Frequently asked questions
Q We’re now focused on 2012 and beyond. Why would we be interested in the views of 2011 applicants?
A Under the new fee arrangements, HE marketing is likely to become more competitive than ever. Higher Expectations will allow you to measure your performance in terms of the marketing fundamentals; which won’t be changing in 2012. Understanding where you excel, where you lag and your direction of travel will be critical to success in the new regime.
Q We do our own acceptor and decliner surveys. Why Higher Expectations?
A Higher Expectations is an independent survey with a huge national sample. It’s comparable across all universities in the UK and between years. While Higher Expectations does offer a decliner view, its strength is in giving an accurate and comprehensive analysis of your competitive performance.
Q Isn’t the sample a bit small for our university?
A Most of the institutions measured in this study have more than 100 students taking part, which is generally enough to provide a robust analysis. But this is something we will discuss with you before you make any commitments. There is also the option of merging multiple years, thereby increasing sample size. In addition, we are happy to work with HEIs to boost sample sizes, often FREE of charge.
Q Will our rivals be able to publicise our perceived weaknesses?
A No, this study will not form the basis of a set of published league tables. It is intended to inform strategy rather than be used for PR. Subscribers are not permitted to pass on findings outside their organisation except their own ranked positions within a given category. Subscribers cannot pass on any information relating to other institutions. OpinionPanel reserves the right to publish a few ‘top-20’ lists in order to publicise the study.
Q We purchased Higher Expectations in previous years. Do we still need to pay for the time-series data?
A No. Subscribers in 2011/12 get the data they purchased in previous years (for each module they repurchase this year) re-supplied free of charge.