Our hope is this toolkit will provide you with invaluable information related to identifying, recruiting, and ultimately enrolling graduate students. The templates and links provided are intended to support your recruitment and retention endeavors.
How Can You Get Started?
1. Email Your Network
Spread the word about UC Merced's graduate programs by connecting with your colleagues at other institutions. Our team is happy to assist with putting together contact lists for target institutions, providing email templates for outreach, and creating bulk email campaigns through the Slate CRM system. Contact us to get started: jventura9@ucmerced.edu
2. Promote UC Merced at Events, Conferences, Presentations, and Seminars at Other Institutions
Feel free to let us know of any events you attend and we will be happy to provide you with marketing materials and swag. We also encourage you to collect prospective student names and emails while at events and submit those names to the Graduate Division. This will ensure that interested students are entered into our Slate system to receive updates on the application. Download a prospective student registration sheet to take to events.
Submit your prospective student lists to Grad Div using our lead upload form: https://applygrad.ucmerced.edu/register/programleads
3. Participate in a Virtual Information Session
Create opportunities for prospective students to connect with you by participating in a program webinar. We encourage you to work with your graduate program chair to schedule or participate in a session. The Grad Recruitment team is happy to assist with logistics and emailing our list serves to promote your event. Request to schedule a webinar: https://applygrad.ucmerced.edu/register/webinarrequest
View the calendar of scheduled events here.
4. Embrace Social Media
Whether it's an account for your lab or program, social media helps prospective students see what life at UC Merced is like beyond the images on a website. Be sure to tag us in any of your posts so we can also share them on our channels: @ucmercedgraddiv. Not ready to dive into social? Send us your photos and we can promote your work on our channels. You can find us on the following platforms: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
5.. Share our Request for Information Form
Encourage prospective students to complete our inquiry form. This will ensure they are added to our email marketing system and receive application and recruitment event updates.
Marketing Materials
Unsure about initiating an email conversation with a prospective student? Need assistance with PowerPoint slides for an off-site presentation? Below, you'll find templates and marketing resources for your utilization.
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Best Practices in Recruitment & Retention
Learn more about recruitment and retention best practices.
- Graduate Recruitment Strategies that Make the Dean's List by NAGAP
- Best Practices in Graduate Student Recruiting and Marketing by Hanover Research
- Guide to Recruiting and Retaining Diverse Graduate Students by UC Berkeley
- Best Practices for Successful Graduate Student Recruitment by ASU
Campus Resources
UC Merced offers numerous resources to help our students achieve their educational goals. Learn more and share these resources with your prospective students.
- Graduate Resource Center
- Institutional Training Grants
- Grad Funding
- Health and Wellness
- Basic Needs Security
Contact Our Team
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Jess Ventura | Graduate Recruitment & Marketing Manager: jventura9@ucmerced.edu Martin Arredondo | Graduate Recruitment Specialist: marredondo8@ucmerced.edu Please email grad@ucmerced.edu if you have suggestions for our growing library of recruitment tools and resources. |
Follow Us | @ucmercedgraddiv
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