Suited to Recruit

Find Where Your College Story Begins

Institutions have a lot of competition for prospective students' attention. One way Lawrence University aims to entice potential applicants is with the 10-page square mailer Don't Just Finish. Flourish. The publication gives students a taste of life at the Wisconsin institution as well as an idea of what life might look like after graduation. Colorful photos, attractive graphics, and useful information about internships, research opportunities, special programs, and post-graduation employment abound. The final page features portraits of eight recent alumni and invites readers to go online to learn about the graduates' journeys.

Lawrence University won a 2016 Circle of Excellence Award, Gold, in the in-house print publications category. (The institution's series of mailers also earned a Silver Award for student recruitment publications packages.)

Fun FAQ

Kids Make the Case for the Annual Fund

A charming and authoritative third-grader leads "Today's Lesson: The Pennfield Fund," a five-minute video set up as a

class about the importance of the Rhode Island independent school's annual fund. After discovering some of the necessary budget items the fund supports, young Pennfield students ask familiar questions aimed at correcting common misconceptions, such as the belief that small gifts won't make a difference. Halfway through the video, the "teacher" recaps what the class has learned and then calls on parents, grandparents, alumni, faculty, and friends to give. Why? "Because Pennfield believes in me," the students answer.

Pennfield School garnered a 2016 Circle of Excellence Award, Bronze, in the long fundraising videos category.

Alumni Memories

Keep Pranks Alive

During Alumni Weekend 2015, Imperial College London reveled in its graduates' proclivity for pranks. Alumni who shared stories of the stunts they pulled as students earned a limited-edition T-shirt—the centerpiece of the Imperial Prankster campaign. A Seattle-based tattoo artist known for his retro style illustrated the shirt, giving it an "old-school motorcycle club feel" with a scientific spin. The campaign received more than 100 submissions, a greater response rate than previous calls for alumni memories. Imperial's website and alumni magazine later featured some of the pranks.

Imperial College London drew a 2016 Circle of Excellence Award, Silver, for specialty piece design.