Secret Shopper Results
Fall 2022
The “Secret Shopper Project” measures the timeliness, frequency and quality of responses from colleges and universities to student information requests.
To measure this, we created Canadian and international student personas:
» “Sarah”, a grade 12 student living in Ontario and interested in business
» “Vineet”, a 20-year-old undergraduate student living in India and interested in coming to Canada to study a master’s program
Our personas requested information from 102 schools on SchoolFinder.com (Canadian students) and StudyinCanada.com (international students), from November 22-26, 2022. We tracked the responses over the next two months. You’ll find the full report below, here are the top line results:
» 36 schools responded within 24 hours
» The average response time was 6 days
» 36 schools DID NOT respond at all
» 18 schools responded only once
» The average number of responses was 4 emails
» The highest number of responses was 21 emails
» The top performers were Centennial College (domestic) and OCAD University (international)
The detailed results are below.
Secret Shopper Results
We requested information from a total of 102 schools
» SchoolFinder.com (Canadian Students) — 84 schools
» StudyinCanada.com (International Students) — 18 schools
This is up from 86 schools or 19% in the 2021 survey.
Overall, 65% of schools responded
» SchoolFinder.com (Canadian Students) — 64%
» StudyinCanada.com (International Students) — 67%
Colleges were more likely to respond (76%) then universities (61%).
Days to Respond
36 schools responded within 24 hours
36 schools responded within 24 hours, 30 schools responded in 1 to 51 days. And 36 schools did not respond at all!
The average response time was 6 days. The median response time was 8 days.
| Number of Days | Number of Schools |
| Under 24 hours | 36 |
| 1 | 3 |
| 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 3 |
| 6 | 6 |
| 8 | 3 |
| 9 | 1 |
| 10 | 1 |
| 13 | 2 |
| 19 | 1 |
| 21 | 1 |
| 23 | 1 |
| 29 | 1 |
| 30 | 1 |
| 37 | 1 |
| 40 | 1 |
| 51 | 1 |
Response Frequency
The top performers sent 7-21 emails
Of the 66 schools who did respond, the total number of emails sent was 295. 18 schools (or 27%) sent just one email. The average number of emails sent was 4 emails. The most email sent was 21.
Note: Where “SF” is referenced it indicates a SchoolFinder profile (Canadian students) and where “SIC” is referenced it indicates a StudyinCanada (international students) profile.
| Top Performers: Number of Emails Sent | Emails Sent |
| Ontario Tech University | 21 |
| Centennial College (SF) | 14 |
| Alberta University of the Arts (SF) | 10 |
| OCAD University (SIC) | 10 |
| Wilfrid Laurier University – Waterloo (SF) | 10 |
| Nipissing University | 8 |
| University of Waterloo (SIC) | 8 |
| University of Waterloo (SF) | 8 |
| George Brown College | 7 |
| University of Guelph-Humber (SF) | 7 |
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.
| Top Performers: First Email | Score |
|
Algonquin College – Pembroke Campus |
11 |
|
Centennial College (SIC) |
11 |
|
Concordia University |
11 |
|
University of South Wales – Graduate |
11 |
|
Algonquin College (SF) |
10 |
|
Brock University – Goodman School of Business |
10 |
|
George Brown College |
10 |
|
IU International University of Applied Sciences |
10 |
|
Laurentian University |
10 |
|
NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology) |
10 |
|
University of Lethbridge (Undergrad) |
10 |
|
University of York |
10 |
|
Cambrian College |
9 |
|
Redeemer University |
9 |
|
University of Guelph-Humber (SF) |
9 |
|
University of Northern British Columbia |
9 |
|
University of South Wales |
9 |
|
Mount Royal University |
8 |
|
Nipissing University |
8 |
|
Thompson Rivers University |
8 |
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. The top 15 tied for a perfect score.
