Video + Student Stories Open Boston University Transfer Admissions Site
Enrolling new full-time transfer students is growing in importance as many colleges and universities seek to offset declining enrollment of traditional age students just graduating from high school.
Content presentation can be daunting… often beginning with the details of each school’s rules and regulations for the transfer process. Most schools visited in a search for “transfer student admissions” sites (with visits made to each organic result on the first 5 pages returned) assume that if you’re visiting the transfer page you must be ready to apply to transfer.
Far too many include opening images that have no relationship to transfer admissions. Reminder: on some pages you don’t need an image at all.
An opening 3-minute video…
Boston University takes a different approach. An opening 3-minute video features several students who note the type of school they came from and why they transferred to BU. You’ll see the BU school they transferred to and hear quick comments on several points important to transfer students, including transfer credits, housing, social life, and more. All in all, a well-done effort.
Just to the right of the video are 10 easy-to-scan links that start with “Why I Chose to Transfer.” If you visit that page you’ll find it opens with another video featuring a single student. Following that are 9 short student stories that include “My advice for prospective transfer students.” There’s a mix of U.S. and international students featured here.
On Mobile, an “Excellent” speed rating & a “Your site doesn’t pass usability guidelines” warning
Google Test My Site gives the BU transfer admissions page an “Excellent” 3 second mobile download time. And, alas, adds an unusual “Your site doesn’t pass usability guidelines” warning, complete with 4 failure points. The first is the most obvious: “Use legible font sizes.” In an age of rampant responsive design, it is unusual to find a site that’s so unfriendly for smartphone visitors.
Many smartphone visitors who persist will follow the prominent “Transfer of credit” link. And find themselves confronted with a long page of text that’s impossible to read without the ancient art of finger-flicking to enlarge the type. In 2018, that’s a pity.
Follow the Link of the Week…
Visit a Boston University transfer admissions site that gives priority content placement to strong video and student stories.
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