UniQuest’s International Stealth Applicant Research uncovers the characteristics and mysterious behaviors of international Stealth applicants. Through the study, we’ve identified common qualities among the international admitted students we’ve engaged and supported on behalf of our college and university partners. The traits and yield rates presented here have been developed through the analysis of more than 15,700 international admitted student profiles from key markets across the 2017/2018 recruitment period.
We know from our research that international Stealth applicants convert to enrollment at a significantly lower rate than international students who inquire pre-application. Our latest data shows that students who inquire before application have an admit yield rate that is 115% higher!
Understanding that international Stealth applicants make up the majority of colleges’ admitted student population, it’s important that institutions gain more insight into who these students are and how to engage them more effectively.
Through our research, we’ve built a robust profile of who Stealth students are, common questions they have, the channels they’re using to learn about universities, and how best to engage them once they’ve submitted their application. We’re working with our partners to help them translate these insights into developing the right messages and information to make sure Stealth students are engaged in the right way on the channels they’re using pre-application.
Here we’ve shared just a few highlights from this work to inform your international student recruitment strategies.
The International Stealth Applicant Persona
To illustrate key traits and qualities found in international student Stealth applications, we’ve developed the persona of “Mysterious Mary.”
Each of Mary’s characteristics represents findings from our research into Stealth application trends from international students. Respectively:
International Stealth Applicant Yield: Market Snapshots
From the broader analysis of over 15,700 international admitted students from the 2017/2018 recruitment period, UniQuest is also shedding light on key markets like China, India, Nigeria and Malaysia. Overall, our data has shown that international admitted students who inquire before applying convert to enrollment at more than twice the rate of Stealth applicants. Breakouts of key market data can be viewed below.
Get the Latest Insights on International Stealth Applicants & More
Want to dig deeper into international student Stealth applications, behaviors, and conversions? Head to UniQuest Insights to continue your research, and check out this article on international Stealth applicants’ mysterious journeys.