The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is launching a campaign to encourage high school seniors, who are currently deciding on college, to choose UH Mānoa. Among the highlights—UH Mānoa is consistently ranked in the top five percent of colleges and universities, both nationally and internationally.
“We want our local families to know that one of the best universities in the world is right here in Hawaiʻi,” said Roxie Shabazz, UH Mānoa assistant vice chancellor for enrollment management and director of admissions. “UH Mānoa is a place where you can pursue your passion and lay the foundation for a successful career and life.”
Rolling out a multichannel campaign set to launch this month, the UH Mānoa Office of Admissions is ramping up media buzz, events and social media to engage with the prospective students and their families across all channels.
The campaign includes a 30-second radio spot scheduled to air more than 1,400 times on 20 local radio stations from April 7 through April 28. This is a critical three week period ahead of the May 1 deadline for students to submit a tuition deposit. UH Mānoa admissions officials will also participate in a series of interviews on major local TV and radio stations.
Listen to the radio spot
The weekend of April 7–8 is the second annual Mānoa Scholarship Awards Weekend, a time to congratulate and recognize awardees for their exemplary academic, extracurricular and community achievements, in addition to providing opportunities for them to discover the vast academic and research opportunities at UH Mānoa. Recipients of the New Warrior Scholarships—including Regents’, Chancellor’s, Mānoa Excellence, Mānoa International Excellence—and the Doctor of Medicine Early Acceptance Program are invited to participate.
- April 7: Scholar-to-Scholar Day—A half-day event where current scholarship recipients are paired with new awardees to share their experiences from a scholarship recipient perspective at UH Mānoa.
- April 8: Mānoa Scholars Awards Dinner—New awardees, along with their families, are invited to an awards dinner to be recognized for their scholastic achievement.
Later in the month, two evening receptions will be held for newly admitted Oʻahu students and their families.
- April 19 and 22: Oʻahu Accepted Student Reception—Newly admitted students, along with their families, are invited to learn about the programs, opportunities and support services at UH Mānoa. Meet other newly admitted students, and hear from a panel current Rainbow Warriors about their academic and collegiate experience. (Invitation delivered via mail)
New recruitment initiatives are underway including innovative approaches to financial aid, implementing customer relationship management software—a common best practice—to manage and personalize interactions with incoming and current students, and renewing strategic recruitment efforts in California including establishing a regional counselor and targeting specific high schools and two-year colleges.
Other initiatives that began in 2016 include expanding the number of application days at local high schools, improving direct communication with parents, expanding efforts to recruit international students, increasing opportunities for underrepresented students and implementing new software for campus tour reservations.
“This is an exciting time in admissions,” noted Ryan Yamaguchi, associate director of admissions. “College decision season is upon us and many students are faced with the question of where to spend the next four years; not only a big moment for students, but for their ʻohana as well. These events allow us to support our local students and their ʻohana, providing personalized contact through accessible events.”
Other campaign highlights
- UH Mānoa has developed nationally recognized programs to help students stay on track to graduate in four years.
- The average tuition cost at UH Mānoa is well below the national average and the six year graduation rate, salary after attending, and rate of students able to pay down debt are all above the national average, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
- UH Mānoa offers more than 200 degree programs.
