OPTIMIZE Newsletter

There's a richness to the interactions experienced during in-person orientations. As Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of one of the world’s most popular web publishing software, wisely stated, "Technology is best when it brings people together."

And that’s where we thrive! Your online orientation strengthens your ability to engage with students and their families, allowing you to focus on building relationships during in-person experiences. 

Through our partnership, you can expect more innovative and sustainable enrollment and orientation solutions bringing more people together well into the future.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

• VIDEO: The Power of Partnership
• Masterclass Webinar Recording
• Images from Behind the Scenes
• Measuring Orientation Results
• Events & Conference Survey
• New Student Experience Heroes

A VIDEO TRIBUTE

The future is now. It all begins and ends with connections. At Advantage Design Group^®, we’re innovating how colleges and universities engage with new students and their families. With you as our partners, we’ve been a driving force behind a vision that elevates the transition to college into memorable, impactful, and authentic experiences.

When you play this video, you'll recognize orientation, transition, retention, and enrollment leaders everywhere — maybe you! As we charge into 2025 and beyond, we will keep innovating to raise the bar on the new student experience. We are committed to what we do best -- balancing creativity with technology and empowering you with the support you need to be successful.

CLIENT SUCCESS

With dynamic technology and fresh, creative concepts taking form almost everyday, there's always more to learn to optimize your Advantage Orientation^®. We're here for you! Take a moment to play the recording of our latest webinar, providing new insights and education so you can take action toward improving your total onboarding experience.

Webinar Highlights with Examples from Your Peers

• 2:08 - Explore the Tools in Your Toolbox
• 2:50 - Surveys for Students & Families
• 4:26 - Experiences for Families & Supporters
• 6:30 - Creative Ways to Use Email Reminders
• 11:12 - Sharing Content with Campus Partners
• 13:57 - What's inside Advantage OnDemand
  • Available in Spanish & English
  • Dual Enrollment Video
• 16:59 - NEW & Updated Learning Modules
  • Title IX
  • COMING SOON
    • Financial Literacy
    • Student Success 
• 18:56 - What's NEW in the Latest Platform Release
  • Unified Accessibility - just in time to meet 2026 requirements
  • Courses
  • New Slide Types
  • ...and much more!
• 21:18 - Learn more during the Q&A!

Consultations are Empowering

We encourage you to schedule a consultation with your account manager.

Now is the perfect time to customize your Advantage Orientation^® enhancement plan!

VIDEO PRODUCTION

Coming to your campus to film your orientation videos is a privilege. We guide you through the planning and preparation, provide script writing when needed, help you visualize your locations, and choose your talent. It’s a process that can feel daunting, but when your film crew arrives on campus, all the pieces are in place for a fun and exciting experience.

The team that came out to produce the videos were fantastic to work with. They walked us through the process and helped make everyone who shot a video feel comfortable and at ease in front of a camera. It was a terrific experience.

Chris Eppling
Carson-Newman University 

On-Campus Filming Experiences – Find Your Match

Try this fun way to explore what on-campus filming experiences feel like and learn a bit about some of the institutions in the Advantage Orientation^® community. Be inspired to update or add more video to your online orientation. If you have yet to upgrade your platform to include gamification, you can experience it now. Play this matching game, then add video and gamification to your wish list when you schedule your consultation with your account manager.

Play the Behind the Scenes Challenge

Flip the tiles to make a match! 

LEVERAGE THE POWER OF DATA

Producing and implementing your online orientation is a strategic choice to leverage the power of technology in a measurable way. Not only did you need to show campus leadership online orientation is a wise investment, you’re also called on to demonstrate its effectiveness and sustainability over time.

As interface design and creative content engage your audience, your platform tracks every interaction, data you can use to connect the dots between participation and the metrics you need to support overall institutional objectives. While you don’t need to be a trained statistician or “data wrangler” to access reports and analytic tools, it’s helpful to learn how your peers measure results.

Achievements Worth Sharing

Here are two stories to help you leverage the data inside your platform to prove its effectiveness and return on investment. Regardless of your audience, institution type, or admissions model, you have powerful data at your fingertips!

Explore these Articles

LET'S CONNECT AT UPCOMING EVENTS

There's practically no better way to gain the insights and education you need to develop your skills and talents than to learn from your peers. Staying connected through affiliations, networks, association memberships, conferences, and webinars helps to fill the knowledge gap. Sometimes a simple conversation can solve complex challenges!

While there's more to come, here's a preview of events we plan to attend. Will we see you there?

Join Us in 2025 

DREAM Annual Convening 2025
February 18 - 21
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Phillidelphia, PA

NODA Regions III & IV
March 28 - 30
University of North Texas, Denton, TX

SHRM 2025 National Conference
June 29 - July 2
San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA

HR Florida
August 24 - 27
Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, Kissimmee, FL

NACAC
September 18 - 20
Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, OH

NODAC
October 23 - 26
San Francisco, CA

Take this Quick Survey

Which conferences do you plan to attend? Are you a member of any professional associations? Let us know! We'd love to partner with you!

TAKE THE SURVEY

Our story is about you and your success in providing virtual experiences to welcome and prepare more students than ever. You're all heroes and deserve to be celebrated. Here are some of the most recent, popular posts from across the social sphere featuring your successes. Follow, connect, share, and engage! #OnlineOrientation #DigitalExperiences #VirtualOnboarding #CollegeRecruiting

On Facebook	On LinkedIn

On Instagram	On X

We hope you found value in this edition of OPTIMIZE.

Use the form on this page to reach out to us.