Marketing Higher Education to High School Students and their Families

MARKETING HIGHER EDUCATION TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES

Introduction

At the end of four years of high school , the students walk down to the podium with the school band playing Pomp and Circumstance . A school administrator hands them their diploma , officially ending their time in high school . That piece of declared that the students are smart enough to complete the requirements of the school , the district , and the state . With cheers from family and friends , the students throw their caps in the air in celebration of completing this rite of

passage

As the caps land on the ground and the student exit to celebrate the end of high school a daunting question still remains : what are they to do now ? High school is a very structured place with defined standards for each student . Much of how the high school student will go through the system is pre-determined for them with little deviation . College often presents the first exposure to deciding a direction for the student 's life . This can be seen by picking a major , selecting different classes and even deciding on which college to attend

Often student find it easier to get a job than to attend college . The system has declared them smart enough to enter the real world ' but many are still unprepared with little direction as to where to go from here . Many are so elated to be done with four years of school , twelve if grammar and middle school are included , that they think little of their post-high school future they are just happy to be done

This lack of direction in life leads many down a costly path of frustration and failure . Today 's economy in America is changing away from a manufacturing industry to a service-based industry . This creates a demand for educated professionals and a high school diploma just is not enough

This creates the need to promote high education to high school students . It is extremely important that the opportunity to attend college is not missed by any student because of ignorance . As important as educational basics such as math and reading are , so is the promotion of higher education to high school students

This document is a map of how schools are to promote higher education to their high school students . It will lay out a clear marketing plan for how school administrators are to promote the idea of attending college to students . This plan is to be both direct and subtle in approach and its aim is to encompass all students at all levels so are left out

Importance of a College Education

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES , the median annual salary in 2005 for full time workers , ages 25-34 with a high school diploma or GED was 23 ,500 (U .S . Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics , 2007 . In contrast , the median annual salary in 2005 for full time workers ages 25-34 with a Bachelor 's degree or...