Without hesitating, I respond, “A nonmatriculant study.”

By definition, a nonmatriculant study is directed at students who applied, were accepted, and then chose not to enroll.

In other words, they are directed at students that were within hailing distance of matriculating at your institution but chose not to attend.

Knowing why these students opted, at the very end of the funnel, to go elsewhere is extra-ordinarily important.

• Was the reason cost?
• Did they get a better offer?
• Was there a particular college choice attribute or quality that they found irresistible?
• Did distance play a factor?
• Or perhaps the campus visit experience?

The list of potential answers to the question, “why didn’t they enroll” is enormous and without clear data, then any decisions about how to improve your recruiting operation, adjust financial aid, or even refine your communication flow will, at one level, be a guess. And right now, in today’s highly competitive landscape, that last thing you need is more uncertainty.