky Thirteen

2005 Ed. 2006 ed.

Ranking 56 60 X University
Peer Assessment 3.4 3.3
Undergraduate Enrollment 17,682 17,740

Admissions 2005 Ed. 2006 ed. Expenses 2005 Ed. 2006 ed.
Applicants 29,356 28,240 Tution (Private or In State) $30,402 $31,966
Accepts 15,191 15,660 Out of State (if applicable)
Accept Rate 51.7% 55.5% Room & Board $9,680 $10,080
Enrolled 3,961 4,352
Yield Rate 26.1% 27.8%
Financial Aid
Top 10% 60% 60% Applied for Aid 51% 51%
Top 25% 92% 92% Students with Need 47% 46%
Top 50% 100% 100% Students with Need Met 50% 51%
Students Receiving Pell Grant - 11%
Mean GPA 3.50 3.50
Median SAT 1300 1300 Average Aid Package $25,338 $26,687
Middle 50% SAT 1220 - 1380 1210 - 1390 % Awarded 47% 46%
Submitting SAT 97% 97%
Average Need Based Grant $16,953 $17,748
Median ACT 28 28 % Awarded 44% 43%
Middle 50% ACT 25 - 30 26 - 30
Submitting ACT 24% 24% Average Self Help Aid $5,921 $5,928
% Awarded 43% 42%
Early Decision Offered Yes Yes
Early Decision Accept Rate 50% 47% Average Merit Award $14,324 $13,403
Early Action Offered No No % Awarded 13% 8%
Early Action Accept Rate n./a n./a
% of Freshmen Enrolled from Early Action/Decision 5% n/a Average Athletic Award $28,275 $31,605
% Awarded 1% 1%

Enrollment Average Indebtedness $17,535 $17,186

Full Time 92% 92% % that have Borrowed 59% 59%
Part Time 8% 8%
 Slide 22

Brand, Value, Market Position

Perceived Quality
Value 
Net Price
 Slide 23

Brand, Value, Market Position

EM Outcomes are determined by perceived
net benefits of your institution…
NB = (BNU – CNU)

Perceived Benefits Costs

•Coop •Tuition-setting policy
•Academics •Financial aid policy
•Location •Factors influencing family
•Size finances
•Campus •Legislative changes
•Social Amenities •…
•Athletics…
 Slide 24

The Necessary Ingredients

1. An integrated Enrollment Planning

process
2. Invest in Research
3. Clear idea of brand, value, market
position
4. Establish clear, measurable goals &
benchmarks
5. Track and monitor regularly
 Slide 25

Mean SAT vs. Lucky 13 and

Top 57 Cross Admits
1300

1250

1200

1150

NU
1100 Lucky 13
Public
Private
1050
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
 Largest Differences Below All Slide 26

Institutions
(ACUHO 2005)
Diff. Gap
Hall Services: Cable TV -1.34
Hall Services: Telephone services -1.14
Hall Services: Postal services -.66
Hall Services: Information desk services -.51
Hall Services: Vending services -.48
Hall Environment: Temperature regulation in room -.31
Hall Facilities: Attitude of cleaning staff -.28
Hall Facilities: Study facilities in residence hall -.27
 Slide 27

The Necessary Ingredients

1. An integrated Enrollment Planning

process
2. Invest in Research
3. Clear idea of brand, value, market
position
4. Establish clear, measurable goals &
benchmarks
5. Track and monitor regularly
 Slide 28

The Challenge
Institutional Levers The Black Box Institutional
Goals/Outcomes
Human capital theory: Calculate
Admit? (yes/no) utility of expected net benefits from
•Profile
each institution in choice set:
Uj(Yj - Cj) for j=1,…,J •S.O.C.
Choose institution that maximizes
Uj(Yj - Cj) (from R. Toutkousian) •Discount
Financial Aid
•Program Mix
(Student/Parent
Decisions) •Retention
•Regional Mix
 Slide 29

The Issue of Timing

Institutional
Institutional Levers Black Box Goals/Outcomes

December-March April-May September

What methods best allow an institution to change policy levers early in the
cycle, when the enrollment decisions of students and institutional outcomes
are not yet fully known?
 Slide 30

Concluding Comments

Invest in Research
Problem Options Strategy
Adopt Evaluate Adjust
Step back – don’t lose the big picture
Stay close to key performance determinants