After reading a recent news article on "Do University prospectuses mislead students" on the Guardian, it got me thinking on how sometimes marketing is treated as the black sheep of everything. The article mentioned how Universities/Institutions promote certain facts and detain from clearly mentioning other necessary information to prospective students. I would hardly think that today's Digital Natives wear rose tinted glasses whilst choosing their Universities, and that prospectuses depicting touristy images mislead students. Facts - I agree should reflect truth as they are taken at face value - especially when most of the audience is young and trust educational institutions to depict an honest picture.
However, are University prospectuses the sole deciding factor to decision making? I think not.
Most of today's prospective students are very "connected" to different channels of information flow. Be it social media for direct and indirect referentials, site visits, alumni referrals/opinions etc - today's prospective students have a large array of sources to get the information needed to make important decisions.
Students need to be smart about accessing the data/information available to them. Getting advice from peers, parents, industry experts seems to be a logical step as well. Of course it also helps having the industry support factual depiction like the KIS - Key Information Set started in the UK - which aims at providing up-to-date information about different factors around University and academic life. Having this information can definitely help students to assimilate, analyse and make the right choice.
All I would say is, there are different tools out there that help prospects make the right decision, and it is a bit unfair to keep blaming marketing or the institution/university for showing blue skies and greener gardens. After all no one wants to see depressing pictures of grey skies!
However, are University prospectuses the sole deciding factor to decision making? I think not.
Most of today's prospective students are very "connected" to different channels of information flow. Be it social media for direct and indirect referentials, site visits, alumni referrals/opinions etc - today's prospective students have a large array of sources to get the information needed to make important decisions.
Students need to be smart about accessing the data/information available to them. Getting advice from peers, parents, industry experts seems to be a logical step as well. Of course it also helps having the industry support factual depiction like the KIS - Key Information Set started in the UK - which aims at providing up-to-date information about different factors around University and academic life. Having this information can definitely help students to assimilate, analyse and make the right choice.
All I would say is, there are different tools out there that help prospects make the right decision, and it is a bit unfair to keep blaming marketing or the institution/university for showing blue skies and greener gardens. After all no one wants to see depressing pictures of grey skies!
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