Markteffect 2020-2021

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Students in their penultimate year of secondary school (VMBO 3, HAVO 4, VWO 5) have largely put their study choice process on hold over the past year? They are waiting until they can visit physical open days again.

The Image Monitor: what stands out to us in terms of orientation behavior?

The first thing that stands out in the 2020-2021 survey is the decline in brand awareness of the vast majority of secondary vocational education (MBO), higher professional education (HBO), and university education (WO) institutions. Furthermore, the number of different educational institutions that prospective students are considering has not increased this year. In September 2020, the educational institutions participating in the survey had the opposite expectation, namely that more prospective students would be considering a wider range of educational institutions this academic year. This was due to the fact that online orientation would be more accessible, easier, and less time-consuming.

The results of this school year's Image Monitor also show that students in the penultimate year of VMBO, HAVO, or VWO are even more in the early stages of orientation than in other years. This early stage means that students are still thinking about and unsure of the field of study they want to pursue. In contrast, HAVO and VWO exam candidates are making progress in their study choice process. VMBO exam candidates are also making progress, but they are still postponing a final decision.

Based on the research results, it can be concluded that a large proportion of prospective students are behind schedule compared to last academic year. It is striking that there are significant regional differences in terms of the stage prospective students are at. The greater the choice in the region, the longer people seem to wait before making a final decision.

Why does this effect occur?

The explanation for this is that, due to the many COVID-19-related challenges, less attention has been paid to study choices in secondary education this school year. After all, as widely reported in the media, secondary education is facing major challenges in continuing to provide high-quality education and conducting the upcoming exams.

Normally, secondary education plays an important role in working with students to ensure that students in their final years of school take advantage of the study choice activities organized by higher education institutions, such as open days, education fairs, career fairs, open days, shadow days, and trial study days. According to the research specialists at Markteffect , this also Markteffect why orientation among students in the penultimate years, who will have to make a choice in the coming school year, has declined.

Various secondary vocational education, higher professional education, and university education institutions have also expressed concerns about the lagging enrollment and application figures. Based on data from the Imagomonitor Markteffect can conclude Markteffect there is a large group of prospective students who still have a number of steps to take before making a final decision on their choice of study and ultimately enrolling in a secondary vocational, higher professional, or university program.

What are we hearing from prospective students at the moment?

Discussions Markteffect by Markteffect with prospective students reveal that young people are facing considerable uncertainty. This, combined with one of the most important decisions they will make at a young age, namely their choice of study program, leads to the conclusion that choosing a study program causes a great deal of stress. The term "study choice stress" may therefore be even more meaningful this school year, as many prospective students will be making their final choice this spring after an even shorter period of broad orientation on sectors and programs.

What expectations does the Image Monitor reveal for this spring?

Markteffect many secondary vocational education, higher professional education, and university institutions expect that there will still be many late applications this spring. Many of the students who will make a late choice will have hesitated for a long time, may have explored their options less thoroughly, and may have a less favorable impression of the atmosphere due to the lack of physical open houses and shadow days.

Previous studies have shown that attending an open day or other physical form of information session at the secondary school contributes to making the right study choice. As a result, secondary schools should possibly focus even more attention in the coming school year (2021-2022) on helping prospective students settle into their secondary school, monitoring their academic success, and providing (personal) guidance.

With regard to the study choice process in the 2021-2022 academic year, it is important to realize that even more prospective students than usual will be in the initial phase of orientation and will need to make a choice within one academic year of this initial phase of orientation. Our advice would therefore be to pay above-average attention to the resources for providing 'broad information' to prospective students.

What else can be done this spring for prospective students who have yet to make their choice?

After registration, it is important Markteffect to respond even more quickly this spring. A personal welcome from the follow-up school by current students, teachers, and counselors can be extremely helpful in giving prospective students the right feeling. This could include a personal message via a medium that suits the media behavior of the target group, such as WhatsApp, which is being used by more and more educational institutions. Speed is of the essence in this case. Prospective students often enroll in multiple programs, and those who are undecided often opt for convenience, making speed after registration an important deciding factor in choosing an educational institution and program.

Furthermore, it is important for secondary schools to offer certainty after enrollment. In this uncertain world, prospective students want only one thing: certainty. This is also reflected in their response to the question, "What happens after I enroll?" Discussions with prospective students have revealed that they have the following questions:

• What steps are there after I have registered?
• Have I been accepted?
• When should I order my books and laptop?
• What will the first week and the initial period of my studies look like?
• Have I met the expectations of the secondary school?

How can Markteffect ?

Markteffect the Image Monitor annually. Would you like more information about the insights or do you have any other questions? We are happy to provide explanations or answer any questions you may have. The research team consists of:

• Krijn Vugts | Research Specialist
• Anke de Martines | Research Specialist
• Davy Zwegers | Client Consultant