| Top Performers: Content |
| Algonquin College (SF) |
| Algonquin College – Pembroke Campus (SF) |
| Brescia University College |
| Brock University – Goodman School of Business |
| Centennial College (SIC) |
| Concordia University (SF) |
| George Brown College |
| IU International University of Applied Sciences |
| Laurentian University |
| NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology) |
| University of Guelph-Humber (SF) |
| University of Northern British Columbia |
| University of Notre Dame – Graduate |
| University of South Wales – Graduate |
| 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 a perfect score.
| Top Performers: Layout |
| Algoma University |
| Algonquin College (SF) |
| Algonquin College (SIC) |
| Algonquin College – Pembroke Campus (SF) |
| Brescia University College |
| Concordia University (SF) |
| George Brown College |
| Huron University College |
| IU International University of Applied Sciences |
| Lakehead University – Thunder Bay (SF) |
| Laurentian University |
| Liberty University |
| Mount Royal University |
| Nipissing University |
| Ohio Northern University |
| Redeemer University |
| Toronto Film School |
| Toronto Metropolitan University (SIC) |
| Trent University |
| University of Cambridge |
| University of Guelph-Humber (SF) |
| University of Lethbridge (Undergrad) |
| University of Northern British Columbia |
| University of Regina |
| University of South Wales (Graduate) |
| University of Waterloo (SF) |
| University of Waterloo (SIC) |
| Wilfrid Laurier University (SIC) |
| Wilfrid Laurier University – Waterloo (SF) |
| York University (SF) |
| York University (SIC) |
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 a perfect score.
| Top Performers: CTA Button |
| Algoma University |
| Algonquin College (SF) |
| Carleton University (SIC) |
| Centennial College (SIC) |
| George Brown College |
| IU International University of Applied Sciences |
| Laurentian University |
| Mount Royal University |
| Nipissing University |
| Redeemer Uniersity |
| Thompson Rivers University |
| Toronto Metropolitan University (SIC) |
| University Canada West |
| University of Cambridge |
| University of Guelph-Humber (SF) |
| University of Lethbridge (Undergrad) |
| University of Northern British Columbia |
| University of Regina |
| University of Waterloo (SF) |
| University of Waterloo (SIC) |
| Western University (SF) |
| Wilfrid Laurier University (SIC) |
| York University (SF) |
| York University (SIC) |
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 a perfect score.
| Top Performers: Relevance | |
| Alberta University of the Arts (SF) | |
| Algonquin College – Pembroke Campus (SF) | |
| Brock University – Goodman School of Business | |
| Cambrian College | |
| Centennial College | |
| Concordia University (SF) | |
| NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology) | |
| St. Mary’s University | |
| University of Lethbridge (Undergrad) | |
| University of South Wales | |
| University of South Wales (Graduate) | |
| University of Toronto – Rotman School of Management |
The Top Overall
These schools scored the best overall
Here are the top 22 schools. Kudos to Centennial College and OCAD University who came out on top!
| Top Performers: Best Overall | Total Score |
| Centennial College (SF) | 17 |
| OCAD University (SIC) | 17 |
| Alberta University of the Arts (SF) | 16 |
| George Brown College | 16 |
| Wilfrid Laurier University – Waterloo (SF) | 16 |
| Alberta University of the Arts (SIC) | 15 |
| Carleton University (SIC) | 15 |
| Nipissing University | 15 |
| Ontario Tech University | 15 |
| University of Guelph-Humber (SF) | 15 |
| University of South Wales | 15 |
| Brock University | 14 |
| University of Waterloo (SIC) | 14 |
| University of Waterloo (SF) | 14 |
| York University (SF) | 14 |
| Algonquin College (SF) | 13 |
| Brescia University College | 13 |
| Lakehead University – Thunder Bay (SF) | 13 |
| Trent University | 13 |
| Western University (SF) | 13 |
Some Outstanding Examples
These were some outstanding email examples
Algoma University, the University of Guelph-Humber, the University of Lethbridge, and the University of York 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!
Further Reading:
» Fall 2021 Secret Shopper Results
» Utilizing Nurture Marketing to Recruit Students: VIU Case Study
