Harvard College
Harvard College
Projecting the authentic Harvard experience to engage prospective students and their families
For all of its brand dominance in undergraduate education, Harvard is not always accurately understood and valued. Legacy perceptions—and misperceptions—have persisted: Harvard is too cold, too male, too competitive, too reliant on teaching assistants, too expensive—and often thought to be out of reach for students who would be welcomed, and who would benefit from all Harvard has to offer.
Over the twenty-plus years that we collaborated with Harvard Admissions and Financial Aid, we worked to build a more accurate picture of today’s College, and to help Harvard assemble desired classes.
However, early in our engagement we noted that Admissions, the Office of Financial Aid, the Freshman Dean’s Office, and the Harvard College Dean’s Office each produced their own materials aimed at high school juniors through to accepted applicants and matriculants. The result was a disparate group of materials with different approaches to design, formats, and messages. Competitive schools were doing a better job.
We worked with all four of these offices and their staffs to develop—and build consensus around—the first set of integrated, “approved” messages that the College has ever had—and to evolve a system of visual expression and collateral targeted to prospective students at different points in the admissions cycle. A high school junior, an admitted applicant, a prospective transfer student—as well as high school guidance counselors—all received mutually reinforcing materials that engaged them in an authentic experience of Harvard. A shared goal across each piece: “I can see myself here.”
Objectives
- Attract desired, right-fit students to each new undergraduate class
- Encourage sought-after accepted students to matriculate
- Improve and unify disjointed communications from four areas of Harvard College, most of which were sent to the same recipients
- Evolve high-level messages to be used by all who interact with prospects, accepted, and matriculated students—and their families
- Craft a visual system that creates seamless prospect journeys—and reinforces the larger Harvard brand
Collaboration
- Engaged Admissions, Office of Financial Aid, Freshman Dean’s Office, and Harvard College Dean’s Office in a new shared enterprise
- Drafted, and achieved acceptance of, the first set of high-level messages the College has embraced in its 400-year history
- Evolved and implemented a system of visual expression to create a seamless journey for prospective, accepted, and matriculated students
- Creative, collaborative partners for 23 years
Scope
- Qualitative and quantitative research
- Internal / external communications audits
- Cross-departmental meetings to build consensus
- Brand strategy
- Communication architecture
- Attributes, storylines, messaging
- Visual system
- Print collateral
- Templates for in-house use
- System documentation
Storylines and messaging communicate both the big picture—and differentiating details—of the Harvard experience.
We evolved a set of storylines—or key concepts—that could be deployed as needed to connect with different audiences and make the most of opportunities across the admissions / enrollment cycle.
For prospective students
Storyline 1: Preeminent liberal arts and sciences college
- Deeply rigorous academics that challenge and inspire
- Intellectual independence and freedom to explore
- Breadth, depth, and flexibility of offerings
Storyline 2: The context of a world-class university
- Opportunity to engage with renowned faculty in and out of the classroom
- Research, service, and international study opportunities
- Unparalleled resources and facilities: libraries, museums, laboratories, gyms, playing fields…
Storyline 3: Co-curricular activities
- Wide-ranging offerings: there is something for everyone
Storyline 4: A welcoming, open-minded, supportive, collaborative community
- Extraordinary range of people on campus—students, faculty, and staff—who contribute different backgrounds and perspectives and take responsibility for the well-being of one another
- An open, respectful space for the exchange of ideas and opinions
Storyline 5: Commitment to affordability
- Harvard’s unparalleled financial aid program
Storyline 6: Cambridge / Boston / New England
- An international hub of higher education
- Area’s dynamic mix of industries and organizations
Storyline 7: History and heritage
- 400 years being a leader in higher education
For parents of prospective students
Storyline 1: Preeminent liberal arts and sciences college
- Deeply rigorous academics that challenge and inspire
- Intellectual independence and freedom to explore
- Breadth, depth, and flexibility of offerings
Storyline 2: The context of a world-class university
- Research, service, and international study opportunities
- Unparalleled resources and facilities: libraries, museums, laboratories, gyms, playing fields…
Storyline 3: Commitment to affordability
- Harvard’s unparalleled financial aid program
Storyline 4: Cambridge / Boston / New England
- The enduring legacy of the region: birthplace of the nation, location of important historical events and the formation of new ideas
- An international hub of higher education
- Area’s dynamic mix of industries and organizations
Storyline 5: History and heritage
- 400 years educating leaders who make a difference
- 400 years being a leader in higher education
Shared messaging
We collaborated with leadership and staff across departments to create the College’s first shared high-level messaging.
For intellectually curious students—motivated by ideas, knowledge, and action—Harvard College provides an extraordinary opportunity for transformative experiences that…
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enable students to grow—intellectually, socially, and personally;
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prepare them to become collaborative leaders and engaged citizens—and to make a positive contribution to the world.
Communicating the authentic Harvard College experience
Across the suite of materials, key storylines and the unique value of a Harvard College education are brought forward. Student stories and voices are interwoven with an institutional narrative, generous imagery, and salient statistics.
Each spread focuses on a different aspect of the Harvard experience.
Short takes, combined with impressive statistics, begin to tell Harvard College’s story.
Harvard welcomes applicants who have begun their education or life experiences elsewhere, including veterans.
Students accepted to Harvard have most likely been accepted at other top-tier or Ivy League schools. The accepted student’s package makes the case for “why Harvard”—and reinforces the messages and visual expression these students have internalized—and hopefully embraced—thus far. First-person stories help to build connection and help students to “see myself here.”
Connecting with recommenders: counselor newsletter
Keeping counselors informed and connected is important throughout the recruitment cycle.
A letter from the Dean of Admissions, combined with quick takes and statistics, keep counselors up to date.
Prospective students from other countries have specific information needs, questions, and concerns.
