As we’ve recently uncovered, physical campus visits are THE most influential recruitment activity. But getting students to go on these visits, might very be the key to increasing your school’s recruitment success. Here’s why we think virtual tours might be that key.

A recent article by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette shows that in fact, virtual tours are really impacting recruitment efforts of schools and campuses around the nation. One university reported that last year alone, 89% of the students that took their physical tour, had actually taken a virtual, tour first. One might guess that they saw something they liked on those virtual tours, and therefore came to see the college they most preferred in person! Indeed, it is quite difficult for students to make a decision as to whether they want to attend college close to home, or would like to be adventurous and head out-of-state. But few students and their families these days have the luxury of traveling around the nation visiting each campus in person. The virtual tours help them in the process of selection and elimination.

And no, we are not making this up. According to the article, Schools are now reporting a 30% increase in campus visits, all thanks to virtual tours made available to prospective students!

Now as college admissions professionals, you might be concerned about other admissions factors, like what profile of prospective students you are attracting, budget concerns, and whether those enrolling will boost your schools’ standing. We’re here to allay your fears, and to tell you that the 30% increase in campus visit, truly will impact both your financial bottom line and academic standing. Go ahead, run the numbers for yourself! Use our ROI Calculator to see what an increase in physical visits would do to your ability to be both more selective in admitting students as well as in growing enrollment.

So just in case you’ve been skeptical or have missed this boat thus far, it’s not too late to catch on and to invest in some of the best, most up-to-date technology your school can offer. Virtual tours can be not just cool and cutting-edge, they can make all the difference in turning your campus into a success story.