Link of the Week: June 17... Boston University

357 Best Practice College and University Website Pages

Most weeks I add a link to a college or university website that is superior (or very different if not superior) to what else is available in student recruitment, alumni relations, fundraising or other areas that I visit in preparing conference presentations and website reviews for my clients.
  • Editing software malfunctioned, starting in June and lasting through July. Check July Links of the Week on my blog.
Links that are no longer active (or no longer lead to the original content) are at the end of the archive list below. To my surprise: 4 of the links for the 2006 year are still alive and well. Check the venerable ones below. (Or at least they were a few weeks ago. I don't check every week.)

Recommend a Link of the Week feature on your website. Email me at bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com

June 17 — Boston University... Annual Fund Opening Captures a Donor Top Task


Everyone in advancement know this: most people who give to a college or university want to know how their money will be spent. And most peope would be happy to see their gift-giving options in advance of making a gift. That's as true for annual fund donations as for mega-level capital campaign gifts.

Today's Link of the Week departs from most annual fund websites by immediately showing the giving options available to donors with a short (less than two minutes) video presenting "A Smorgasbord of Options."

Options are also sorted for visitors under 3 headings:
  • School and college funds
  • Popular funds
  • Cause-based funds
On mobile, Google PageSpeed Insights gives a slow 67/100 score for Speed and a high 99/100 rating for User Experience.

To experience an unusual Annual Fund page where content presentation is driven by a top task of potential donors, visit the Boston University Annual Fund page.

Boston University Annual Fund


Do visitors to your website love it? Or do they hate it?

First impressions of your website are critical.

More than 20 percent of future students will not return again if their first visit to your website is disappointing. Nearly half will start with a weakened opinion of your school. Can your recruitment results afford that?

What do future students love and hate about your website? Ask them. Set your improvement priorites based on what you learn from our unique website audience survey.

Get feedback on 13 key website elements from one or more of your top audiences (future students, alumni, parents, current students, faculty/staff) to help you set priorities to improve your website.


Our survey takes just 2 to 3 weeks from start to finish. You can set priorities for important, research-based changes the day after you receive your report.

  • One university earned a 90 percent positive rating from parents and future students... the highest in more than 35 higher education surveys... Read about it on my blog
  • Ask this question: "If you could change one thing about our website, what would you change and why?" and about 50 percent of the people who answer the objective question will take time to tell you more.
Your experience survey includes a special "League Report" that tells you how your school compared to 37 other colleges and universities on the 13 top elements.
 

Get your survey results in 4 weeks or less and start improving your website the next day.

Call me at 248-766-6425 or email to bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com


Tune-up Your Website with an Expert Marketing Review

Identify top tune-up steps to increase the marketing impact of your present site with an expert review. My objective review can include these elements, or customize for your special interests.
  • Content relevance to top tasks for future students;
  • Writing quality;
  • Navigation simplicity;
  • Ease of form completion and quality of your email response;
  • Effectiveness of the search engine;
  • Search engine optimization elements;
  • Speed and ease of use on mobile.
Reviews are individual, extensive, and result in 30-50 pages packed with page comments, key page screen shots, and site recommendations. You'll have steps to take the day after the review to improve the visitor experience at your site. You control the cost with affordable pricing based on the number of pages in your review.

To start your project, email to bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com or call me at 248-766-6425.


Best College & University Website Archives


2016...

June 10— Nova Scotia Community College... Tuition Costs & Fees... a Page for Every Program 
Visit the clean and simple "Program Fees" page at Nova Scotia Community Community College where every academic program has its own cost page, complete with special fees for that program.
May 13— D'Youville College... 3 Calls to Action Lead Academic Program Pages 
Visit an academic program page that can capture action steps from potential students without forcing them to look elsewhere on the website at Business Management at D'Youville College.
May 6— Fordham University... "First Destination" Outcomes for Class of 2015 
To visit an "outcomes" pages that focuses on the most recent graduates, visit the Fordham University "First Destination" page.
April 22— Franklin University... Super Fast (93/100) Mobile Website 
To experience an unusually fast interactive site that will help potential transfer students complete a top task ASAP, visit My Transfer Credit at Franklin Universtiy.
April 15— Boston University... Video to Recruit "Undecided" Students 
For an unusual and convincing message for "undecided" students, watch the "It's OK To Be Undecided" video at Boston University.
April 8— Davidson College... Video to Increase Enrollment Yield 
Explore video innovation in student recruitment when you visit the "Ask a Wildcat" website.
March 25— University of Washington Foster School of Businesss... Fast-on-Mobile Blog & Easy Content Sorting 
Visit a fast and easy-to-use professional school blog at the University of Washington's Tucker School of Business Blog.
March 18— California Lutheran University... Fastest Mobile Home Page in Higher Education
Experience a faster than normal university home page on mobile (73/100) or desktop when you visit the California Lutheran home page.
March 11— University of Michigan... Interactive World Map for Internationalization
To see how one university promotes the international projects underway in many different countries, start at the University of Michigan Global Michigan page.
March 4— University of Maryland Grad School... Interactive Academic Program Finder 
To experience a very visitor friendly introduction to the academic programs available at a graduate school, visit the University of Maryland Graduate School's Program Explorer page.
February 19— Maryville College... Inbound Marketing for Student Recruitment 
Experience an innovative, complex inbound marketing effort when you visit "My College Path" from Maryville College.
February 12— Indiana University... New Academic Program Introduction 
Visit an excellent example of a new program introduction that uses Writing Right for the Web best practices: Intelligent Systems Engineering.
February 5— Bates College... Just 4 Key Topics on a Minimalist Home Page 
To visit a truly minimalist home page that shines in a world of clutter, travel to Bates College.
January 22— Georgetown University... 12 Undergrads Tell Video Stories 
See how 12 Georgetown University students share their experiences at the "Georgetown Stories" website.
January 15— St. Norbert College... Fast 2-Step Scholarship Calculator 
To experience the calculator yourself, skip your smartphone and use your desktop or laptop to visit the St. Norbert "Scholarship Estimator" page.
January 8— Benedictine University... Hero Video Opens the Home Page
Gauge for yourself the impact of the Benedictine University video approach when you visit home page.

2015...

