Preparations are underway to re-launch three joint programs directed at high school prospects, newly admitted students and currently enrolled students. In addition, the partners have begun development of three new programs that utilize the proprietary PICS™ (for Parents Involved in College Selection) tools. The partners will also re-launch their joint FYRe™ (Freshman Year Retention) program, mandatory for all first-year students at Montclair State.

The first of the new programs, PICS:eCRUIT™, will court parents of high school prospects on subjects such as college financing, working with their children to build objective selection criteria and getting involved in the application process itself. By strengthening the relationship between Montclair State and parents of prospects, the programs will increase the likelihood of eventual application and subsequent enrollment.

The second program, PICS:EYOp™, will serve as a pre-orientation for parents, spanning the critical window between acceptance and enrollment, thereby enhancing Montclair State’s ability to increase the number of accepted students who matriculate. The program will help Montclair State mitigate common yield impediments such as summer melt and multiple deposits.

The third program, PICS:FYRe, delivers customized, highly targeted content to parents of college students through a multi-dimensional interactive experience. Research suggests that children of parents who are involved in their education have better attendance, study harder and more effectively, show higher retention and four-year graduation rates and demonstrate a more positive attitude toward the value and future rewards their education will yield. PICS:FYRe is an adaptive, second-generation Web-based communications tool that produces quantifiable results.

Each program will help Montclair State gauge parent attitudes and opinions through embedded surveys and dynamic activities. The school can then use this information to anticipate enrollment and engage in appropriate, personalized communication with the prospect based on conveyed interest in the school and likelihood to matriculate. In the case of PICS:FYRe, Montclair State will use these communications to identify students who are struggling and to offer appropriate assistance.

“GoalQuest has helped us immerse parents in the process of discovering what college is all about,” said Dennis Craig, Director of Admissions at Montclair State University. “Our new GoalQuest parent program aims to build on our initial success with this audience.” Mr. Craig went on to discuss the related success of Montclair’s student programs. “Any marketing plan that fails to engage students online is incomplete. Think about it—how many teenagers do you know make a habit of running to the mailbox everyday? They are, however, very eager to see what’s in their inbox, in exploring new Web pages and in finding entertainment in the digital realm. GoalQuest products offer students and their parents a new avenue through which they can acquire information about Montclair State.”

“We are extremely pleased to broaden this relationship and apply our proven communication tools to help Montclair State ally with families of prospects, admits and current students,” said Tracy Howe, GoalQuest Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of Sales. “Parents play a critical role in helping prospects narrow down the schools to which they will apply and in influencing their ultimate enrollment decisions. PICS:eCRUIT, PICS:EYOp and PICS:FYRe will provide Montclair State the ability to garner crucial, real-time intelligence on parents during the application and enrollment yield windows, as well as the critical first-year transition period.”

About Montclair State University
Montclair State University, founded in 1908, is New Jersey's second largest and fastest growing university. This year Montclair received a record number of applications (about 9,000) and accepted less than half of the applicant pool. They are looking forward to the largest freshman class in their 96 year history. The University offers a comprehensive range of baccalaureate, master's and certificate programs as well as a focused portfolio of doctoral programs closely aligned with the University's academic strengths. Montclair State has a current enrollment of 11,195 degree-seeking undergraduates and 3,829 degree-seeking graduate students. Its 200-acre campus is located in suburban Montclair, New Jersey.

About GoalQuest
GoalQuest, Inc. is a New York City-based software company specializing in innovative solutions for the education market. Since its inception in 2000, GoalQuest's proprietary software tools have assisted colleges and universities across the country in their recruiting, enrollment yield, retention and parent and alumni communication efforts. GoalQuest's proprietary Enrolligence™ index delivers real-time engagement data to schools, providing them with unprecedented communication intelligence for more informed decisions. NASPA (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators), the nation’s leading organization for student affairs administration, policy and practice, recently approved GoalQuest’s suite of retention and student assessment tools. For additional information about GoalQuest, please visit the company's Web site at http://www.goalquest.com.