Need Recruitment Inspiration? Our Experts Share 5 Tried and True Tips for Success

Leading students abroad sets you apart on campus and opens endless opportunities for students. Recruiting travelers is the first step in making this happen. Our Program Coordinators talk with professors and administrators every day to find ways to make recruitment as successful, and as easy, as possible. Here are 5 tried and true tips from our expert Program Coordinators to help you share the experience of a lifetime with your students:

1. Share Your Passion: Students look to the Group Leader when making the decision to study abroad. Before you talk with students or host an information meeting, take a moment to remember what got you excited to lead students abroad and why it’s important to you. Passion is contagious. Your students will pick up on your excitement and will be inspired to see it for themselves on your program.

2. Dream Big & Invite More: Follow the “rule of ten”: determine your goal group size and multiply that number by ten. That’s the number of students you should be talking to on campus, inviting to information meetings, and sending regular email or text reminders about discounts and deadlines. It doesn’t take a lot of time to add a few names to your invite list, but it makes a big difference!

3. Talk. Talk. Talk: This tip seems easy, but its effectiveness is often overlooked in our busy day-to-day. 86% of students that traveled with us said they learned about the program from a word of mouth conversation with a professor or friend. Whether it’s talking about your program in every class, visiting other faculty members’ classes, or asking a team of colleagues to help you spread the word, promoting your program by word of mouth is a must for building your group.

4. Time Waits for No One: Just like with homework, students wait right up to the deadline to enroll. Instead of (anxiously) waiting until the last minute to know what your group will look like, set early benchmark deadlines along the way. Align them to fall just after campus vacations and holidays—that way students can talk with their families in person during the break and feel confident enrolling by the deadline you’ve set.

5. Know Your Resources: We believe that every student deserves the chance to study abroad, and that’s why we support our travelers in making it happen. Discounts, monthly payment plans, fundraising tools, and scholarships are just some examples of how we help students finance their program. Ask your Program Coordinator for more details and start showing your students the world!

Have more questions about recruitment or starting a program? Contact us here to talk with one of our Program Coordinators.

Find more “How To’s” and resources here.