Secret Shopper
Fall 2021
We create a Canadian and an international student persona. In October 2021 our personas were “Julia” a grade 12 student living in Ontario and interested in business, and “Aliya” a grade 12 student living in India and interested in coming to Canada to study a STEM program. The requests were sent between October 14 and 26, 2021.
Our ‘students’ requested information from over 80 schools on SchoolFinder.com and StudyinCanada.com.
The named results only include the top performers. If you’re not on the list and have an active profile on the SchoolFinder Group platform, let us know and we’ll share your results. If you’re not on the platform and are interested in joining, you’ll find further information below.
Based on our research indicating that students will respond favourably to timely and effective responses, we hope that these results will inspire you to be the best student recruiter you can be!
Secret Shopper Results
We requested information from a total of 86 schools
» SchoolFinder.com (Canadian Students) — 68 schools
» StudyinCanada.com (International Students) — 18 schools
Overall, 73% of schools responded
» SchoolFinder.com (Canadian Students) — 81%
» StudyinCanada.com (International Students) — 44%
This is up from 67% in Winter 2021.
Note: Where “SF” is referenced it indicates a SchoolFinder profile and where “SIC” is referenced it indicates a StudyinCanada profile.
Days to Respond
23 schools did not respond at all
Although 29 schools responded within the first two days, 23 schools didn’t reply at all. The average response time was 12 days.
| Number of Days | Number of Schools |
| 0 | 14 |
| 1 | 11 |
| 2 | 4 |
| 3 | 2 |
| 4 | 1 |
| 5 | 3 |
| 6 | 2 |
| 7 | 4 |
| 8 | 4 |
| 10 | 1 |
| 11 | 2 |
| 12 | 2 |
| 24 | 1 |
| 27 | 1 |
| 28 | 2 |
| 30 | 2 |
| 38 | 1 |
| 40 | 2 |
| 54 | 1 |
| 67 | 1 |
| 75 | 1 |
| 79 | 1 |
| No Response | 23 |
Top Schools by Number of Emails Sent
The top performers sent 4-9 emails
The average number of emails sent was 2 emails.
| School Name | Emails Sent |
| Yorkville University | 9 |
| Ontario Tech University | 8 |
| University of Waterloo (SF) | 6 |
| Algoma University | 5 |
| Cambrian College | 5 |
| Huron University College | 5 |
| Western University (SIC) | 4 |
| Western University (SF) | 4 |
| Wilfrid Laurier University (SF) | 4 |
Top Schools by First Email Score
Those whose first email was the best overall
These schools had an initial email that ranked strongly in content, layout, relevance, and timeliness.
| School Name | Score |
| Algonquin College (SF) | 13 |
| University of Waterloo (SF) | 13 |
| Centennial College (SF) | 12 |
| George Brown College | 12 |
| Ryerson University | 12 |
| University of Regina | 12 |
| Wilfrid Laurier University (SIC) | 12 |
| Yorkville University | 11 |
| Capilano University | 11 |
| Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | 11 |
| Nipissing University | 11 |
| OCAD University (SF) | 11 |
| St. Mary’s University | 11 |
| Tyndale University | 11 |
| University of Guelph-Humber (SF) | 11 |
| University of York | 11 |
| Vancouver Island University (SF) | 11 |
Top Schools by Content Score
Those who had the most accurate, useful email content
These schools consistently sent emails with engaging content that was specific to the student’s profile. They tied for the top score.
| Top Performers: Content |
| Algonquin College (SF) |
| Brock University |
| Huron University College |
| IE University |
| Laurentian University |
| Nipissing University |
| St. Mary’s University |
| Trent University |
| Tyndale University |
| University of East Anglia |
| University of Regina |
| University of Sussex |
| University of Waterloo (SF) |
| University of York |
Top Schools by Layout Score
Those who had the best visual appeal
These schools sent emails that were mobile-friendly, easy to read, and well laid out. They tied for the top score.
| Top Performers: Layout |
| Algoma University |
| Algonquin College (SF) |
| Capilano University |
| Centennial College (SF) |
| George Brown College |
| Nipissing University |
| Trent University |
| University of East Anglia |
| University of Guelph-Humber (SF) |
| University of Waterloo (SF) |
| University of Waterloo (SIC) |
| University of Windsor (SF) |
| Vancouver Island University (SF) |
| Vancouver Island University (SIC) |
| Wilfrid Laurier University (SF) |
Top Schools by CTA Score
Those who had the most engaging call-to-action button
These schools sent emails with strong subject lines, preheaders, and an engaging CTA. They tied for the top score.
| Top Performers: CTA Button |
| Algonquin College (SF) |
| Capilano University |
| Centennial College (SF) |
| George Brown College |
| OCAD University (SF) |
| Redeemer University |
| University of South Wales |
| University of Waterloo (SF) |
| University of Windsor (SF) |
Top Schools by Relevance Score
Those who had the most relevant emails
These schools used personalization and sent the most relevant content. They tied for the top score.
| Top Performers: Relevance | |
| Algonquin College (SF) | |
| Conestoga College | |
| International Business University | |
| Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | |
| NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology) | |
| Ryerson University | |
| St. Mary’s University | |
| University of Regina | |
| University of York | |
| Wilfrid Laurier University (SIC) | |
| Yorkville University | |
The Top Overall
These schools scored the best overall
Here are the top 14 schools. Kudos to Yorkville University who came out on top and to Vancouver Island University and Wilfrid Laurier University who scored well both domestically and internationaly.
| Schools | Total Score |
| Yorkville University | 27 |
| University of Waterloo (SF) | 23 |
| Ontario Tech University | 21 |
| Algoma University | 18 |
| Huron University College | 18 |
| Cambrian College | 16 |
| Centennial College (SF) | 16 |
| George Brown College | 16 |
| Western University (SIC) | 16 |
| Tyndale University | 15 |
| Vancouver Island University (SF) | 15 |
| Vancouver Island University (SIC) | 14 |
| Wilfrid Laurier University (SF) | 14 |
| Wilfrid Laurier University (SIC) | 14 |
Some Outstanding Examples
These were some outstanding email examples
Algoma University, Ontario Tech University, and the University of Waterloo all scored high when it came to content, layout, CTA, and relevance.
Next Steps
To learn more about the Secret Shopper program or if you’d like to find out how your institution stacked up, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@SchoolFinderGroup.com!
If you’re interested in joining the platform, feel free to contact Max at Max.Hyland@SchoolFinderGroup.com.
Here is some further reading:
» How Prompt Lead Responses Increases Application Numbers
» Winning Lead Communication Tactics for Higher Ed
» How to Import Leads Into Your CRM Automatically
The SchoolFinder Group Team
info@schoolfindergroup.com
