College Bound Market Update

Enrollment Management Learning Collaborative 2011-12 College Bound Market Update Custom Results for North Carolina State University June 2012

Executive Summary Availability of Major of Interest and Overall Value of the Education Are the Two Most Important Drivers for Students Who Are Interested in North Carolina State University 1. Except for the top three overall enrollment drivers for students (core academics, career preparation, and physical environment), all other overall enrollment drivers are less important to students who are interested in NC State, as compared to students who are interested in public education generally Specifically, these include affordability, advanced academic opportunities, academic environment, and diversity of academic opportunities 2. However, micro-level enrollment drivers still include the most common drivers for students For example, availability of major of interest is the most important micro-level driver for students who are interested in NC State Overall value of the education, strength in academic area of interest, availability of merit-based scholarships/ grants, short- and long-term job opportunities, internship opportunities, campus safety, academic facilities quality, connection of coursework to career preparation, and overall cost of attendance are also with the top eleven micro-level enrollment drivers for these students (in descending order of importance) 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 2

Executive Summary These Students Are More Selective When Applying to Institutions and Are Most Interested in In-State Institutions 3. The majority (60%) of students who are interested in NC State begin their college search in their junior year of high school or later Specifically, 44% of these students begin in their junior year However, this does mean that a sizeable minority (41%) do begin in their sophomore year of high school or earlier 4. Students who are interested in NC State are more selective with the number of institutions that they ultimately apply to, as compared to students who are interested in public education generally On average, juniors consider attending 6.63 institutions, while seniors, on average, apply to only 4.51 institutions Questions? Contact your Client Services Advisor to learn more about how to maximize the value of the your institution s 2011-2012 College Bound Market Update data 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 3

Agenda Executive Summary 2 Findings 4 Who are you recruiting? 5 What should you communicate to prospects? 11 When is outreach most effective? 17 Where and how are you marketing and recruiting? 18 Appendix 27 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 4

Findings Who are you recruiting? High Preference* for Attending the Following Types of Colleges or Universities Students who identified a public college or university as one of the top five schools they are interested in applying to / have applied to Students who identified North Carolina State University as one of top five schools they are interested in applying to / have applied to Private, Other Affiliation 28% 38% Private, Catholic 11% 22% Liberal arts college 24% 19% Single sex college 2% 2% Private 33% 45% Out-of-State 42% 57% In-State 71% 72% *High preference=6 or 7 on a 1-7 scale, 1=Definitely would not attend, 7=Would strongly prefer to attend 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 5

Findings Who are you recruiting? Top Competitors Top Ten Competitors for North Carolina State University Seniors n Juniors n University of North Carolina 130 Duke University 15 at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina 86 University of North Carolina 13 at Charlotte at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina- Wilmington 69 University of North Carolina at Charlotte 10 Clemson University 49 Georgia Institute of 5 Technology-Main Campus Virginia Polytechnic Institute 37 Western Carolina University 5 and State University University of South Carolina- 33 University of North Carolina 4 Columbia at Greensboro University of North Carolina 28 University of California- 4 at Greensboro Berkeley Georgia Institute of 28 University of North Carolina- 4 Technology-Main Campus Wilmington Duke University 25 University of Maryland 3 Wake Forest University 23 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 3 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 6

Findings Who are you recruiting? Highly Expected Behavior* While Completing Undergraduate Degree Participate in Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) Take a reduced course load so that I can work Take courses over the summer Take time off to work Transfer to another institution to complete my degree Take some hybrid courses at the institution I choose to attend Take some courses 100% online at the institution I choose to attend Supplement my coursework by taking courses at another institution (such as a community college) 6% 5% 8% 4% 9% 8% 12% 10% 9% 9% 5% 6% 11% 4% 33% 28% 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 7 *Highly expected behavior=6 or 7 on a 1-7 scale, 1=Not at all likely, 7=Extremely likely

Findings Who are you recruiting? Highest Level of Educational Attainment Bachelor s Masters Ph.D. Professional 14% 36% 27% 23% 11% 40% 28% 21% 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 8

Findings Who are you recruiting? Preferred Characteristics for the College That Students Are More Likely to Attend Type of Community Size of Student Body Distance From Home Major metropolitan city Suburban area near a city Small city Small town Less than 1,000 1,000 to 4,999 5,000 to 9,999 10,000 or more Within 1 hr drive from my home From 1 to 5 hour drive from home Farther than a 5 hour drive from my home No preference 18% 14% 4% 8% 2% 3% 21% 6% 8% 10% 13% 27% 28% 31% 34% 38% 42% 28% 42% 33% 37% 51% 50% 51% 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 9