December 11— Carleton College... Alumni Page Highlights 5 Networking Options 
Check how an alumni home page gives immediate priority to a Top Task for the people using it, when you visit the Alumni Network at Carleton College.
December 4— University of Illinois... 26 "Ask April & Vern" Admissions Videos Replace FAQs 
To see an unusual and entertaining approach to questions and answers for future students, start at the University of Illinois "Watch the April and Vern Show" page.
20 November — Purdue University... Story-telling Integrates Website and Instagram 
The "Boilers of Purdue" website features an eclectic mix of short and easy-to-scan student and alumni stories at the Boilers of Purdue website.
13 November — Wharton School at UPenn... Clean & Complete 2015 Career Statistics 
To see a clean and quick example of outcomes reporting from an up-to-date 2015 report, visit the Wharton School Career Statistics page.
6 November — MidAmerica Nazarene University... Blessedly Brief 6-Line Inquiry Form 
Visit an admirable inquiry form that direct marketers will love at the admissions entry page at MidAmerica Nazarene University.
23 October — Dickinson College... Tales of Admissions Travel on Storify 
Check an unusual effort from Dickinson College when you review admission counselor stories on Storify from posts on Twittern and Instagram.
16 October — University of Alabama... Faculty Review & React to "Rate My Professor" Evaluations 
See how several faculty at University of Alabama reacted to their Rate My Professor reviews at http://bit.ly/1W1fnYm
9 October — Ohio Wesleyan University... Admissions Profiles Integrate 3 Social Media Connections 
To see how you can integrate individual social media sites for Admissions counselors, visit "Meet Your Admission Counselor" at Ohio Wesleyan University.
25 September — University at Buffalo... Clear Admissions Criteria Pass 5-Second Scan Test
To visit an admissions criteria page with greater than usual immediate impact, see "Do you have what it takes?" at the University at Buffalo.
18 September — Harvard University... 3 Key Numbers Open a Strong Financial Aid Page 
To experience a strong and clean financial aid site that uses unusually clear language visit Harvard University Financial Aid.
11 September — University of Oxford... Infographic for "Oxford Experience" Facts & Figures 
Visit an innovative approach to "Facts and Figures" content presentation at the University of Oxford infographic.
21 August — College of William & Mary... 22 "Common Errors" in FAFSA Completion Explained 
To review a rare example of an effort to help students find a path through the FAFSA before dumping them into the maze visit "Common Errors on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid" from William & Mary.
14 August — Otterbein University... 60 Second Scholarship Estimator 
To experience quick and easy top task completion, stay on your desktop or laptop and visit the Otterbein University Financial Aid Estimator page.
7 August — University of Virginia... Unique "Career Communities" at Career Services Site 
To see an unusually clear career services site that builds "career communities" around 6 broad academic areas start at the University of Virginia "Career Center" home page.
24 July — Xavier University... Top Home Page Position for "Search" 
Test an unusually bold "search" feature that dominates the home page when you visit the Xavier University home page.
17 July — Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health... Great Presentation of Alumni Magazine Stories
For a rare example of design innovation that is also web-friendly visit the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health Summer 2015 magazine.
10 July — Sheridan College... Great Presentation of Alumni Magazine Stories 
For great clarity in presenting 12 alumni magazine stories, visit Ovation at Sheridan College.
19 June — Oregon State University... Best Practices for Web Writing 
Oregon State University has a great guide to help everyone on campus write and present better web content. 
12 June — Eastern Kentucky University... Fast & Clean Scholarship Estimator Form 
To experience just how easily a "Scholarship Estimator" form can work for potential students, vist this Eastern Kentucky University example.
5 June — Kenyon College... Great and Not-So-Great Inquiry Forms 
Compare the blessedly brief Link of the Week inquiry form with the standard admissions office form knowing that a shorter from will generate more conversions.
22 May — Williams College... Easy-to-Read Financial Aid Glossary 
Nothing can completely remove the mystery of the financial aid process. But to see an admirable step in that direction, visit the Williams College "Glossary" of financial aid terms.
24 April — University of Pittsburgh... Engagement Power of Numbers
Visit the PittGiving Campaign Impact page to experience the immediate engagement power of numbers used well.
17 April — Colgate University... Alumni Success Content: Majors, Networks, LinkedIn  
See how these 3 key pieces work together, including the rare link to LinkedIn alumni data on jobs and titles, when you visit "Success After Colgate."
10 April — Cornell University... Marketing-Oriented Info Request Form 
To see an info request form designed for a high response rate rather than demographic data collection, visit the Cornell University Admissions Requestion Information page.
27 March — Hamilton College... Strong & Clear Home Page Brand Statement 
Visit  a clean, simple & highly visible brand message visit the Hamilton College home page.
20 March — Wartburg College... 5 Value + Affordability Topics 
Test interactive value & affordablity content that includes strong use of video when you visit "The Value of a Wartburg Education."
13 March — University of Dayton... Home Page & More in 33 Languages 
Explore the Dayton University home page and other key pages in one of 33 languages when you start at the home page.
6 March — Augustana College (SD)... Rare "Value Proposition" Page
Check a rare example of how one private sector college works to show the value of its degree in 10 areas (with extensive video use) at the Augustana "Value Proposition" page.
20 February — Franklin University...  Quick & early transfer credit review
Potential trasnfer students can enter their courses for each major and see how these might reduce cost and time to earn a degree. Try the "My transfer credit" page at Franklin University.
13 February — The University of Chicago... Quick & Clear Career Outcomes 
Review a career outcomes page that sets a model for easy-to-view content presentation when you vist Historical Undergraduate Outcomes at The University of Chicago.
6 February — University of Huddersfield... 9 Top Links in One Quick Home Page View 
To see how one university has exercised visitor-friendly design restrain while updating the home page visit the University of Hudderfield. No scrolling needed to see the top 9 links.
23 January — Bournemouth University... Spotlight on 8 Major Research Areas 
Quickly scan in 5 seconds for less 8 major research areas when you visit the Bournemouth University Research page.
16 January — Lafayette College... Detailing the Value of a Liberal Arts College Degree 
Review content dedicated to showing the value of a privae sector degree when you visit the The Lafayette Investment page.
9 January — Arcadia University... Clean & Simple Program Home Page Starts with 3 Top Tasks 
For an excellent example of top task priority on a program entry page, visit the College of Global Studies study abroad page.

2014... 33 sites

12 December 2014 — Ball State University... A Public University Approach to Affordability 
Review how a public university speaks to a critical affordability PR challenge when you visit the Ball State "Ensuring Affordability. Now" page.
5 December 2014 — Royal Roads University... Google Glass Marketing Campaign 
Imagine how Google Glass might help you create recruitment-oriented marketing videos, no matter what the length, after you visit the Royal Roads University Future View campaign. (At least for now, Google Glass is gone. But visit and see innovation at work.)
21 November 2014 — American University... "Know Success" by Major and Degree Level 
Experience a quick, interactive trip through the career and earning potential of many different academic majors. Visit the American University "Know Success" website on your laptop or desktop computer.
14 November 2014 — UC Riverside... "Living the Promise" Landing Page Boosts Brand Awareness 
Explore a landing page that strives to boost brand awareness and appreciation when you visit "Living the Promise" at UC Riverside.
7 November 2014 — University of Oregon... 9 Options to "Explore Your Passion" in Gift Giving 
To explore how one university presents gift options to potential donors, visit the University of Oregon "Explore Your Passions" page.
24 October 2014 — Calvin College... "Cutting the Price Tag" Affordability Page 
See how Calvin delivers the message that the sticker price isn't the final price when you visit "Cutting the Price Tag."
17 October 2014 — Northern Alberta Institute of Technology... Clean & Fast Academic Programs Page 
For a simple, clean academic program page that rapidly delivers key task on employment and salary information visit the NAIT Digital Media and IT page.
10 October 2014 — Stanford University... Interactive & Slow Academic Programs Page 
Visually attractive with a serious speed penalty for mobile. Visit the Stanford University Undergraduate Majors page on both your desktop or laptop and your smartphone.
26 September 2014 — Williams College... Parents Page with Easy-to-Scan Task Options 
For parents website content that sets a standard for others to follow in highlighting tasks that parents actually want to complete visit the Williams College "Parents" page.
19 September 2014 — Harvard University... Immediate Response Net Price Calculator 
Visit the "Net Price Calculator" page to see how Harvard lets people complete a top task with speed and clarity in just 14 steps.
22 August 2014 — University of Cincinnati... Celebrating a Year in Review 
Experience an entertaining and informative trip through a past year's celebration points when you visit "A Look Back at 2013" at the University of Cincinnati.
15 August 2014 — Colby College... Clean, Simple, Easy-to-Read Online Magazine 
To experience a magazine that makes a great transition for the world of print to give priority to reading in an online environment, visit Colby Magazine.
8 August 2014 — Johns Hopkins Carey Business School... Unique "Program Explorer" 
For a different approach to helping future students explore their academic options, compete the "Program Explorer" at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.
25 July 2014 — Lake Forest College... Key Benefits for Joining an Honors Program 
Check the key benefits of becoming an honors student at a web page that skips past the usual platitudes when you visit the Honors Fellows Program at Lake Forest College.
18 July 2014 — Middlebury College... Unusually Easy-to-Use Faculty Intro Page
To visit an honestly web-friendly faculty page, head along to the Faculty and Office hours page of the Department of English and American Literature at Middlebury College.
11 July 2014 — University of Oxford... 8 Microsites for Student Recruitment 
Start your exploration of microsites for graduate recruitment for students in 8 different countries when you visit "International students" at University of Oxford.
27 June 2014 — Rochester Institute of Technology... Top Task Design for Merit Scholarships 
Find an unusual example of 4 key points people want to know about merit scholarships on a single page when you visit "RIT Merit Scholarships."
20 June 2014 — University of Findlay... 5 "Affordability Myths" of Private Sector Education 
For an unusual approach to the costs and benefits of attending a private sector university with a detailed comparison to the public sector, visit the "Affordability Myths" page at The Universityof Findlay.
13 June 2014 — Bowdoin College... Rare Academic Home Page with Recruitment Strength 
To view an academic program home page with marketing impact visit Art and Art History at Bowdoin College noting special displays for student research and alumni achievementsl
6 June 2014 — Davidson College... 30 Alumni Experience Videos via Skype 
See how one college presents alumni success stories via Skype when you visit the Davidson College "30 in 30" website page.
23 May 2014 — Arizona State University... Recruitment Priority for the Home Page
Recruitment features for undergraduate and graduate programs dominate the home page in large content blocks. See for yourself when you visit the Arizona State homepage.
16 May 2014 — Eastern Kentucky University... Photo Blogs Showcases the Campus 
To see how Eastern Kentucky uses 17 photos without any text to introduce varied elements of campus life visit the Photo Blog page.
9 May 2014 — Kenyon College... Life after Graduation in a 5-Second Scan
To see how one liberal arts college makes an unusually strong effort to demonstrate the value of its degree, visit the Kenyon College "After Kenyon" page.
25 April 2014 — Oregon State University... Numbers Tell the "About" Tale in Just Seconds 
Just 12 numbers easily deliver the "About" content from enrollment size to the number of counties in the state when you visit the Oregon State University "About" page.
11 April 2014 — University of Dayton... 90-Second Faculty Video Series 
Watch great faculty videos to include in a recruitment communications mix when you visit the University of Dayton's "90 Second Lectures" page.
21 March 2014 — Bentley University... LinkedIn Alumni Outcomes Page for Student Recruitment
Build a link to a page like this into your early email and text recruitment communication plan. Better outcomes info than just about any website. Visit the Bentley University LinkedIn page .
14 March 2014 — University of Chicago Booth School... Student Stories Are Viewbook Highlight 
See a professional school view book done "right for the web" at start here at the entry page.
7 March 2014 — Carnegie Mellon University... Great Video Stories in an Online Viewbook 
To see how just how well videos can work in an Admissions Viewbook created especially for online viewing visit the Stories page at Carnegie Mellon.
21 February 2014 — Wellesley College... A True "Quick College Cost Estimator" 
Try this welcome alternative to the usual Net Price Calculator when you visit the Wellesley College "Quick College Cost Estimator." Perfect for the first visit from a potential student.
14 February 2014 — University of California... Innovative, Interactive Admissions Home Page 
Answer 6 key questions on an innovative admissions home page at the University of Calfornia.
7 February 2014 — Arizona State University University... Quick, Clean Scholarship Estimator Page
See what merit scholarships one major public university is offering freshmen for Fall 2014 when you use the ASU Scholarship Estimator.
17 January 2014 — Kutztown University... Home Page Highlights 6 Students & Recruitment Top Tasks
To review a home page with an unusual dedication to student recruitment visit Kutztown University
10 January 2014 — UCLA... Affordability at a Large Public University 
To see how a large public university is dealing with the affordability issue vist "Affordability and How Financial Aid Can Help."

