COLLEGE SHOPPERS:
Gender matters!
By WES KAUBLE
WHETHER IT’S MEN ARE FROM MARS, Women are from Venus or a less specific Battle of the Sexes, we have always known that males and females approach certain aspects of life from different angles. Society readily acknowledges many gender- based stereotypes. Appreciation for Celine Dion may be primarily female, while males have a greater interest in fast cars. you can strengthen your admissions
efforts by incorporating some key findings we uncovered in a recent TCAT survey. Men and women approach college shop- ping quite differently.
Ladies First Females seek the advice and opinions of knowledgeable others when shopping for college and making their purchase decision. Most notably, parents and college admis- sions staff are influential. And while parents and admissions officers are at the top of the list of influencers, across the board, females are more receptive to influence when compared to males. Females exhibit careful shopping prac-
tices. Their list of good college choices and their patience is usually longer than their male counterparts. When they narrow that
24 Today’sCampus
list down, they seriously consider a greater number of schools than the men. In fact, as on “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?” for our female survey respondents, decision merits careful consideration of the alterna- tives. Asking an expert or phoning a friend bolsters decisiveness..
Among the male gender Men say they are far less receptive to influ- ence from other people. They display a focus on taking that next step toward higher education with less concern for where they actually set foot. While women show char- acteristics of making a well thought-out decision, males demonstrate an impulsive- ness, and among them are a goodly number who can be described as “sloppy shoppers.” In addition to the shortness of their lists
of good choices, as well as the small num- bers of schools that they seriously consider, men are considerably less price sensitive than women. Many men understand they need an education, but will take whatever path is presented to them first. For fast-moving non-analytical male
shoppers, if your school is first in their view, you most likely have a significant edge.
Once adult students are enrolled Everyone likes commendation. It’s especially welcome after a major purchase in an uncer- tain economy. Sincere commendation can add mortar to the relationship you’re building with your newly-enrolled adult student. Subjective survey questions, quite freely
answered by adults, suggest two gender- based relationship builders, distinctly different. Commend male students for the wise decision they’ve made, and the follow- through they are undertaking.
Commend female students for the sacrifices they are making. And remind them of the benefits they will reap when they complete their education.
Higher Education Shopper Survey. And enjoying every hour of it.
We are analyzing the results of our 2010 TC
Visit
http://atenga.com/TCAT/ to get more information about the survey and data reports mentioned in this article.
Wes Kauble is Director of Research at Atenga, Inc. Reach him at
wes@atenga.com.
subscribe at no charge at
www.todayscampus.com
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