With recruiting connections to India in development, Houghton will try and continue its strong global history and diverse student body.
Alumnus, Carmen Mckell, who is currently working on the Data Science Program process at Houghton with BaseMetrics, approached Enrollment Management about venturing into an opportunity to recruit students from India. BaseMetrics specializes in predictive analytics and visualization and has worked on over 300 projects in four countries, including India.
Eric Currie, Vice President for Enrollment Management, believes this connection to India will be beneficial because of Houghton’s popularity status. “We are small, we aren’t as well known, so it is difficult to break into new markets when people have no idea who we are,” said Currie.
Last October, Currie went to India to visit both public and private schools, to connect with several universities for potential partnerships, and establish relationships with potential students. As a result of the visit, three applications were submitted which was encouraging, but also surprising to Currie. “I didn’t expect that to be honest, the first time you go you are trying to engage and develop relationships,” said Currie. Two of the three applicants have already been admitted.
A decline in demographic in Alleghany County is one of the main incentives for pursuing the recruiting opportunity in India. Houghton has always had a strong global history and it is part of its “DNA” according to Currie. He would like to continue the tradition of the college’s diverse student body, and thinks the opportunity in India is worth the effort. “India has a significant population that hungers higher education so we feel that this is an option that we need to pursue,” said Currie
Another incentive for Currie and the enrollment management team to materialize the connection is the prospect of making international students discovering Houghton less random.
In first year student Amy Abraham’s case, finding Houghton happened “by chance.” Abraham, who is from Kerala, India, was searching colleges online when she came across Houghton. She had never heard of it before, but that didn’t stop her from wanting to know more.
Although there have already been a few applicants, Currie is not getting ahead of himself. “We are still very much so I would love to have people at Houghton from my home.”