2013... 26 sites

13 December 2013 — Sheridan College... Introducing a New Brand Campaign
For a swift and effective introduction of a new brand campaign that remarkably downloads in less than 2 seconds, visit the Sheridan College "Our Brand" page. (No longe the original selection but still worth a visit for the presentation of various brand elements.)
6 December 2013 — Quincy University... "Affordability Series" for Parents and Prospects 
For a view of how one university is introducing the "Affordability" topic to potential students and parents, visit the "Affordability Series" at Quincy University.
22 November 2013 — Rider University... Outcomes Info for Major Academic Areas 
See how one university is moving to provide information of high importance to potential students when you visit "Outcomes of a Rider Education."
25 October 2013 — Johns Hopkins University... A Strong Academic Majors Presentation 
For an excellent presenation of the academic possibilities within an academic division, visit Fields of Study at the Krieger School at Johns Hopkins University.
18 October 2013 — American University... Excellent "College Affordability" Presentation 
To see an excellent "affordability" presentation that highlights decreasing tuition increases, a shift to need- based aid and low loan default rates visit "College Affordability" AU and Your Educational Goals."
11 October 2013 — The University of Kansas... Scholarship Criteria Clearly Explained
Kudos to The University of Kansas for the entire "affordability" site and especially for a scholarship page that clearly shows criteria for initial awards and retention. Visit the freshman scholarship criteria page.
4 October 2013 — Full Sail University... "Industry Insider" Faculty in Marketing Role
A clean, quick intro to faculty reinforces the marketing claim: "An education at Full Sail University centers on real-world experience... " See for yourself when you visit "Our Educators: A Team of Industry Insiders."
20 September 2013 — University of British Columbia... Interactive Online Annual Report
Review an Annual Report that takes good advantage of interactive online possibilities when you visit the UBC "Connected by Commitment" annual report for 2012-2013.
13 September 2013 — Boston University... Showcasing a New Freshman Class 
See how BU uses the power of 37 short video vignettes highlighting new freshmen for marketing advantage when you visit the "Meet the Class of 2017" page.
23 August 2013 — University of Nottingham... Capital Campaign Giving Options
See how one university enables donor control of giving with options for 5 areas in need of support when you visit "Impact: the Nottingham Campaign."
16 August 2013 - Oberlin College... A Most Unusual Home Page
Impossible to describe what makes this home page different in two sentences, except to say that it combines strong brand elements, stories, key facts, blogs, videos and more. Visit and see for yourself.
9 August 2013 - Victoria University... Academic Programs from the Home Page
Here's another strong example of priority placement (upper left corner) of links to find and review academic programs, a top task for future students. See "Find a Course" instantly when the page opens.
26 July 2013 - Vancouver Community College... 3 Key Stats Power a Home Page
Numbers just don't get the respect they deserve as an important way to make key marketing points in the critical first 5 seconds when a page opens. VCC understands. Check the power of home page numbers.
21 June 2013 - Muhlenberg College... Honesty in Financial Aid Packaging
Here is an honest description on how financial aid packages are put together at many if not most schools: the more the school wants you, the more grants and fewer loans. See "The Real Deal on Financial Aid."
14 June 2013 - Strayer University... Unique "Affordability Calculator"
Strayer offers a more comprehensive way to see how you might lower the cost of your degree by including life experience credits, employer reimbursement, transfer credit in a review of "Savings Options."
7 June 2013 - University of British Columbia... News Site Highlights Special Interest Areas
Too many news pages don't recognize an important fact: almost no visitors are interested in every news story. UBC understands and solves that by grouping them in 4 major interest areas at "UBC News."
17 May 2013 - DeVry University... Landing Page Features Key Benefit
If you want future students to connect with you, offer them a key benefit on your landing page. DeVry does just that with early credit evaluation for "Community College and Transfer Students." 
10 May 2013 - University of Georgia... Interactive, Student-Friendly Academic Catalog
Sending students to an online academic catalog is often a cruel exercise, especially when the catalog is online as a PDF. UGeorgia takes a much different (and kinder!) approach with the "UGA Bulletin."
12 April 2013 - University of Nebraska... 9 Direct Academic Program Links on Home Page
Finding academic programs offered is a key task for future students when they first visit. UNebraska makes that easy with 9 links that pass the 5-second scan rule as the page opens. See for yourself. (Not as prominent as the original version but still on the home page, scroll down.)
26 April 2013 - UC San Diego... Responsive Design Home Page Highlights Key Links
Responsive Design doesn't guarantee mobile marketing success. One key decision: what element from your original home page do you show first? UC San Diego makes the right choice: words, not visuals.
Open your smart phone and visit http://www.ucsd.edu/
22 March - Aarhus University... Recruiting International Students in 9 Languages
Increase the comfort zone for potential international students by providing key information in their own language. AarhusU shows how to do that at "AU in 9 Languages."
15 March - Drew University... Success After Graduation
Future students want information on what return on investment to expect with a degree from your school. DrewU takes a most unusual (and we think effective) approach at "When You Graduate."
8 March - Eastern Washington University... Comparing Your Costs with the Competition
If you have a cost advantage with your primary competitors, why not showcase that advantage on your website? See a rare example of that marketing step at the EWU "Tuition, Costs, and Fees" page.
8 February 2013 — Lynn University... Net Price Calculator on Home Page

For an example of how to help parents and students find the path to completing a website top task, visit the Lynn University home page to "Estimate Cost and Aid."
25 January 2013 — Penn State... Alumni Home Page
Visit an alumni home page with a visitor-friendly navigation plan that groups 27 links clearly under three topic headings for easy scanning to pass the 5-second scan rule.
18 January 2013 — Transylvania University... Marketing-Oriented "Quick Facts" Page
For a "Quick Facts" page that opens with easy-to-scan topics of likely interest to future students rather than founding date, mission statement or president's profile, check the Transylvania approach.

