Selling A Dream
Mind games and deception
Admissions
The admission process at AIU is all about getting students enrolled and doing it as fast as possible (so they dont change their mind or find this site). Regardless if the student is right for the school or not, if they have a high school diploma or GED and have a way to pay for the tuition their in. The worst part about it is that the entire process is controlled by psychological tricks and deceptive practices.
So what goes on behind the scenes in the admissions department at AIU?
To start, your admission “advisor” knows very little about higher education, the job market, or even much about AIU. The qualifications to become one is very minimal, if you possess sales skills your hired. They receive very little training, nothing more than what a used car salesman would receive. They are then given the responsibility to “assist” people with making very important life changing decisions. Scary!
It is against the law to pay admission advisors commission, so they use intimidation, social pressure and job security as means of motivation. If one walks into their department the first thing you will see is not success stories of students or thank you letters on the wall, but instead a giant white board with all of the stats for the day, week and month. They are extremely numbers driven and if one wants to hold on to their job and not get harassed by management, they better make their quota. Needless to say, turnover is extremely high and morale is always low.
Mind Games
AIU advisors use a freudian style sales tactic called question based selling. They don’t come out and tell you to enroll, but instead trick you into believing that going to AIU is the best thing for you to do with your life. They do this by asking you questions like “why do you think education is important” and “what is your goal in life” or “how can a college degree help you”. People think the advisor is interviewing them to see if they are right for the school, but they are really just making the person trick him or herself into believing AIU is right for them. It’s despicable and highly effective. If you say no, they don’t just say thank you and move on; no, they will continue calling you until you change your mind. Becareful about giving AIU your phone number!
Another clever method used by advisors is selectivity. They make people feel that not everyone can get into AIU, that getting in is an honor. The fact is that everyone gets in, remember they are not concerned with whether AUI or college for that matter is right for you, they just want your money. They conduct fake interviews and tell you that your application will be reviewed, its all a mind game and nothing more. Don’t get fooled!
"There's no question that Wall Street likes growth, and that growth may not necessarily be in the best interests of highly regulated industries" like higher education, says Jeffrey M. Silber, an analyst with the Harris Nesbitt investment bank
"The pressure to enroll that Wall Street places on these companies is almost unbearable and creates incentives to misbehave," he says. "Unfortunately, we're seeing plenty of evidence that the 'recruit at any cost' mentality is becoming more the rule than the exception." David Hawkins, director of public policy at the National Association for College Admission Counseling,
Promises and Profits
Chronicle of Higher Education
Read the full story about AIU
Student-recruitment tactics at University of Phoenix blasted by feds.
Keep in mind the U of P and AIU along with most for-profits operate the same and use the same methods. U of P is in the media more because it’s a larger company. Read the story
