OT Rant: We still seem to market to out of state students worse than any other ...

[IMissJack]

college in the SEC, at least in Texas. I have a 16 year old son that is just entering the process, and I am amazed how many of his friends are getting stuff from OM, and are looking at them. We send a postcard that shows nothing of the campus, or anything really. This is because OM has learned that the MS college ready kid base is drying up, and Texas is fertile ground because many very good kids and students will not get into Texas or A&M due to 10% rule. My gosh I have preached this until I'm tired of it. We cannot grow MSU in numbers or academics by just going after MS kids, the demographics just are not there.

[BrunswickDawg]

We recruit out of State kind of like we recruit in football - we go after people who look like they will work hard and Want to be at State - we don't spend a lot of time and money on trying to be fancy and land longshots. My daughter is a sophomore here in coastal Ga. Put State on her list of places to send her PSAT score, and State was the first school to send her anything about 3 weeks ago - a nice mini-booklet. Just got another postcard about visiting campus. Neither is any different from the other schools showing interest - Bama, AU, UGA. I told her we can visit AU if they offer her the Cam package, cause then we are making a business decision...

[Rayburn8]

When I went to the communication department at state for a visit this spring. They told me that out of state applications went up 22% this year. It is all about branding and our out of state brand went up last fall for obvious reasons. A lot of who gets letters has to do with where you send your ACT\SAT scores. Schools don't just send letters to ever high school kid they usually start coming after you send your scores to them.

[Dallas_Dawg]

I have been in elementary schools in Dallas and many have college pennants or flags outside side each clasroom. it seems I see an ole miss one in every school and am yet to see an MSU one.

[Liverpooldawg]

college in the SEC, at least in Texas. I have a 16 year old son that is just entering the process, and I am amazed how many of his friends are getting stuff from OM, and are looking at them. We send a postcard that shows nothing of the campus, or anything really. This is because OM has learned that the MS college ready kid base is drying up, and Texas is fertile ground because many very good kids and students will not get into Texas or A&M due to 10% rule. My gosh I have preached this until I'm tired of it. We cannot grow MSU in numbers or academics by just going after MS kids, the demographics just are not there.

Freshman applications are up 29% this year. Housing apps are up so much than non-freshmen stand very little chance of getting in a dorm. Word is the ACT score may go up despite this. We are doing just fine.

[bgdog]

We recruit out of State kind of like we recruit in football - we go after people who look like they will work hard and Want to be at State - we don't spend a lot of time and money on trying to be fancy and land longshots.

That sounds like some pretty baseless bullshit

[BrunswickDawg]

That sounds like some pretty baseless bullshit
The "work hard" may be hyperbole - but the "want to be at State" isn't. It was true 25 years ago when I was an out of state student and is true now. We tend to recruit students from out of state who show an interest in us. I sent my SAT score to State on a whim b/c State had a good baseball team. I literally knew no one who had gone there. I got into UGA, and they never did anything to recruit me. Not one letter. State sent me all kinds of info, Roadrunners called me, and asked me to visit. They hooked me. My daughter is seeing the same thing now, because she showed an interest. Talk to people on admissions, we don't just randomly send stuff to out to out of state kids other than ones with super high scores (and even then they have to indicate they are interested in programs we have).