2012... 19 sites

7 December 2012 — Wellesley College... ROI for an Undergraduate Degree: A Economist's View
An econ professor presents 5 ROI "indicators" compete with quantitative and qualitative "data points" at the Return on Investment page.
16 November 2012 — Cardinal Stritch University... Easy-to-Scan Top Library Topics
To experience the virtue of a clean and simple library home page highlighting 6 top topics in seconds, visit the Cardinal Stritch library page.
9 November 2012 — Wisconson Lutheran College... Blessedly Brief Inquiry Form
Remember a golden rule from direct marketing: the shorther you keep the inquiry form, the more people will complete it. See how Wisconsin Lutheran College puts that rule into action.
17 August 2012 — Elon University... Rankings for Academics, Affordability 
Prominent display of rankings that include "student success" and "value" on the home page
10 August 2012 — University of Delaware... Home Page Highlights Net Price Calculator
Learning what a school costs is a top task for potential students. That's often not easy to do. See how the University of Delaware helps people solve the puzzle when you visit their home page.
27 July 2012 — Gannon University... Inquiry Form Includes Texting Option in Marketing Mix
Everyone texts these days but it is rare indeed to find that contact option on a higher education inquiry form. To see how a texting option easily fits, visit the Gannon University Request More Information page.
22 June 2012 — University of Roehampton... Video Rules the Home Page
The possible future status of Home Page video content was once here. Not any longer. 
15 June 2012 — Siena College... Quick & Friendly Net Price Calculator
Many net cost calcualators are difficult to find and harder to use, as if the host didn't want it found and used. To try a net cost calculator that is truly user-friendly, start at the Siena College "Financial Aid" page.
25 May 2012 — Stanford University... An "About" Page that Really Works
Most "About" pages are dreadful, boring places to visit. To see an "About" page that lets people scan key topics and quickly find something of special interest, visit "About Stanford." (Not quite as strong as the original version but still better than most "About" pages.)
18 May 2012 — Capital University... 19 Videos Open Future Student Page
Select from 19 student experience when you visit the Future Students page at Capital University.
11 May 2012 — University of Richmond... 24 Student, Faculty Stories on Home Page
Stories about the experiences & accomplishments of students and faculty at the University of Richmond are front and center on the university home page.
4 May 2012 — University of Buffalo School of Medicine... "Find a Person" Made Easy
Improve the ability of your website visitors to find a faculty person on your website when you adopt a system like the one at the University of Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Science.
13 April 2012 — University of Virginia... My Favorite Online University Magazine
OK, this is subjective for sure. My favorite online magazine uses video, email, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and more to spread the UVA message. Start at University of Virginia Magazine.
6 April 2012 — Clemson University... Academic Majors Page Gives Competitive Advantage
For a strong presentation of the academic majors offered, follow your favorites page. Undergrad programs are presented best. And don't miss the admirably short inquiry form.
23 March 2012 — DePaul University... Clean, Simple Home Page Highlights Brand & Top Links
Yes, you can make a brand statement on the home page and also give visitors one-step access to key links. Check the links under "Academics" and "Admissions" when you visit the home page.
16 March 2012 — Augustana College... 27 Top Tasks for Recruitment
See how top task website design can improve an admissions website when you visit the Augustana College Admissions page."
9 March 2012 — Purdue University... Highlighting Student Experiences
Potential students want to know: "Will I fit in at this school?" The best way to answer that is to let your students speak for themselves. See how Purdue does that at 5 Students Who Are Spirit Makers."
24 February 2012 — Marquette University... Pinterest Website
Scan 19 board topics to see how an early adopter is using Pinterest when you visit the Marquette University Pinterest site.
17 February 2012 — Boston University... 25 Videos Give Life to Annual Report
To see how videos inform and entertain in telling the annual report story visit the Boston University Annual Report 2010.
13 January 2012 — Clark University... "Return on Education" Highlights
See one university's response to questions about "the value proposition" when you visit "Clark's Return on Education" for info on employers, graduate schools, salary potential and much more... complete with video stories.

2011... 24 sites

16 December 2011 — NYU Law School... Home Page Priority for Academics
Experience a law school home page that gives priority placement to 11 academic speciality areas rather than news, events, and rotating photos when you visit the NYU School of Law. (Visibility has diminshed in favor of, alas, a slider and news and events content but the list is still at the home page, lower left.)
9 December 2011 — University of Glasgow... Top Task Highlights on Home Page
A research university puts top tasks for those who "Study" and those who "Research" in the upper left page position for immediate visibility. See the University of Glasgow home page.
25 November 2011 — University of Leicester... Home Page for Future Students
Top tasks for future students are immediatly visible in the prime upper right location when you visitUniversity of Leicester home page. (The most important top task, finding academic programs, remains in a highly visible upper left position here.)
21 October 2011 — Rutgers University... Social Media Guide
Encourage effective participation in social media after reviewing the detailad guide to popular sites when your visit “Using Social Media” at Rutgers.
14 October 2011 — University of the Fraser Valley... Interactive Tour Video
Mix your tour from 17 segments that interest you the most when you visit the "Get 2 Know UVF" video. Then try the marvelously brief inquiry form on the video.
7 October 2011 — The University of Queensland... Online Alumni Magazine
To view an online magazine in the spirit of "Writing Right for the Web" including translation option to 7 languages visit Contact Magazine.
23 September 2011 — Duke University... Highlighting Faculty Opinion
Create a web page to enhance the marketing power of faculty activities and opinions after you visit the "Duke Today" model.
16 September 2011 — College of William & Mary... Social Media Mash-up Page
Expand the impact of social media communication after you visit the collection of "official" and "unofficial" sites at the "Social Stream" for "Social Media at the Moment."
26 August 2011 — Western Illinois University... Mobile for Alumni
Different mobile sites for each key audience? Preview a mobile site dedicated to alumni. Or open your smartphone browser and go direct to m.wiu.edu/alumni
19 August 2011 — University of British Columbia... Mobile Home Page
View a mobile page with just 2 links for primary audiences (and download the app if you have an iPhone) at the link to iTunes on the UBC website. (Different now but visit for a rare example of a university mobile app that's still being used.)
12 August 2011 — Xavier University... Early Transfer Credit Review
Xavier helps transfer students complete a top task with a high visibility link to an early credit review form at the Center for Adult and Part-Time Students.
22 July 2011 — Suffolk University... 25 Student Academic Videos
Experience a fine integration of video and regular web content to showcase academic programs when you visit with the "Best and Brightest" students at Suffolk.
15 July 2011 — Vanderbilt University... Video to Personalize Faculty
Watch the power of video personlize faculty research when you visit the Owen School's "Our Faculty" page.
8 July 2011 — Boston University... Future Student Top Tasks
Professional school puts 6 top tasks for potential students in an upper-right can't miss position on the entry page for the website. Check the Boston University's School of Management
24 June 2011 — Macalester College... Accepted Student Profile
No photos. No video. Just the basic facts that potential future students want to see about who enrolls. Check the Macalester class of 2015 profile page. (Now for the class of 2019.)
17 June 2011 — William and Mary... Best "About" Page for Marketing
Adopt a marketing orientation after you visit a remarkable "About" page that breaks from the usual bland and boring approach. Try to find the founding date.
20 May 2011 — Lakehead University... 4 States of Admissions Recruitment
Top tasks for students at each stage of the recruitment cycle are easy to find at an admissions entry page with unusually clear navigation.
13 May 2011 — University of Toronto... 23 Alumni Portrait Videos
One reader called this the best collection of alumni videos anywhere on the web. Watch your favorites when you visit University of Toronto's high impact alumni page
6 May 2011 — Wharton School at UPenn... Academic Journal Recruitment
News, videos, podcasts, an e-book library and more create early academic engagement with high school students to pull them from "stealth" status. Create the same for academic programs at your institution after you visit.
22 April 2011 — University of Iowa... Power of a First Sentence
Don't hide a great first sentence on a web page in front of several others in the same paragraph. University of Iowa's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences does it right with a "ReStart" first sentence.
18 March 2011 — Carleton College... Net Cost Calculator Engagement
Schools that want maximum use of cost calculators will offer visually engaging, easy-to-scan intro pages that show what to expect at various income levels. Check the excellent Carlton approach to connect in 5 seconds or less.
4 March 2011 — SUNY Potsdam... "Quirky, Surprising" Campus Tour
Remote locations demand more than the "usual" online tour to get people to make a real visit. This example uses puts the emphasis on people with video and social media connects. Take tour athttp://www.virtualtour.potsdam.edu
18 Feb 2011 — Simon Fraser University... Strategic Visioning & Social Media
The "envision SFU" website asks people to answer 10 questions online, with options that include a blog comment, Twitter and Facebook. See a great mix of new tech to enlive the strategic planning process at envision.sfu.ca.
11 Feb 2011 — Juniata College... President's Report Online
Great transition from the print version to 5 top highlights, complete with video stories. Ban PDF & "flip tech" conversions from print forever after you see the president's "Momentum" report online. (A different page now but still a fine example of presidential report online content.)