Findings Who are you recruiting? Academic Area of Interest 51% 26% 31% 16% 8% 11% 4% 5% 18% 11% 11% 8% Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences STEM Business Education Health Professions Professional/ Career-Focused 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 10

Findings What should you communicate to prospects? Top Enrollment Drivers* Values represent average ratings on scale of 1 to 7: 1=Not important at all / 7=Extremely important 6.3 6.3 5.3 5.5 5.0 5.3 5.5 5.1 6.1 5.8 6.0 6.2 4.9 5.1 6.0 6.1 Core Academics Advanced Academic Opportunities Academic Environment Diversity of Academic Opportunities Affordability Career Preparation Social Environment Physical Environment 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 11 *Based on 2010-11 factor analysis of all examined enrollment drivers

Findings What should you communicate to prospects? Academic Enrollment Drivers Percentage of students going on to graduate school Service learning opportunities Advising for students who are undecided about a major Small class size Student-faculty interaction Academic advising and degree planning Faculty expertise Opportunities for undergraduate research Availability of an honors program Low student/faculty ratio Connection of academic coursework to career preparation Availability of a major for my specific interest Availability of a variety of majors Strength in my academic area of interest Preparation for graduate/professional school 5.4 5.2 5.3 5.1 4.9 4.3 4.9 4.6 5.9 5.8 5.9 5.6 6.1 6.0 5.4 5.3 5.1 5.1 5.0 4.7 6.2 6.1 6.6 6.6 5.7 5.3 6.4 6.5 5.9 5.8 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 12

Findings What should you communicate to prospects? Career Preparation Enrollment Drivers Job opportunities for recent graduates 6.2 6.4 Opportunities for internships 6.2 6.3 Professional success/accomplishments of alumni 5.6 5.7 Long term job opportunities 6.3 6.4 Exploration and guidance in finding career(s) of interest to me 5.9 6.1 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 13

Findings What should you communicate to prospects? Affordability Enrollment Drivers Overall value of the education 6.5 6.6 Availability of other (non-work study) employment opportunities Availability of work study Expected debt after graduation Financial aid advising on student loans 5.4 5.4 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.8 5.8 6.0 Availability of merit-based grants/scholarships 6.3 6.4 Availability of need-based grants/scholarships 5.7 6.1 Overall cost of attendance (including, tuition, room and board, books and other miscellaneous costs) 6.1 6.3 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 14

Findings What should you communicate to prospects? Physical Environment Enrollment Drivers Quality of academic facilities 6.2 6.4 Quality of recreational facilities 5.6 5.8 Quality of residence halls 6.0 6.1 Attractiveness of campus 5.7 5.9 Campus safety 6.2 6.3 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 15

Findings What should you communicate to prospects? Social Environment Enrollment Drivers Diversity of students' socioeconomic backgrounds 4.6 4.8 Racial and ethnic diversity of student body 4.7 4.9 Opportunities to attend cultural events 4.8 4.9 Availability of a study abroad program 5.0 5.0 Opportunity to be involved in campus organizations 5.7 5.8 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 16

Findings When is outreach most effective? Time When Student Began College Search Process Freshman year or earlier Sophomore year Junior year Senior year 20% 21% 44% 16% 24% 23% 39% 14% *Sophomore, Junior and Senior years include the summer prior to each year 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 17

Findings Where and how are you marketing/ recruiting? Number of Colleges Considering Applying to (Juniors Only) Number of Colleges Already Applied to (Seniors Only) 6.63 6.97 4.51 5.23 Number of Colleges Considering - Juniors Number of Colleges Applied to - Seniors 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 18

