OPTIMIZE Newsletter

What is the key to success? According to the late, great Arthur Ashe, 3-time Grand Slam winner: “One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.”

For your students, preparation fortifies the journey to college and confidence grows along the way. Staying prepared, with a versatile set of online orientation solutions, contributes to your success, too.

This issue focuses on preparation and includes:

• Special offers to help you leverage the latest technology and engagement assets
• Advancements in data management and security
• Simple and effective tool to improve orientation completion rates
• Celebrate New Student Experience Heroes
• Meet Your Client Success Team

Subscribe to Advantage OnDemand^TM for Less

A subscription to Advantage OnDemand^TM is the fastest and most affordable way to add high-quality video to your new student experience. Whether inside your Advantage Orientation^® or on your website, the demand for Advantage OnDemand^TM video content is rising, and for good reason.

The delayed FAFSA launch has caused institutional turmoil and confusion for new students. And yet, with video-enhanced content about how to apply and what to expect, new students at the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) are engaging in the information they need to understand the process of securing financial aid.

Matthew Belanger, Vice President, Student Engagement & Achievement at UMGC, recently shared his thoughts about the benefits of tapping into the Advantage OnDemand^TM video catalog.

"For us, the decision to go with Advantage was grounded in the company’s ability to deliver quickly, to deliver high quality, and to provide a strong, easily integrated solution. These considerations apply to Advantage OnDemand^TM, as well.

It was essential for us to deliver a high-end experience consistent with the learning experience, which made the video capability so important. We know video allows students to feel like they are receiving a better product. Extending the use of videos available in Advantage OnDemand^TM allowed us to avoid building text-heavy content for a more engaging experience.

We use several videos from the catalog that have proven very helpful. For example, it’s not surprising to learn that 11K+ students who have opted to participate in online orientation so far have viewed the FAFSA video nearly three times. It seems that some of the changes and challenges around FAFSA this year likely motivated them to review it multiple times, ultimately helping more students successfully submit their FAFSA application."

Take advantage of this limited-time offer!

10% OFF

Your First Year of Advantage OnDemand^TM

WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE NOW - May 1, 2024

That’s a savings of $350, and you haven’t even started yet! You gain instant access to scores of titles covering essential topics for a fraction of the cost of a single video.

2024 Top Streaming Orientation Videos

There’s nothing like an explainer video to simplify complicated topics. It’s got to be engaging, with just enough information to introduce the idea and show the viewer how to take more confident action.  Here are the videos topping the leaderboard so far this year:

1. FAFSA Application
2. Understanding FERPA for Students
3. Disability Accommodations and Support
4. Make the Most of Your Tutoring Sessions

It’s the Perfect Time to Get Started!

Schedule a consultation with your Client Success Specialist to take advantage of this limited-time offer!

small upgrade-BIG IMPACT

From your platform's administrator's panel, you can see how students progress through your online orientation. Take a look at the Overview Report. What is your overall number of completions? Is it not as high as you'd like? Automated Email Reminders are an easy and effective way to remind students to complete orientation.

Learn more from Nancy Luthe, Director of Success Coaches at Grayson College, in the video above.

Monitoring the number of students completing your online orientation, especially during peak seasons, is a best practice. However, many administrators with small teams struggle to increase completions as efficiently as possible. Automated Email Reminders are an easy and affordable solution.

When this tool is added to your platform's "back office," simply set the parameters for a date or number of days since the program was started. Compose your email message in the text editor. We can even help you personalize it using simple data merge techniques and add graphics to reinforce your brand. You can add multiple reminders or customize reminders for each member group. 

Imagine how much time you will save by implementing this task automagically!

See? Wasn't that easy?

Orientation Tech Trends

Data management and security is just about everything in today’s world of cloud computing. That’s why our information technology experts and team of programmers take every step necessary to ensure your system performs as promised and meets essential data management requirements. You can be confident in knowing our SaaS solutions have been thoroughly assessed by qualifying third parties and are recognized as certified.

TX-RAMP Certified

TX-RAMP is a government program that promotes the adoption of secure cloud services by providing a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services. TX-RAMP was specifically designed to serve the requirements of Texas agencies and Senate Bill 475. 

Advantage Orientation^® meets the TX-RAMP requirements as a cloud service provider serving Texas agencies and meets the Level 1 baseline of security requirements to protect regulated and confidential data. 

Ellucian Advanced Solutions

Ellucian is the higher education platform connecting people, processes, and applications across the institution to power coordinated programs designed for student success. Advantage Orientation^® was first validated for its integration capabilities with Ellucian’s Banner^® and Colleague^® software solutions in 2021. Today, Advantage Orientation^® has been re-certified to meet Ellucian’s elevated standards for a “Saas Safe” solution.

Advantage Design Group^® is the only online orientation production company included in the Ethos Connected Partner Catalog as a recruiting and admissions technology partner.

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

Meet your Client Success Team

From Left to Right: Warren Lavoie, Simon Morantes, Bryan Laudenslager, Brett Whitaker, and Sally Swan

We hope you found value in this edition of OPTIMIZE.

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