Have you ever submitted a request for information for an online school and subsequently received information and/or calls from not only that school but several others? Is your online search turning up a myriad of schools and sites that is more confusing than helpful? Have you visited sites that promised you the best match with a school after you provide them some basic information? If you have answered yes to any or all of these questions than welcome to the swirling vortex of online lead generation and recruiting.
Because most online schools generate their recruiting prospects on and through the Internet, there is no way to get around the fact that this marketplace is innundated with affiliates, super affiliates, lead aggregators, SEO specialists, and affilate networks all looking to generate leads. It’s big business. And it’s big business that is constantly evolving. In fact, I heard the president of one lead aggregator for online schools call it “the wild, wild west.”
As it is critical for online schools who generate their prospects through these channels to have detailed reporting mechanisms in place to ensure accountability among other things, but it is equally important that the prospective student understand that, in many cases, these channels will encourage him to evaluate multiple offers from multiple schools. That is why it is important that, if you are a prospective student or someone interested in online education, you take that fact-finding process seriously and do your homework. What you don’t want is a “bad fit” with an online school that could seriously hamper you from earning or completing your degree even years down the road.