2010... 23 sites

10 Dec 2010 — Harvard Business School... 19 Faculty Blogs, 1 Web Page
The Harvard Business School proudly presents faculty blogs and Twitter links on a single easy-to-scan website page. Check a high visibility approach to increasing the marketing power of your faculty at www.hbs.edu/about/connect/.
3 Dec 2010 — Susquehanna University... Top-Rated Admissions Website
Parents & future students gave a 90% positive rating to the Susquehanna site, including an "admissions and financial aid" page with links to Facebook and 10 college financing tips. Visit the site now. (Different in 2015 but still worth a visit.)
19 Nov 2010 — Washington State University... Blog for Online Student Marketing
WSU humanizes the online educational experience with student and faculty stories at wsu-online.blogspot.com/.
12 November 2010 — University of the Pacific... Admission App for Mobile World
Visit the regular website at www.u-pacific.org/freshman/ or search for the university on a smartphone, go to the admissions page and open the application for admission. 10% of 2010 freshmen applications came from mobile.
5 November 2010 — Ball State University... Facebook for Online Students
Facebook specialization adds social media marketing strenght for online learning atwww.facebook.com/#!/ballstateonline
15 October 2010 — University of Virginia... Robust Mobile App
Download one of the most robust higher education mobile apps in higher education (iPhone only) when you visit www.virginia.edu/mobile/
24 Sept 2010 — University of Oslo... Design for 3 Top Tasks for Student Life
Design for easy task completion and more people will like your website. This student life page highlights 3 top tasks and puts the rest on another page.
10 Sept 2010 — WPI... "Drag & Drop" Videos to Create Personal Campus Tour
Quickly scan 15 videos from 3 students and drag & drop your favorites to a viewing table. Visit "Eye on WPI" at admissions.wpi.edu/Tour/
6 August 2010 — College of Charleston... 95% Mobile Ready Website
Can people complete top tasks if they visit your website from a smartphone? Here they can. Start your visit at the press release announcing the change.
9 July 2010 — Langara College... Social Media Updates on Home Page
Go an important step past posting social media icons on the home page when you make your most recent updates themselves visible from the home page. Bring your social media world closer to home after you visit http://www.langara.bc.ca
18 June 2010 — Hartwick College... 76 Personal Experiences on 1 Web Page
No marketing element is stronger than stories from people about their real experiences on your campus. Visit the "Experience Hartwick" page for a superb example of creating maximum power from a single web page.
11 June 2010 — Kettering University... Mobile for Student Recruitment
A mobile site designed to promote key brand features and let people inquire right from the first page. 
4 June 2010 — Northern Arizona University... 4 Clear Payment Options
How easy is it for potential students to review payment options at your university? See simplicity work well when you visit NAU's payment options page.
21 May 2010 — University of Phoenix... Connecting to Social Media
Increase connections from your website to your social media sites when you include the lastest FB, Twitter, and YouTube posts right on the site. Visit here to check the impact.
14 May 2010 — Colgate University... Google Maps to Show 2010 Alumni Success
Use Google Maps to find where 2010 alumni are locating and what they are doing when you visit.
7 May 2010 — Boston University... 30 Videos Bring Personality to Campus Tour
The best online campus tours feature people not buildings. BU excels at
www.bu.edu/admissions/you-at-bu/
23 April 2010 — University of Manitoba... Top Tasks on Home Page
People come to a home page to go someplace else ASAP and accomplish a task. Visit a Home Page that reveals the most popular tasks as soon as you scroll on the primary audience links at www.umanitoba.ca
16 April 2010 — City University of New York... Advertising Landing Page
Ad conversions increase when their URL leads to a page that repeat and reinforce the ad's primary message. See CUNY get it right again for "Breaking Boundaries in Science Research" atwww.cuny.edu/site/science.html
9 April 2010 — North Carolina State University... 5 Students "Test Drive" iPad
See how 5 students blog about their iPad experiences when you visit "iPad Test Drive" atwww.ncsu.edu/features/tag/ipad/
19 March 2010 — Elon University... 3 Numbers Make Brand Points Pop
See how numbers make 3 "can't miss" brand statements jump from the home page for Elon University when you visit www.elon.edu/home/ (4 numbers in 2015 but still high impact.)
5 March 2010 — University of San Francisco... "Why Students Choose... "
Words have more impact than video when you use a large font size to introduce links to the major reasons students select your university. See for yourself when you visit web.usfca.edu/about/why/
5 Feb 2010 — Virginia Tech... Link to 75 Social Media Sites
Help people find your social media connections by placing them all on a single page, divided into 4 easy-to-scan topic areas. See how quick it can be at www.unirel.vt.edu/networks.html (How things have changed: now in 2015 links to just 8 social media sites.)
15 Jan 2010 — Yale University... Clean and Simple News Page
Easy to scan top stories, easy to find major academic areas, prominent multimedia connections to YouTube and more. Simplicity works at opa.yale.edu

2009... 19 sites

11 December 2009 — 2 Most Popular Links in 2009... Admissions & Social Media
The top site for "Admissions Dominates Home Page is at the University of Maine now is gone. 
Second most popular was the University of Phoenix social media page at www.phoenix.edu/students/online_communities.html
6 Nov 2009 — Carleton College... Online Annual Giving Report
< Video introduces and expands the impact of this online publication. Experience the result when you visit this fine example from Carleton College.
16 Oct 2009 — St. Mary's University... Mobile Recruitment Communications
Direct contact with potential students on their mobile phones takes advantage of a trend that will grow in the future. Check an early example at "Mobile Updates"
25 Sept 2009 — Manchester Metropolitan University... Home Page Course Finder
Many future students want to know one thing above all about your school: what programs do you offer? See how easy that can be at www.mmu.ac.uk/
11 Sept 2009 — The Johns Hopkins University... WordPress for Online Magazine
Blog formats make reading online much easier than tech solutions that "flip" print publications to the website. See for yourself at magazine.jhu.edu/
21 August 2009 — University of Saskatchewan... iPhone App for Students
Easy access to web content from mobile devices grows more important each month. This week's selection recognizes iPhone popularity. Check what's available at the University of Saskatchewan iPhone page.
24 July 2009 — City University of New York... Online Advertising
Print, radio, and online won't work as well as it might without an effective web landing page that repeats and reinforces your ad. See CUNY get it right at this strong CUNY land page.
10 July 2009 — University of Maryland... Terp Magazine Online
An online magazine that doesn't force readers to "flip" pages and zoom back and forth to access content. Read the stories at www.terp.umd.edu/
12 June 2009 — University of Michigan... Financial Fundamentals
A 9-slide presentation tells the tale of key income sources and how revenue is allocated to major areas of the University. Good start for a budget debate. Visit at vpcomm.umich.edu/budget/fundingsnapshot/
5 June 2009 — Azusa Pacific University... Mobile Access Website
How does your regular website look from an iPhone or other mobile device? Best to plan now for a simpler version that allows easy access to key content. (Check an early .m site for nostalgia and simplicity.) 
Visit www.apu.edu/m/ and check a plain and simple version of the future.
22 May 2009 — University of Phoenix... Connecting 9 Social Media Sites
One step from the home page is a web page with brief descriptions of 9 social media sites including FB, MySpace, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Visit from
www.phoenix.edu/students/online_communities.html
15 May 2009 — Wesleyan University... Engage Users in Web Design
Involve your campus community right from the start of a new website design project. Wesleyan solicits comments on 3 home page designs. See how it works. And can work for you.
8 May 2009 — University of Missouri... Best Registrar's Site
Visited 43 registrar's website entry pages in search of one that put students first, right from the first 5-second impression. The Registrar's Office at Mizzou stands above the rest. Service marketing is alive and well here.
17 April 2009 — City University of New York... "Post-click" Marketing Expertise
Ad campaigns often fall apart after a person hits a website when there's no connection between ad and online experience. CCNY gets it right with an online page the mirrors the print ad.
10 April 2009 — Suffolk University... 11 Video Stories to Tour Campus & City
Buildings and grounds take a back seat as students, faculty, and an intern supervisor tell personal stories to introduce Suffolk and Boston. Take the tour.
13 March 2009 — Walden University... Word of Mouth Marketing
Make it easy for your current students to invite friends and colleagues to join them at your school. Check's Walden's website referral page.
6 March 2009 — NYU School of Continuing & Professional Studies... Unique Inquiry Page
Clean, quick inquiry form puts the visitor in charge re how they'd best like to receive information. Take a test drive.
20 February 2009 — DeVry University... Best Marketing-Oriented Home Page
Engage in 5 seconds or less with academic programs and continue with live chat, video testimonials and more. Visit great marketing at www.devry.edu/ (Updated, still strong via top task marketing.)
13 February 2009 — Calvin College... Press Releases + Video for Online Impact
And the text presentation is perfect for 5-second engagement. See how to do press releases online atwww.calvin.edu/news/
16 January 2009 — University of Kentucky... Special Events Page
Special events are often "promoted" with a press release that's unlikely to engage web visitors. This MLK holiday example shows how to do it for any event upcoming on your campus. Visit www.uky.edu/MLK/about.html