Findings Where and how are you marketing/ recruiting? Use of Institutional Online Resources and Print Materials Small, focused brochures on specific topics College catalogues or viewbooks Personalized letters Postcards Apps for smartphones from specific colleges and Website you can easily access and use on your E-mail with faculty Institutonal Twitter account You Tube videos FAQs Knowledge Base Official Facebook for prospective students Search function within the college Web site Virtual tours of college campuses Virtual academic advisors Videos by student about students Podcasts Photo galleries Personalized accounts for prospective students Online application status check Online registration for college visit E-mail with current students E-mail with admissions staff Live chats or instant messaging with admissions staff Scheduled chats or online events with current college Blogs written by current college students The institution s Web site 87% 81% 83% 72% 23% 26% 41% 42% 46% 44% 19% 21% 39% 41% 66% 39% 40% 32% 35% 26% 25% 39% 17% 19% 24% 28% 38% 65% 94% 89% 85% 79% 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 19 33% 72% 58% 69% 69% 81% 73% 31% 65% 25% 30% 40% 87% 43% 61% 69% 55% 61% 60% 59% 71% North Carolina State University s usage appears in the middle of the chart, while the compared segment appears to the right of the chart. 83%

Findings Where and how are you marketing/ recruiting? Usefulness of Institutional Online Resources and Print Materials Small, focused brochures on specific topics College catalogues or viewbooks Personalized letters Postcards Smartphone apps Institutonal Twitter You Tube videos FAQs Knowledge Base Smartphone-friendly websites Official Facebook for prospective students Search function within the college Web site Virtual tours of college campuses Virtual academic advisors Videos by student about students Podcasts Photo galleries Personalized accounts Online application status check E-mail with faculty Online registration for college visit E-mail with current students E-mail with admissions staff Live chats/ instant messaging Scheduled online chats/events Current student blogs Institutional website 5.8 5.7 5.3 4.2 4.6 4.5 5.1 5.8 5.5 5.6 5.0 5.7 5.5 4.7 5.0 3.7 5.6 5.7 6.3 5.5 6.2 5.0 5.9 4.5 4.7 5.0 6.4 4.5 4.3 5.1 6.0 5.9 5.5 5.2 5.9 5.5 5.7 5.1 5.9 5.7 5.0 5.3 5.6 5.7 6.2 5.7 6.1 5.2 5.9 5.1 5.1 5.2 6.4 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 20 4.3 North Carolina State University s usage appears in the middle of the chart, while the compared segment appears to the right of the chart.

Findings Where and how are you marketing/ recruiting? Use and Usefulness of Institutional On-Site Activities Usage Usefulness Conversations with your high school s college counselor 80% 85% Conversations with your high school s college counselor 5.5 5.6 Attending a class on campus 34% 36% Attending a class on campus 5.7 6.0 Visiting campus for an athletic event 46% 55% Visiting campus for an athletic event 5.5 5.6 Open house weekends on campus 46% 57% Open house weekends on campus 6.1 6.1 College fairs held in your town or nearby 69% 71% College fairs held in your town or nearby 5.4 5.8 Information sessions with admissions officers held at your high school 69% 65% Information sessions with admissions officers held at your high school 5.5 5.9 Overnight stays in a dormitory with current students 29% 31% Overnight stays in a dormitory with current students 5.6 6.0 On-site campus tours 73% 80% On-site campus tours 6.5 6.5 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 21

Findings Where and how are you marketing/ recruiting? Use of Third Party Search Tools Twitter Facebook Virtual College Fair Naviance PrincetonReview FastWeb MeritAid College Confidential University TV Cappex Zinch Bing Yahoo Google CollegeWeekLive U.S. News and World Report UCAN TheU Peterson s CollegeNavigator CollegeView CollegeNet CollegeBoard AnyCollege ACT 24% 24% 30% 42% 38% 17% 17% 30% 21% 17% 34% 15% 17% 17% 22% 21% 20% 30% 27% 36% 26% 39% 13% 20% 23% 50% 23% 15% 16% 21% 23% 21% 18% 44% 28% 32% 42% 38% 34% 30% 24% 37% 27% 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 22 81% 40% 90% 52% 49% 81% North Carolina State University s usage appears in the middle of the chart, while the compared segment appears to the right of the chart. 83%

Findings Where and how are you marketing/ recruiting? Usefulness of Third Party Search Tools Twitter Facebook Virtual College Fair Naviance PrincetonReview FastWeb MeritAid College Confidential University TV Cappex Zinch Bing Yahoo Google CollegeWeekLive U.S. News and World Report UCAN TheU Peterson s CollegeNavigator CollegeView CollegeNet CollegeBoard AnyCollege ACT 3.3 4.1 3.4 4.0 4.7 4.3 2.6 4.2 2.9 4.2 3.4 3.8 4.3 3.4 1.9 2.3 2.5 3.1 3.2 3.1 3.3 4.4 4.9 2.5 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 23 5.9 2.9 3.0 6.0 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.5 4.0 4.1 3.9 4.0 3.8 4.0 3.8 4.4 4.4 4.7 4.6 4.9 4.9 4.9 4.9 5.0 6.0 North Carolina State University s usage appears in the middle of the chart, while the compared segment appears to the right of the chart. 6.1

