How does this program work?
AwardCall is a managed outbound phone campaign tied to your scholarship award capability and then followed up in one of several ways. We can work with your internal database of prospects as well as with lists of traditional age students with standardized test scores. You know what you can afford to offer students based on their scores. We know how to place that award in front of them. AwardCall simply makes the best use of your available scholarship.

What does it cost?
There are four cost components

    • Design and setup fees (usually $1,500- $2,500 depending upon program complexity)
    • Training
    • Call execution
    • Follow-up strategy costs
We’ll be happy to prepare a proposal for you.

I have a database of 10,000 records. What should I expect from this program?
We’ll complete calls to about 85% of your database. Programs have run in the range of 6-10 awards per hour. Each award should be considered a viable student prospect, so follow up strategies are key to converting awards into enrollment.


I'm not comfortable with people from outside my department contacting prospective students. How can you assure me that my school is being properly represented?
Our agents work from state-of-the-art call centers in the Midwest. We train them intensively to answer the most common questions about your school, and monitor and score them continuously. You can listen to them, also, from the privacy of your office.

I have limited staff. How much of the program do we have to handle ourselves?
As much as you would like to handle. Your options following our initial award calls are many and we can tailor them to your needs. We can handle all follow-up materials and even follow-up calls to set appointments for your staff.

Scheduling Visits
It is critical, especially for private colleges and universities, that applicants for admission and other prospective students visit the campus. Admission counselors encourage visits, email and direct mail campaigns encourage visits and web sites encourage prospective students to visit the campus. Edge offers targeted campaigns to fill your calendar with visits. We can even provide a web based tool which your staff can check at any time to see who has been scheduled.

Open House/Group Event Confirmations
Most colleges and universities have scheduled group visit days to bring a large number of students to campus for a day of activities and information. Most schools do not confirm or solicit participation in group campus events by telephone because they simply do not have the time or staff. Edge can make a significant impact on your attendance by contacting your database of prospects.

Orientation Solicitations and Confirmations
Orientation is an on-campus event for newly enrolled students. This process is often held in advance of the start of school. Orientation activities can include course selection, information sessions, testing and other activities. Telephone follow-up to encourage orientation sign up can be key to the success of these programs.

Financial Aid Reminders
It is very important for colleges and universities to encourage new students and returning students to apply for financial aid. Many schools send post cards and letters from January through August to encourage students and their parents to apply for financial aid. When you factor in a timely phone reminder, the impact of this successful campaign on recruitment, retention and cash flow cannot be under-estimated.


Retention Calls
There are a variety of ways to use the telephone to encourage currently enrolled students
to re-enroll.

    • Outreach calls to currently enrolled students just to welcome them back for the next term.
    • Calls to current students thanking them for participating in co-curricular activities such as
      sports and clubs .
    • Calls to students who have not completed the course selection for the coming term.
    • Calls to students who have not completed housing forms or paid housing deposits..

The Dysart Group, Inc.

The telephone is one of the most powerful tools available in enrollment management. Consistent telephone communication with prospective students can effectively provide information, encourage visits and increase enrollment yields. The telephone can be used to encourage new and returning students to apply for financial aid and to complete their financial aid folders. Such campaigns are obviously good for students, but can also facilitate cash flow at colleges and universities. Telephone outreach to currently enrolled students can enable institutional representatives to provide encouragement, bond students to the institution, and thus promote retention.

While most administrators in enrollment management recognize the value of telephone communication, they are often challenged to find the time and resources necessary to meet their goals with regard to telephone outreach. I encourage Directors of Admission, Directors of Financial Aid and Vice Presidents for Enrollment to consider the services of Edge Teleservices, Inc.

Edge Teleservices has been working closely with colleges and universities for nearly a decade to achieve enrollment management goals. The folks at Edge are uniquely qualified to call prospective students and current students because they understand the tenets of recruitment, retention and financial aid. Their staff members are well-trained to communicate with students.

As an enrollment management consultant, I have worked with more than 130 colleges and universities throughout the United States and have often relied on the expertise from the professionals at Edge Teleservices. They are reliable, consistent and affordable. I recommend their services without hesitation.

John W. Dysart
President
The Dysart Group, Inc.
Charlotte, NC