New Approaches for Prospective Student Engagement

2014 TxGAP Conference

The leading, students first, connected learning platform

We currently serve 46% of college

students in America

Methodology & Demographics

•  1,300 registered Chegg students •  Surveys fielded in February and April, 2014

•  Respondents either intend to apply to

graduate school in the next 12 months or are enrolled in upper-level courses at their current 4-year school

•  Objective is to identify current preferences for researching and being contacted by graduate school programs

Intention to Attend Graduate School

When does grad school become real?

2%   6%  16%  

35%   31%  

9%  

High  school  

1st  year  of  undergrad  

2nd  year  of  undergrad  

3rd  year  of  undergrad  

4th+  year  of  undergrad  

A9er  gradua:on  

Started  researching  

3 in 5 Have started to research schools by junior year

66%

Why Grad School?

8%  

9%  

24%  

27%  

29%  

36%  

45%  

49%  

Other  

I  want  to  defer  student  loans  

The  economic  climate  is  bad;  it’s  a  good  Ame  to  get  a  graduate  degree  

I  want  to  teach  higher  educaAon  

I  want  to  stay  in  school/keep  learning  

My  career  choice  requires  a  graduate  degree  

A  graduate  degree  is  expected  in  my  field  

I  am  interested  in  research/  specializaAon  

-15% YOY

Factors influencing decision to attend grad school

Pursue PhD, change careers

+19% YOY

Full-time or Part-time?

7

7

60%   22%  

10%  8%  

Definitely   Probably  

Definitely  

Probably  

Full Time: 82%

Part Time: 18%

Implies reliance on sources other than personal earnings for tuition & living expenses during this time (Moving home, downsizing, taking on loans, etc.)

The Application Timeline

4 in 10 students have started their graduate school application by their senior year

44%   37%  

99%  

56%   63%  

0%  

10%  

20%  

30%  

40%  

50%  

60%  

70%  

80%  

90%  

100%  

Junior   Senior   Recent  Grad  When  do  you  expect  to  receive  your  undergraduate  degree?  

Planning  to  apply  in  the  next  12  months  

Working  on  my  apps  now  

Longer “lifetime” to Grad inquiry

More focused than their undergrad search

How many grad schools do you think you’ll apply to?

5.4  

3.6  4.3   4.2   4.0   3.8   3.7   3.5  

3.0   3.0  

A smaller consideration set means high stakes for students and schools alike

Key Influencers

Factors in Deciding Where to Apply

Finances are Top Influencer

75%  

61%  

59%  

57%  

53%  

47%  

36%  

22%  

22%  

19%  

18%  

15%  

9%  

7%  

Cost  of  tuiAon  

ReputaAon  of  program  overall  

LocaAon  &  se[ng  

Admission  Requirements  (GMAT,  GPA,  etc.)  

Post-­‐grad  employment  and  salary  prospects  

ReputaAon  of  the  insAtuAon  overall  

Size  of  endowment  &  grants  available  

Strength  of  research  program  

Living  expenses  

Type  of  school  (Public  or  Private)  

Size  of  the  program  

Specific  notable  faculty  in  the  program  

Student  life  

Size  of  the  insAtuAon  

Cost trumps other factors by a wide margin. Program reputation is an expectedly important consideration, however, location is an equally important factor. Surprisingly, the presence of specific notable faculty is a minor consideration among this audience.

Financial concerns are top on students’ lists (admissions is still looming, though)

Tuition/Financing

22% Standardized

Tests

15% Essays/

Statements

10% When asked “What is the ONE thing about the grad school search that keeps you up at night?”

Lesson here: Promote: Affordability, outcomes, value of degree

Research and Information Sources

Top Sources of Information

81% Students use search engines to research

grad schools

VS < 25% Students use graduate

school fairs to research schools

•  Side by side comparisons •  Ratings •  Reviews •  Rankings

•  Good for students in pipeline

Over three-quarters of students use your “.edu” to research your graduate programs

30% of students use magazines and online publications

What are you doing to drive students to

your .edu?

What are you doing to get your literature in

their hands?

Use of Social Media

A lot 12%

Some 26%

Not much/

not at all 62%

Where to apply Influence of social media

A lot 11%

Some 27%

Not much/

not at all 62%

+19% increase YOY +58% increase

YOY

Where  to  aGend  

Social channels are fragmented, ineffective

Only 20% of students use Facebook to research graduate schools. (ex. Asking friends and family for advice)

16% of students used LinkedIn when researching graduate schools. (ex. Looking for jobs/qualifications)

However, only 10% of students overall indicated using social media when researching which graduate school to attend

Student behavior is changing

•  Are you keeping up? Students are your story

Let their experience and outcomes “own” social

Preview of Chegg Student Tools

The Chegg Student Lifecycle

Get matched to scholarships

Connect to classmates

Study help

Get matched to internships

Profs & course reviews

Rent or buy [e] textbooks

Schedule courses

Explore grad & transfer schools

Get matched to schools

Access materials & study tools

HIGH SCHOOL" COLLEGE" POST COLLEGE"

Finding Grad Schools on Chegg

Scholarships to Increase Affordability

Degree Pages to Inform Decisions

Mobile Engagement

Matching best-fit programs with major/program of interest while students are on-the-go! Show expected career outcomes alongside your institution’s program Clear call-to-action for students to request information from you

Recommendations & New Methods

Driving Interest and Applications

Awareness Research/Evaluate

Apply & Enroll

Build Awareness with Branded Boxes & Inserts

Your institution branding wrapped around boxes of textbooks rented by Chegg students in your target markets Institutional literature and information inserted in boxes on top of their required course materials

Inbound student inquiries drive applications

Be Present as Students Research and Evaluate

Drive Applications with Co-Branded Email

Continued engagement throughout the academic year, driving applicants and ultimately enrollments Additionally, the Chegg team can manage your online recruitment of students on sites like Gradschools.com, Degreed, and more!

Save Time Be there every step of the

way, engaging students with your institution throughout

their college search.

Introduce your institution to students who may not have

heard of you, and pay only for the responders.

Connect with students researching your institution

at the height of their interest, across the web via

the Chegg Cloud.

Save Money

Recruit Smarter