2008... 14 sites

12 December 2008 — 2 Most Popular Links in 2008... Academics & Alumni
The top site as for "The Perfect Academic Page" at Penn State's Online MBA program atwww.worldcampus.psu.edu/iMBA.shtml Alas, this page no longer exists in the original form.
A strong second favorite was Mount Holyoke College's "Alumni Blogazine" atwww.alumnae.mtholyoke.edu/blogs/blog/mount-holyoke-alumnae-quarterly And this page is gone as well.
7 November 2008 — University of Chicago Law... Story Telling on Twitter
Students and faculty tell tales of the law school experience at "Tweet Chicago." Follow the Twitter stories at webcast-law.uchicago.edu/tweetchicago/
31 October 2008 — Edmonds Community College... Onsite Social Networking
Blogs, videos, events, chats, student activities on a single social networking page create strong connections and constant new content. Visit the social networking site at edmondscc.ning.com/
17 October 2008 — College of Charleston... Top Student Profile Page
People searching for the right college test the "fit" by what they know about who goes to your college now. This page hits the basic details and much more. Meet the Class of 2012 at http://www.cofc.edu/about/freshman-class-profiles/classprofile2012.php 
3 October 2008 — University of Virginia... 26 Video Law School Stories
YouTube is the vehicle the Law School uses to expand online communications and present video stories about academics, alumni support, facilities and more. Visit the site at http://www.youtube.com/UVALawSchool
12 September 2008 — University of Alberta... International student recruiting
Seriously recruiting international students with an in-depth website that includes scholarship countries and online registration before arriving at the university. Visit www.international.ualberta.ca
15 August 2008 — Capella University... Taking the mystery from online learning
Capella offers 5 different options to remove the mystery about online learning, from FAQs to videos to a fee one-week seminar and more. Visit this page and check the options for yourself.
18 July 2008 — Creighton University... Marvelously short online inquiry form
Direct marketers know that the shorter you keep your online inquiry form, the more people will complete it. See the shortest form I've ever found on a college website right here.
13 June 2008 — Agnes Scott College... 15 student videos animate campus tour
More than 15 student videos give new life to the online campus tour experience at a Webby Awards site honored for "Rich Media Advertising." www.realviewtv.com/online/agnesscott/index.html 
9 May 2008 — Penn State University Online MBA... The perfect academic page?
The perfect academic program page? Just about. Great use of keywords, easy-to-scan and read text, clear links, smart video content, and more. See it all at
www.worldcampus.psu.edu/iMBA.shtml
2 May 2008 — Roanoke College... Online Contest to Build the Brand
Recommend a mascot contest generates stories about why Roanoke is a "Classic College" in a unique online effort to build the brand and have fun doing it.
www.classiccollege.com
11 April 2008 — University of Richmond
An online "Undergraduate Catalog" makes it easy for future students to find the majors and courses that inteest them. A special feature makes it easy to send suggestions about how to make the catalog work even better than it does now. undergraduatecatalog.richmond.edu/
21 March 2008 — University of St. Thomas
A "web encoure" for an online magazine creates higher impact with extra audio and video features for the Web 2.0 environment. www.stthomas.edu/magazine/2008/Winter/Broszko.html
7 March 2008 — The University of Southern Mississippi
Student videos on TV and the Web integrate brand building and increase enrollment applications.
www.usm.edu/spv/
15 February 2008 — University of Missouri
Video animates a print story about Missouri's poet laureate as Walter Bargen reads the poetry someone else is writing about and Web 2.0 shows real value. mizzouwire.missouri.edu/stories/2008/poetry-wings/

2007... 10 sites

30 November 2007 — University of Nebraska
The College of Engineering takes student and faculty video stories to YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEoGawLjnts&feature=related
19 October 2007 — Bradley University
Financial aid estimator breaks the sticker price barrier to deliver net cost information for freshman and estimates of net costs for the next three years.
admissions.bradley.edu/ssl/estimator/?status=viewtab1
12 October 2007 — Clark University
Faculty connect with potential students in visual podcast stories "Their Other Life" outside the classroom. Hear the 6 stories at www.clarku.edu/clarkvoices/
14 September 2007 — Pitzer College
A video press release replaces the traditional, hard-to-scan print version.
www.pitzer.edu/multimedia/mediapraxisme.html
13 July 2007 — Smith College
Easy to scan key branding statement tells admissions visitors "Why is Smith a Women's College" to differentiate the college in just a few seconds. www.smith.edu/about-smith/why-a-womens-college
1 June 2007 — University of Toronto Rotman School of Management
Watch an engaging YouTube promotional video featuring studens, alumni, and faculty atwww.youtube.com/watch?v=KSdtyaDW1W0&mode=related&search
11 May 2007 — The University Western Ontario
106 faculty, student, staff, and alumni blogs presented on a single high impact page atcommunications.uwo.ca/weblogs/directory.htm#alumni
4 May 2007 — University of Chicago
Putting an alumni magazine online so that people will read it can't be done in PDF format. For a best practice example of how to create online content, visit magazine.uchicago.edu
30 March 2007 — MIT
Blogs from students and staff dominate the first admissions page as Web 2.0 continues to change the future face of college and university websites.
www.mitadmissions.org/
9 February 2007 — The College of New Jersey
Try an online tuition cost estimate, the website feature that's second in demand by college bound high school students. www.tcnj.edu/~admiss/costs.html

2006... 4 sites

17 November 2006 — University of Manitoba
MySpace adapted for a university website mixes talk of romance, biology, study skills, baking a pie and more at the Virtual Learning Commons. Web 2.0 goes to college at www.umanitoba.ca/virtuallearningcommons/
8 September 2006 — Pepperdine University
A rare annual report designed for the Web, not a PDF copy from print.
www.pepperdine.edu/annualreports/2005/
4 August 2006 — Texas A&M University System
Press releases in blog format highlights new news and easy archive searches.
Visit news.tamus.edu/
14 April 2006 — Mount Holyoke College
Visit for a great campus tour experience, using the interactive power of the Internet to put the visitor in charge.
www.mtholyoke.edu/cic/tour/

The featured content at these sites is no longer available:
 
2014...

18 April 2014 — Guilford Technical Community College... Comparing Competitive Costs
If you have a cost advantage over your competitors plan something similar to what you'll see at the GTCC "Tuition Comparison Calculator."
4 April 2014 — George Washington University... Brand Statement as Facebook Page Opens
Start rethinking the immediate marketing power of words as your Facebook opens.
24 January 2014 — Northwestern University... "At A Glance" Page Passes 5-Second Scan Test
An admirably simple, self-restrained "At a Glance" page that highlights just 5 key topics with subheads that stand out immediately when the page opens.

2013...
15 November 2013 — University of Ottawa... Top Tasks Front & Center on the Home Page
A strong placement of 2 top tasks for student recruitment (finding academic programs and costs) was once on this home page. Pity that has been dropped for a typical hero image opening.
5 July 2013 - Dalhousie University... A New President Starts a Listening Campaign
How to you give people a chance to tell the new presidents what's most on their mind? And at the same time, conduct a marketing survey for key issues? Set up a "100 Days of Listening" survey online.
5 April 2013 - Capella University... Home Page Marketing Power: Advance Your Career
If helping to recruit new students is the primary purpose of your home page you can't do that any better than with a "can't miss" display of Career Advancement information.
11 January 2013 — MIT... Admissions Selection Process and "Best Fit" Advice
 
2012...

14 December 2012 — Xavier University... ROI for an MBA
Start with your current salary and any employer reimbursement that will reduce tuition cost to calculate the ROI of a Xavier MBA.

