Here’s our great tips on how to make the most out of The Student Room’s University Official Rep product over the results and Clearing period
In your forum
Make sure you’ve got a fresher’s 2017 thread (or applicant thread if that is where the conversation is happening naturally) to encourage chat and positive vibes. Keep a note of the link so that you can direct other applicants to that thread easily.
Make sure you’re active and keeping an eye in the applicants thread or Clearing thread if you have one, answering any questions quickly.
Finding conversations
There will be conversations happening all over the site, but the main areas to look out for discussion are:
Clearing, Applications and UCAS
It’s also worth checking individual subject forums and the advice on everyday issues forum
If you find people talking about you in other forums don’t be afraid to link them to your applicants thread or freshers’ thread – the best way to do this is:
- Answer their question fully in the forum they posted.
- Link them to your fresher/applicant thread in your reply.
- Tag or @ mention them into the fresher/applicant thread directly, so they receive a notification and are taken straight there.
Giving advice
Don’t be afraid to jump in to threads and give genuine, practical advice to students who have questions about Clearing, even if they’re not applying to you. This comes across really well and gives an impression that the university is professional and on the ball with admissions.
Inform students of all their options. You don’t have to tell them what to do, but letting them know what’s available to them (e.g., retaking a year or re-applying again next year) will often result in them finding their own best course of action.
Listen to students and ask questions
If someone is asking about a specific course in Clearing that’s the time to let them know you have spaces available.
Write your post like you were telling someone about the course face to face. Marketing speak or posts which read like an ad come across as desperate, and students are often turned off by this.
Make sure you pay attention to what the student wants and that your answer reflects that – if the OP is after a uni in a specific location and you’re 300 miles away, be careful. Make sure their grades also fit in with the university requirements, as a mismatch here can cause a negative backlash and will make the rep look uninformed.
If someone is vague in their original post, don’t be afraid to ask them what grades they have or what they are looking for in a course. Once they get back to you, you can give them more information about your course that might be relevant to them, or offer some more general advice.
Asking questions is a great way to understand what the student wants and what other students might also want to know.
Be personal and professional
It’s really important to be as personal as possible during Clearing as students will be confused and hoping for advice from real people. They’ve probably already read everything they can find about Clearing and Results and now they want to hear the information from another human being to make sure they’ve understood correctly. So take the time to write out your responses, and avoid linking to your site in place of an answer.
You can also congratulate students on their results and get involved in the more general chat – celebrate with them.
Want to know more about our Official Rep product and how it works? Get in touch with us today on 0800 999 3222 or contact us here