Background
For the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, a top-ranking school in the United States, selling applicants on the atmosphere and community offered on campus is at the heart of the recruitment strategy. Already offering a wide variety of in-person events and on-campus experiences during the admissions cycle, Michigan needed a way to provide the same warmth in a more convenient and accessible online format.
Challenge
Bringing the college atmosphere online
Michigan wanted to create an online atmosphere that would mirror the personable approach of their in-person events. After struggling with off-the-shelf platforms whose lack of customization options resulted in a stilted and impersonal applicant experience, Michigan Pharmacy knew they needed something better suited to their unique process.
“We really wanted to maintain the sense of ease and simplicity that we cultivated with our on-campus visits, and Kira allowed us to do that.”
- Kristin Heinrich, Assistant Director of Admissions and Recruiting at Michigan College of PharmacySolution
Engaging applicants through online experiences
“We're centring a lot of our outreach on social media which is helping us meet the applicants where they are,” shared Heinrich. Adding an Asynchronous Assessment in Kira Talent has supported this effort. Through welcome and closing videos and video questions asked by the university's own staff and faculty, the fully branded experience gives applicants insight into the campus environment from miles away.
“We're able to give applicants a glimpse of their future at Michigan, from being an applicant all the way to an alumnus” shared Heinrich. “All it took was a little creativity and a willingness to adapt our traditional events to get the most out of the online environment.”
Results
Building equity into the admissions process
With Kira, Michigan Pharmacy has increased interviews by 53%. “Kira has removed financial barriers and other obstacles that were preventing applicants from applying to our programs,” shared Heinrich. "By making the interview more accessible, we've been able to attract and engage more applicants."
No longer needing to accommodate individual schedules, the admissions team can assign more applicants to each reviewer, creating room to invite more candidates to interview. By removing the minimum qualifying thresholds and opening up the interview to more applicants, Michigan is getting a more holistic look at their applicants prior to making any decisions.
