GoalQuest Inc. and Loyola University New Orleans today announced its use of three GoalQuest programs designed to strengthen student recruitment, admissions yield and parent communication. Loyola began using the company's eCRUIT™, EYOp™ (Enrollment Yield Optimization) and PICS™ (Parents Involved in College Selection) programs earlier this year.

The integration of GoalQuest's tools with other admissions efforts is helping Loyola maintain its enrollment, despite the destructive effects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans last summer. Although Loyola's campus was virtually unaffected by the hurricane, the university developed a comprehensive communications strategy to reach out to future students and their parents. Loyola has positioned the eCRUIT, EYOp and PICS tools at the center of this initiative.

"After Katrina, we didn't have adequate tools (both traditional mail and electronic) to communicate with our prospective families," said Debbie Stieffel, dean of admissions and enrollment management. "I am not sure another company could have implemented these new web-based tools with the quality and speed that GoalQuest did. Due to the downed power lines and flooding, communicating with students in any manner was difficult. Enhancing the electronic communications process was our only choice and critical to keeping our yield at an acceptable level. Parents in particular were impressed with the regular communication stream, and more than 50% of our confirmed freshmen were regular visitors to the site, using the profiles, blogging pages and question/answer tools which I believe were instrumental in reducing Loyola's summer melt to a record low. The quality of GoalQuest's content and technology has been outstanding."

Custom-written and designed by GoalQuest's content development team with the participation of school staff, Loyola's programs immerse students and parents in informational and advice-oriented multimedia content on topics such as:

• Learning at Loyola
• The New New Orleans
• History and Traditions
• Financing Your Student's Education
• Health and Safety First
• Academic Expectations
• Transitioning to College Life
• Getting Involved on Campus
• Study Abroad

As part of its EYOp program, Loyola chose to implement several components of the company's Universe™ suite of tools. Foremost among these is UPeers™, a fully-customizable Web-based community designed to connect admitted students with one another, all in a safe, private environment.

Using the UPeers feature, admitted students can create profiles that share their personal interests, academic plans and career aspirations. Participants can quickly learn about fellow admitted students by browsing profiles according to hometown, intended major and other areas. Loyola also utilizes GoalQuest's UScene™ and UBlog™ community features, which help students learn about on and off-campus venues and meet virtual mentors via regularly updated first-person Web-journals. The Universe features were created and deployed by a GoalQuest project team according to Loyola's specifications.

According to Gregory Zeleny, vice president of client services at GoalQuest, "We are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to work with Loyola during this critical period in its history. While clients look to us for our ability to provide compelling content and interactive experiences to their audiences, equally important is the informational experience we give our clients. From robust, real-time reporting tools to personal support and expert consultation, each of our programs constitutes a partnership with our clients. While other companies supply their clients with a user's manual, GoalQuest offers its partners a group of professionals committed to becoming an effective extension of their team."

"One cannot pay a visit to Loyola without feeling a deep sense of community among its students, faculty and staff," said Peter Tomassi, GoalQuest vice president of product development and editor-in-chief. "Translating such an intangible emotion into any media is a difficult, but not impossible task. While students have a wide range of online community venues from which to choose, the vast majority of these sites are designed to allow students to connect with existing friends and friends of friends. We believe UPeers™, UScene™ and UBlog™ are the first to build a substantive affinity between students who have not yet met in person and the campuses they may soon call home."

About Loyola University New Orleans
Loyola University New Orleans, a Jesuit and Catholic institution of higher education, welcomes students of diverse backgrounds and prepares them to lead meaningful lives with and for others. The university is grounded in the liberal arts and sciences, while also offering opportunities for professional studies in undergraduate and selected graduate programs. Through teaching, research, creative activities and service, the faculty, in cooperation with the staff, strives to educate the whole student and to benefit the larger community.

About GoalQuest
GoalQuest, Inc. is a New York City-based software company specializing in innovative solutions for higher education. The Company's proprietary software assists colleges and universities in maximizing recruiting, enrollment yield, retention, parent communication and advancement efforts. Its suite of products, including eCRUIT™, FYRe™, PICS™ and AlumNet™ as well as its Universe™ tools such as UPeers™ and UPortfolio™, are based on a revolutionary technology that immerses participants in highly interactive content. The tools provide clients with a full-featured reporting center and automated activity alerts that monitor the real-time interest trajectory of users. GoalQuest is a NASPA strategic partner.