Prospective students now can catch a glimpse of Wildcat life with the help of a magazine.
The new publication, The WC, was distributed to the homes of 20,000 students who have shown an early interest in the university, said Kris Evans, director of enrollment marketing.
“Colleges today are starting to recruit students at an earlier age, and we knew we had to get in that game,” Evans said. “Instead of sending out more marketing types of publications and emails, we decided to make something cool and relevant to them.”
The first issue of The WC was released this fall and features a variety of tips for prospective Wildcats. The 16-page magazine includes sections such as “College Prep: What you Can Do NOW to Get Ready for College” and “Ask a Wildcat” for high school students looking to get a leg up on the college process.
“We realized that most of our information was for students who were ready to apply and not for those freshman or sophomores who just wanted an early look,” Evans said.
In the welcome by President Phil Schubert, students are encouraged to utilize the new publication to help make the big college decisions that will soon await them.
“My hope is The WC will serve as a source for you to find helpful hints for college preparation and to set high expectations for what a college experience can be for you one day,” Schubert said in the foreword.
The WC includes a special section coined “The Wall,” where students can go beyond academics and assimilate into ACU life with the help of QR codes, texting opportunities and online links.
The university enrollment marketing team visited local grocery stores to research which types of magazines the high school demographic was purchasing. The team took special note of the common styles and discussion topics when creating The WC, Evan said. In addition, the team worked with a third party company that aided in the fashioning of the magazine.
Evans said he encourages readers to visit www.theWConline.com to explore and provide feedback of the magazine. Readers who ‘like’ the Facebook group WC Magazine by Abilene Christian University can participate in contests, like five students who responded to a post on Oct. 4 and won free Sing Song tickets.
Evans said The WC has produced positive feedback almost immediately upon its release.
“We went ahead and took a chance,” Evans said. “It’s exciting because parents are saying their students are reading the magazine cover to cover.”
Prospective Wildcats can stay tuned for the next issue, a 32-page publication that will be released spring 2012. To receive The WC, visit www.theWConline.com and “Click to Subscribe.”