23 November 2012 — Indiana University... Browse by Topic News & Events Page
Indiana doesn't force you to scroll through a chronological list news stories to find one that might interest you. Scan 11 topics to find the news that fits you.
19 October 2012 — Sewanee: The University of the South... $10 to Boost the Annual Fund
See an annual fund page with a pragmatic approach to why young alumni should support their alma mater.
12 October 2012 — Boston University... Integrating a PR Page with Social Media
See how you can use Facebook stories to open your PR page.
5 October 2012 — Washington State University... Step-by-step Admissions Page Reflects Student Choice Stages
A strong example of how to build an Admissions page that recognizes the three major stages of the recruitment cycle from exploration to registering and moving to campus.
21 September 2012 — University of Sydney... 40 Home Page Links Get People Quickly Into the Site
Think that the UOxford selection on 14 September was unique? Visit the USydney home page for another example of making visitors happy by getting them quickly from the home page to where they want to be. (Another task-oriented home page falls to the lure of "modern" design.)
14 September 2012 — University of Oxford... 40 Home Page Links that Will Boost the Brand
To see how words rather than images might help your university stand out against your competitors, this home page was once the place to visit. No longer.
24 August 2012 — Dickinson College... Excellent "Ask a Parent" Page: Contact by Major and More
To help parents of future students learn more about your school from the parents of current students, Dickinson once had an "Ask a Parent" page.
10 February 2012 — Walden University... Options to Pay Your College Costs
A best-in-class introduction to 5 key points about paying for higher education.
3 February 2012 — University of Illinois... Admitted Student Checklist
Top task design shines in this page that makes an immediate scan of key steps for newly admitted students as easy as possible.
20 January 2012 — Boston College... YouTube on Facebook
Integrating social media sites is good for people and good for search engine rankings. Pick from 6 easy-to-scan YouTube videos on Facebook.

2011...
18 November 2011 — Oregon State... Home Page Options for Key Audiences
Help people find what's most important to them by letting each key audience change home page links.
11 November 2011 — Atlanta's John Marshall School of Law... Mobile Admissions Application
John Marshall makes a top task easy to complete from an iPhone with a mobile-friendly application for admission.
5 August 2011 — Tufts University... Unique Social Media Mashup Page
Most mashup pages show you a little bit from several sites. Not this one. Pick your favorite site for an in-depth introduction.
10 June 2011 — UCLA... Video Personality for Faculty Experts
52 faculty videos give an extra dimension to the usual bland "search our database" faculty expert pages.
25 March 2011 — University of Vermont... Academic Program List
Finding a list of available academic programs is a top task for every potential student. Few make scanning that list as easy as what you'll find at UVM.
11 March 2011 — MIT... Connecting Alumni to Social Media Sites
MIT creates a website page that presents 3 benefits for each social media site (FB, Twitter, LinkedIn) as well as a "Slice of MIT" blog.
15 April 2011 — University of Wisconsin... Integrate Mobile + Traditional Design
Simplicity of mobile design finds its way to key navigation steps on a traditional landing page.
4 Feb 2011 — University of Illinois... Social Media Mashup for Admissions
Facebook & YouTube take top spot on this admissions page designed to quickly engage future students with these sites and others.
21 Jan 2011 — Creighton University... Students Celebrating Admission
Video & photos capture the moment when students received news of their admission.
14 Jan 2011 — NC State University MBA... Social Media Mashup
Program-specific social media mashup pages increase engagement with potential graduate students, advancing the integration of traditional websites with Facebook, YouTube and more.

2010...
22 October 2010 — Penn State University... Top Tasks for Online Students
The World Campus home page shows marketing power by placing 14 top tasks, starting with academic programs, in a can't miss top-left position.
8 October 2010 — Northeastern University... Compare Competitive Tuitions
Online degree costs are compared with 6 competitors.
17 Sept 2010 — University of Texas at El Paso... Capital Campaign Videos
Students, alumni, faculty support UTEP without the usual marketing/PR hype.
20 August 2010 — University of Evansville... Mobile Highlights Academics
To help with student recruitment, mobile sites need to highlight academic programs on the home page. Right now, few do that. Evansville stands out as an exception.
13 August 2010 — St. Lawrence College... Students Creating Website Content
Students in business administration create a special welcome for new freshmen.
23 July 2010 — Emerson College... Clear Graduate Program Costs
Easy to scan tuition for 10 Master's programs from $38,000 to $61,000 at Emerson's "Graduate Admissions Tuition Cost" page.
16 July 2010 — Regis University MBA... List Competitor Costs
12 online & 12 "local campus" competitor tuition costs.
26 March 2010 — Simmons College... Admissions Rules the Home Page
"Admissions Info" is a feature visitors can't miss when they arrive on a Home Page that also includes upcoming admissions events and an inquiry form.
12 March 2010 — John Carroll University... Outcomes as Marketing Tool
Visit a website page that gives unusual substance to the "value proposition" for a private-sector university when you visit "Prepared for Life in 4 Years."
19 Feb 2010 — College of Charleston... iPhone Campus Visit App
Use your iPhone to select from 18 student-guided videos. See the website presentation and download the app.
12 Feb 2010 — Linfield College... Online Learning Guide
Easily scan 7 chapter headings and move to what's of most interest when you visit online learning information done well.
22 Jan 2010 — Bates College... Highlight Web Analytics
Get people to value web anlytics with regular upates and understandable definitions.
8 Jan 2010 — University of British Columbia Okanagan... Social Media Dashboard
Real time social media postings on the primary website. Personalize the page and link directly to Twitter.
 
2009...
4 Dec 2009 — University of Melbourne... International Student Recruitment
Special content for potential students from 9 regions around the world.
20 Nov 2009 Simon Fraser University... Microsite Reduces Stealth Explorers
"Solutions" contest features scholarship prize and more to encourage potential students to identify themselves and share solutions on Facebook and Twitter.
13 Nov 2009 — Purdue University... Social Media "Hotseat" for Professors
Students use Facebook and Twitter to send class questions and vote on which ones profs should answer first. Watch the video and read the press release descriptions.
23 Oct 2009 — Washington State University... "All Electronic" Communication
Full page of tips large and small to convert paper communications to effective online versions.
9 Oct 2009 — St. Edward's University... Search & Site Map on Same Page
Don't hide the site map. That's the best thing you can do to help people find their way on your website. And with the way people use "search," the best thing to do is put both search and site map together.
18 Sept 2009 — The University of Maine... Admissions Dominates Home Page
If the top goal of your website is to boost new enrollment, does "Admissions" have first place on your home page?
14 August 2009 — American University... International Student Recruitment
Use your current students to help recruit new international students by blog and email contact.
7 August 2009 — Capital University... Easy-to-Read Online Viewbook
Here's proof that you can create an web-friendly online viewbook without using difficult-to-read "flip" technology.
17 July 2009 — Texas A&M... Mobile Access iPhone Apps
Take advantage of the popularity of iPhone and iPod Touch with special apps that make it easy to access news, directories, video, and athletics.
26 June 2009 — Cornell College... Distinguishing the Brand
Testimonials from 30 students, faculty, and alumni add power to the importance of "One Course at-a-Time" to create distinctive education at Cornell.
19 June 2009 — St. Leo University... Enabling Socia Media "Collectors"
Social media "collectors" like to tell other people about their web finds. St. Leo helps them do that with links to 53 social media sites.
24 April 2009 — Middlebury College... Frank Talk on Financial Crisis
President Liebowitz speaks clearly about how plans will change from the impact from endowment and tuition losses than anyone else on the web.
3 April 2009 — Brock University... Online Capital Campaign
Top priorities and giving options are clear and easy at this site for the "Bold New Brock" campaign.
20 March 2009 — UT McCombs School of Business... 32 Student YouTube Videos Market 10 Academic Programs
Creative students craft videos to promote their academic majors on YouTube.
6 February 2009 — Rhode Island School of Design... Online Viewbook
Banish PDFs and engage people with video stories and examples of student work.
23 January 2009 — Peddie School... Interactive Online Tour
Select from 9 start options and view student and faculty video stories.
9 January 2009 — Worchester Polytechnic Institute... Social Media & New Admits
YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter work with other social media elements to engage and convert new admits to WPI.

