MBA Online Student Recruitment… American University Kogod School: 40 Email Contacts

40 Kogod School emails from 16 September to 28 February: subject lines show the marketing emphasis

American University Online MBAWe can learn a fair bit about what a school thinks is important marketing content by reviewing email subject lines. In the American University case, 40 of them from September 20 to February 28.

For newcomers… this is the 3rd installment in a series reviewing email recruitment communications and social media presence from 4 online MBA programs: American, Simmons College, Syracuse University, and the University of Dayton. The introductory post is here. The 2nd installment reviewed the opening emails from each school.

Email reports for each school start with the second sent.

September… Financial Aid, the GMAT test, and an application deadline (3 emails after 16 September)

  1. Login Here | Financial Aid Webinar Today
  2. Why MBA@American Doesn’t Require GMAT Scores… (linking to a “Why no GMAT” page.)
  3. Priority Deadline Announcement: Apply by October 23 for Application Benefits… (benefit is a fee waiver if you talk to a counselor before applying.)

October… Priority application, faculty & student webinars, scholarships (10 emails)

  1. Apply Before the Priority Deadline
  2. Join us for a “Meet the Faculty” Webinar… (to “experience our interactive virtual classroom first-hand and speak directly with a professor about coursework.”)
  3. Bridge to Business: A Foundational Course for Professionals… (for people without “formal business training” or who have been “away from the academic world for an extended time.”)
  4. October 17: Meet Current Students Online… (an “opportunity to experience our interactive virtual classroom first-hand and learn more about the student experience from actual MBA@American students.”)
  5. Login Here | Faculty Webinar Today
  6. Scholarships and Application Fee Waivers Still Available for January 2018
  7. Login Here | Student Roundtable Webinar Today
  8. Apply Before the Priority Deadline
  9. The Priority Application Deadline is Today
  10. Business Analytics and the MBA@American… (introducing a “Business Analytics” concentration within the MBA.)

November… Scholarships, the faculty webinar again, application prompts (6 emails)

  1. Scholarships Still Available for January 2018
  2. Join us for a “Meet the Faculty” Webinar… (with a different faculty person than in October.)
  3. Don’t wait until November 20. Apply now.
  4. Login Here | Faculty Webinar Today
  5. You Have Four Days Left To Apply
  6. MBA@American Application Deadline is Today

December… A new priority application deadline (1 email)

  1. Priority Deadline Announcement: Apply by January 22 for Application Benefits

January… Scholarships, financial aid & app tip webinars, app deadlines (9 emails)

  1. Apply Before the Priority Deadline
  2. 30 Minute Application Tips Webinar… (A chance to “learn tips for crafting your strongest application.”)
  3. Scholarships and Application Fee Waivers Still Available for April
  4. Login Here | Application Tips Webinar Today
  5. Apply Before the Priority Deadline
  6. You’re Invited: Financial Aid Webinar… (For “valuable insight about the financial aid process and your options for financing your degree.”)
  7. The Priority Application Deadline is Today
  8. Login Here | Financial Aid Webinar Today
  9. Scholarships Still Available for April… (link to complete an application with no scholarship amount details.)

February… Faculty & student webinars, app deadlines (8 emails)

  1. Don’t wait until February 19. Apply now.
  2. Join us for a “Meet the Faculty” Webinar… (a 3rd faculty member presents a new webinar.)
  3.  You Have Four Days Left To Apply
  4. Login Here | Faculty Webinar Today
  5. MBA@American Application Deadline is Today
  6. February 27: Meet Current Students Online
  7. The Application Deadline Has Passed. What’s Next?… (I’ve missed the deadline to start in April. Next cohort starts in July.)
  8. Login Here | Student Roundtable Webinar Today

Notes: Webinars are an important feature in the Kogod School recruitment effort. We especially liked that different people were used for the 3 faculty webinars. The approximately twice weekly frequency seems reasonable, with reductions for November and December holidays. Email format was easy-to-scan. One disappointing note: mention of scholarships did not not actually link to content about criteria or amount.

Over the next few weeks…

Expect a continuing review on an irregular schedule of the email content from each online MBA program, followed by comparative notes on the online inquiry forms, and individual notes on how the schools are using social media. Next up: University of Dayton.

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