West Liberty State College officials have announced that freshman enrollment increased to almost 500 students this fall, climbing approximately 14 percent from 2005. The College attributed the marked academic offerings increase to pervasive campus improvements and a series of strategic enrollment initiatives, including the implementation of recruiting and yield tools from GoalQuest Inc.

"We had an enrollment picture on campus that we had to turn around," said J.D. Carpenter, vice president for student affairs and enrollment at West Liberty. "GoalQuest was one of a number of new initiatives impacting enrollment for this year, and we are convinced it contributed significantly to our recruiting portfolio and to our ability to attract students to campus."

West Virginia higher education officials visiting West Liberty last month were notably impressed with the College's increase in enrollment, and they are considering how the College's successful efforts might benefit other state institutions.

West Liberty deployed two GoalQuest programs during last fall and spring's recruiting and yield cycles. The College utilized the company's eCRUIT™ program to help influence the quality and quantity of incoming applications. It also implemented EYOp™ (Enrollment Yield Optimization), a program designed to increase the number of admitted students who ultimately matriculate, while offering timely pre-orientation content to help admits better transition to college-level academics and campus life in general.

As part of its eCRUIT and EYOp offering, West Liberty incorporated a range of standard GoalQuest features, including:

• UBlog™ — GoalQuest's proprietary blogging tool, UBlog enables clients to appoint undergraduates who act as "virtual ambassadors," connecting with prospective and admitted students in a highly engaging, first-person forum.
• UPeers™ — UPeers encourages admitted students to share their personal and academic interests, concerns and questions with a network of other admitted students - all in a safe, secure virtual community made up of West Liberty admits, staff as well as current students.
• Real-time user trajectory data, which enables colleges and universities to identify students whose activity may recommend itself to a more personalized follow-up by admissions staff. The GoalQuest Reporting Center analyzes a range of key metrics to help institutions better allocate their enrollment management resources, including students' responses to embedded survey questions - developed by GoalQuest editorial and research teams.

"We are excited to be working with West Liberty to help tell its unique story to prospects and admits alike," said Peter Kraft, GoalQuest co-founder and chief executive officer. "In addition, because our powerful reporting tools arm the College with data on each student as well as tools to help them track interest trajectory in real time, West Liberty is able to strategically allocate its resources to maximize both its application pool and enrollment yield."

About West Liberty State College
The mission of West Liberty is to launch graduates into community, work, and academic environments ready to be viable contributors with skills and knowledge needed to meet future opportunities and challenges. West Liberty State College, a forward-looking four-year public college, provides students with a variety of contemporary degree programs. Because of competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive work environment, WLSC is one of the most desirable places to work in the Upper Ohio Valley. WLSC enjoys productive partnerships with area businesses, public schools, higher education institutions, and government. The College is a vigorous competitor for top quality students and external financial support. The College's vision is known across the campus, community, region, West Virginia and the nation.

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™, 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. For additional information about GoalQuest, please visit the Company's Web site at http://www.goalquest.com or e-mail info@goalquest.com.