2008...
5 December 2008 — Wesleyan University... President's Financial Crisis Page
Video, FAQs, a blog combine with old fashioned text to tell the story of what's being done to meet the challenges of the uncertain financial future.
21 November 2008 — University of British Columbia... Online Annual Report
Story telling along with the usual reports in a innovative, interactive Web 2.0 version that expands the impact of a print document.
14 November 2008 — Oklahoma State University... 5 Alumni Social Networks
OSU creates instant visibility to introduce alumni to social networking opportunities.
10 October 2008 — Cornell University College of Engineering... Admissions Blogs
Students searching for the right college visit academic areas of interest so why not put recruitment content on the academic program web pages?
19 September 2008 — University of Maryland... Networking by Academic Area
"My Social Network" connects future and current students in the School of Social Work in 10 special interest group areas.
5 September 2008 — Northern Arizona University... Twitter for adult students
Engage current and future distance learning students with a stream of Twitter items, crafted in about 140 characters or less to inform and entice.
1 August 2008 — City University of Seattle... Quick connect for degree programs
The "engage them or lose them in 2 to 10 seconds" rule is at work in this great introduction to 4 Masters programs, each with a brief description.
11 July 2008 — Fanshawe College... International students tell their stories
International students searching for a college will benefit from this easy-to-scan page with 17 stories grouped by the 9 countries represented.
20 June 2008 — Centre College... A president makes a YouTube pitch
The president goes online on YouTube to personally energize alumni for end-of-season contributions to the annual fund.
6 June 2008 — Bluffton University... Student videos give life to the Mission
Students tell video stories about Service, Discover, Community, and Respect values that distinguish a Bluffon education.
30 May 2008 — Ohio State University... Direct links to 5 social networking sites
Connect direct to 5 social networking sites from a dedicated page on your "official" website, including Facebook, YouTube, and Wikipedia.
16 May 2008 — Dominican University... Very fast online scholarship estimator
Answer 2 questions about your academic record and receive a quick estimate of the merit scholarship you might receive as a new freshmen or transfer student.
18 April 2008 — Northwestern University School of Law
Online, interactive viewbook starts with student and facuty videos telling the law school story. Links let you move easily from the viewbook to the main website.
4 April 2008 — University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
A keyword search feature lets visitors quickly find out if a major is offered here, complete with links to information about it. Try the "Major Finder."
29 February 2008 — Mount Holyoke College
Innovative use of the blog format brings an alumnae magazine to life on the web.
8 February 2008 — Washington State University
Engage high school students early with an "Imagine Tomorrow" contest and clearly present the participation and prize details in text and video.
1 February 2008 — Hobart and William Smith Colleges
"Experience Maps" for students and faculty start at the front page and let visitors scan and select from 12 experiences to learn more about what interests them.
18 January 2008 — Sacred Heart University
Student story telling done really well in 8 "Learning 24/7" videos that tell tales of life on campus, from academics to athletics to just plain fun.
11 January 2008 — Colby College
Student-generated content in personal stories, video, blogs, photos, podcasts and an online magazine in a leading application of Web 2.0 for student recruitment.
4 January 2008 — UCLA
Best-in-class web friendly presentation of capital campaign results, with links to 9 primary beneficiaries of campaign dollars.
 
2007...
7 December 2007 — St. Edward's University
Future students and their parents will learn about possible merit scholarships in about 15 seconds when they answer 5 questions at this easy-to-use estimator.
16 November 2007 — University of Manitoba
17 student and alumni blogs support a multi-media "Its My Future" branding campaign with stories of their personal successes.
9 November 2007 — Slippery Rock University
Make "accountability" information about first-year retention, student engagement on campus, and much more highly visible from the front page of your website.
2 November 2007 — DeVry University
Take advantage of the popularity of online degree programs with a comprehensive demonstration of how things work at your university.
5 October 2007 — Nebraska Wesleyan University
Faculty blogs as part of the student recruitment communication mix.
21 September 2007 — Stony Brook University
Virtual admission advisors that give accurate answers to questions.
7 September 2007 — Dickinson College
From an easy to scan list of academic programs, visitors create a "Custom Academic Viewbook" with info about each program listed on a single web page.
17 August 2007 — George Mason University
Gunston, the university mascot, introduced humorous videos with the serious intent of generating online inquiries for the admissions office.
20 July 2007 — Northeastern University
A "Parents Corner" message board engages parents on campus safety, finanacial aid and more.
6 July 2007 — Regis University Online MBA
See an entry page optimized for search engine marketing, from the essential page title tag through the headings and primary content when you visit.
15 June 2007 — Gustavus Adolphus College
Instant Messaging as part of the admissions communication mix is presented with an easy-to-scan clarity that's missing from most other IM efforts.
18 May 2007 — Case Western Reserve University
Second Life joins the online student recruitment communications mix.
20 April 2007 — UC Berkeley
Integrate your official admissions website with YouTube after you see how Berkeley uses 20 "CalTube" videos to show the benefits of its academic programs and San Francisco environment.
13 April 2007 — Connecticut College
13 faculty and student stories prominently displayed throughout the website create high marketing impact for text-only content.
6 April 2007 — University of Richmond
Innovative use of student videos to answer "Frequently Asked Questions" is just one feature of an "Experience Richmond" collection of Web 2.0 elements.
9 March 2007 — Virginia Tech University
A YouTube contest to create VTU stories spreads "Invent the Future" brand identity.
2 March 2007 — Calvin College
Web 2.0 increases the impact of press releases with links to Facebook, Digg, and Del.ocio.us and more.
16 February 2007 — Longwood University
Blogs, videos, podcasts and more student created features combine for high impact reality marketing at "Longwood Live."
2 February 2007 — UNC Kenan-Flager Business School
Easy to scan content, a video testimonial, and a strong page title tag make this stand out for unusually high engagement potential.
19 January 2007 — Santa Clara University School of Law
15 blog topics keep everyone up to date, from future and current students to faculty, staff, and media. Blog's aren't just for personal stories any more.
12 January 2007 — Ohio University
Continuing education gets a "Second Life" in 3-D.
5 January 2007 — Fordham University
12 easy to scan video topics help build the Fordham brand identity.

2006...
2006... 8 December 2006 — Ball State University
Student videos introduce the key academic learning feature that helps shape the Ball State brand of "Education Redefined" for future students and their parents.
1 December 2006 — Butler University
Student vodcasts focus on the first semester in the College of Business Administration... and are posted on YouTube for extra impact.
3 November 2006 — Emerson College
A "can't miss" display of academic programs at the admissions page.
20 October 2006 — Boston University
Student and faculty story telling videos, right from the front page.
13 October 2006 — University of Minnesota
Integrated ad campaign... TV, print, radio, online, campus sidewalks. Read the rationale and see and listen to the ads for the Driven to Discover campaign.
6 October 2006 — Carnegie Mellon University
Videos, blog, and podcasts help convert web visitors inspired by a traditional ad camaign for the Tepper School's MBA program.
15 September 2006 — University of Connecticut
A powerful "can't miss" branding statement on the front page of the website is repeated and reinforced at the first admission page.
18 August 2006 — Carnegie Mellon University
Abby and Jenny, admissions robots, answer your questions when they can and ask you to call admissions when they can't.
11 August 2006 — University of Toledo
Very fast online financial aid estimator and ROI for a UT education. Estimate what you'll pay at UT at www.
28 July 2006 — University of Baltimore
Follow Natalie through 8 30-second videos on life as a UB student as part of an innovative branding campaign integrating TV, web, billboards and more.
14 July 2006 — Hendrix College
Audio and print stories highlight alumni outcomes right from the admissions page.
7 July 2006 — MIT
Visit ZigZag, a video magazine that takes online publications a step ahead of most.
23 June 2006 — Walden University
Student videos are used to verify the brand identity claimed on the front page.
16 June 2006 — Colgate University
Video success stories from 9 Class of 2006 alumni for potential new students.
9 June 2006 — Capella University
Put 3 great student stories right on the top of your front page... and follow them inside with 13 more.
2 June 2006 — Buffalo State College
Get more people to “Interact” at your website. Put podcasts, message board, blogs and more in one convenient location. And label it, “Interact.”
19 May 2006 — North Dakota State University
Great example of website interactivity as 30 students say “Ask Me” about NDSU. Pick your favorite by major or home town.
12 May 2006 — Furman University
Furman validates the stories of every student who blogs when it lets Greg tell why he plans to transfer.   5 May 2006 — Miami University of Ohio
Junior inquiries receive an email link to student videos on life at Miami.
28 April 2006 — Biola University
“Hugs from Home” from parents creates strong “word of mouth” marketing.
31 March 2006 — Skidmore College
Use Internet interactivity to engage alumni at your website.
17 March 2006 — Houghton College
Houghton College integrates blogs, podcasts, and photos — “next generation” blogs.
10 March 2006 — Cornell University
Cornell University presents 30 creative and entertaining gift giving opportunities
3 March 2006 — Boston College
One of the few fundraising pages that shows how a gift benefits individual students.