“Second term represents a vulnerable window for many freshmen,” said GoalQuest's CEO Peter Kraft. “Colleges and universities look to us for unique, interactive solutions that return large retention results. The goal is to give students a convenient way to reach out, while reminding them about the resources available to them and the reasons they chose the school in the first place.”

Many schools have chosen GoalQuest’s adaptive Web-based technologies to engage first-year students throughout the year, focusing specifically on the beginning of the fall and winter terms, two periods in which attrition is common. Others begin their GoalQuest campaigns in mid-summer so as to reinforce key messages from summer orientation. In all cases, these clients utilize GoalQuest’s FYRe™ technology, a unique Web-based program that uses adaptive messaging technology to keep students immersed in carefully crafted content.

Loyola Marymount University’s FYRe program, called Mane Points, speaks to students in a casual, conversational tone. The program encourages healthy attitudes and behavior and delivers information on such topics as study skills, university resources and campus clubs and activities.

“We communicate to students on their level about the things that concern them most. By monitoring their engagement in Mane Points we can determine which students may need more attention,” said Director of First Year Programs, Jade Smith.

LMU has seen an increase in retention from 88 to 90 percent for 2004. Close to 60 percent of LMU freshmen are participating in the Mane Points program.

One of GoalQuest's newest partners, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center sees the second semester as equally important for a push on retention efforts. UCD HSC's new GoalQuest FYRe program, uniquely themed around forensics, will launch this winter, offering “Case Files” on time management, campus resources, academic success, career planning and other related topics.

“The FYRe program will communicate to our students the importance of good study habits, life skills and other useful information that we believe the lack thereof has often lead to a student's early departure,” said Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Rod Anderson. “The type of intelligence that comes from FYRe will help us hone our retention efforts.”

Gonzaga University has taken a different approach to retention by communicating to parents with GoalQuest's PICS/FYRe program, called Gonzaga Parents' Advisor . The goal is to build better conversations between parents and students while providing encouragement and access to resources. Gonzaga aims to give parents the inside track on campus life.

“We've utilized GoalQuest to raise the bar in the way we communicate with our parents,” said Vice President of Student Life, Sue Weitz. “Our Parents' Advisor program is a good example of how Gonzaga strives to stay ahead of the technology curve while empowering parents to help their students.”

For partners who choose GoalQuest FYRe during the next three months, the Company is offering a bonus pilot program that can be tested during the spring semester with a selected student population. Prospective clients thus have the opportunity to refine and expand their FYRe offering based on input from actual students. For more details on this sales opportunity, please contact Executive Vice President of Sales, Tracy Howe at (212) 868-3500 x. 108. .