A few weeks back, I posted a blog called, "Economic Downturn and College Admissions: A Stressful Combination." Well, the beat goes on. With April 1^st just behind us and May 1^st rapidly approaching, check out the latest, smart strategies schools have implemented to encourage as many students to accept their offer of admission, according to the USA Today article, "Colleges are the Ones Fearing Rejection Letters."

• Santa Clara University has enlisted its president, provost and 400 alumni volunteers to phone all admitted students and encourage them to enroll.
• The College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn. (for women) and Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minn. (for men) doubled their joint transportation budget this year to $50,000 to fly in more than 160 admitted students from across the country for campus visits.
• Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, Va., this year has doubled (from five last year to 10) the number of local receptions it's sponsoring around the state for admitted students.
• Every student admitted to California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, Calif., is expected to get a note from someone with a common interest or geographic background.

And this is just "the beginning of the end" of the recruitment season. Something tells me this is going to be a long, hot and rather challenging summer for many of us.

-Jeff Papa