Findings Where and how are you marketing/ recruiting? Highly Preferred Method* of Contact by Admissions Staff Social media 13% 21% Instant Message 11% 14% Text messages 22% 27% Letters 64% 71% Phone call 38% 40% Email 85% 87% 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 24 *High preference=6 or 7 on a 1-7 scale, 1=Not at all preferred, 7=Most preferred

Findings Where and how are you marketing/ recruiting? Frequency* of Use of Top Social Media Sites During the College Search Process Facebook NCStat e Rarely Frequently Very Frequently 48% 19% 44% 16% 40% 33% YouTube 51% 59% 21% 20% 28% 21% Twitter 81% 80% 7% 8% 12% 12% Google+ 64% 61% 14% 11% 24% 25% *Very frequently=visits once or twice a day or several times a week Frequently=Visits once a week or several times a month Rarely=Once a month or less 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 25

Findings Where and how are you marketing/ recruiting? Use of Smartphones to Fill Out Any Part of a College Application 27% 29% 9% 10% 4% 7% Percent of Seniors Who Completed Any Part of an Application on a Smartphone Percent of Seniors Who Would Have Completed Any Part of an Application on a Smartphone If Available Percent of Juniors Who are Highly Likely to Complete Any Part of an Application on a Smartphone (6 or 7 on scale of '1=Not at all likely' / 7=Extremely likely) 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 26

Agenda Executive Summary 2 Findings 4 Who are you recruiting? 5 What should you communicate to prospects? 11 When is outreach most effective? 17 Where and how are you marketing and recruiting? 18 Appendix 27 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 27

Appendix 10,950 High School Juniors and Seniors Responded to an Online Survey 25 EM-LC Member institutions provided email lists of inquiries Conducted December 2011 through February 2012 Participating Institutions: Boston College Canisius College Clarion University of Pennsylvania Howard University Indiana University Bloomington James Madison University Johnson and Wales University Loyola University Maryland North Carolina State University Northeastern University Norwich University Ohio State University Purdue University St. John's University Stonehill College SUNY Buffalo State College Thomas College University of California, Santa Barbara University of Dayton University of Hawaii-Manoa University of Miami University of Rochester University of San Diego Webster University West Virginia University 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 28

Appendix North Carolina State University s Respondent Demographics Gender First- Generation College Race/ Ethnicity (Multiple Response) Annual Household Income 2012 Eduventures, Inc. N=474 n Col % n Col % Female 234 49% Year of High Junior 58 12% Male 240 51% School Senior 416 88% Not First Generation 328 70% Home schooled 3 1% First Generation 141 30% Private Catholic 14 3% Type of High American Indian or Alaskan Native 8 2% School Private non-religiously affiliated 13 3% Asian or Asian American 38 8% Private other religiously affiliated 22 5% Black or African American 70 15% 413 89% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Arts, Humanities and Social Islander 2 0% Sciences 66 14% Hispanic/ Latino 34 7% STEM 262 55% Broad White 327 69% Academic Business 40 9% Other 12 2% Area Education 14 3% Prefer not to answer 14 3% Health Professions 46 10% $40,000 or Less 58 19% Professional/ Career-Focused 47 10% $41,000 to $80,000 95 32% Northeast 42 9% $81,000 to $120,000 78 26% South 46 10% Region $121,000 to $160,000 37 13% Midwest 345 77% More than $161,000 31 10% West 17 4% Average SAT Composite Score 1244 Average ACT Composite Score 26 Average High School GPA 3.60 EM-LC did not weight institutionspecific results. 29

Appendix How To Use This Report Eduventures recommends using this data in the following ways: Teach colleagues about the college bound market so that strategic decisions whether in marketing and financial aid, department-level or university-wide are realistic, forward-thinking and market-ready Refine messaging to resonate with students during the recruiting process Inform outreach strategy to connect students with your institution at the times and through the channels that are most effective Train admissions staff to speak to key student and parent concerns and expectations Educate deans and faculty on student concerns and expectations regarding specific academic disciplines Questions? Contact your Client Services Advisor to learn more about how to maximize the value of the 2011-2012 College Bound Market Update 2012 Eduventures, Inc. 30