ABSTRACT
This chapter advocates the use of current student ambassadors as part of an institution’s recruitment and retention strategy. It argues that whilst traditional promotional materials used by institutions are still relevant to assisting the potential student’s decision-making process, they are overly positive, untargeted and do not address the information needs of applicants in a manner which is likely to reduce levels of withdrawal. One issue highlighted is that students often enrol with a set of expectations and are disappointed when these are not met. To overcome this, there is a proposition for the use of current student ambassadors who are able to better inform potential students about the challenges that await them at university, offering an ongoing, informal and ‘real life’ perspective on what it is like to be a student at university. It is suggested that if better information and support is given to students before they commence their studies, they are more likely to be recruited and less likely to withdraw in the later stages of their programme of study.
