Student recruitment videos have been effectively used by Saint Mary’s University (SMU), in the past as critical tools for attracting prospective students and acquainting them (and their parents) with campus-life. The AVS Group collaborated with Saint Mary’s University staff, faculty, and students to capture everyday campus life footage spanning an entire academic year. Student testimonials were a key component driving the content. The student testimonials illustrate the power of video of Saint Mary's academic, religious, and recreational choices from the student’s perspective. Focus groups and one-on-one interviews were conducted involving under- and upper-classmen sharing accounts of why they chose Saint Mary’s and how it has contributed to their personal growth experience.

The AVS Group implemented the power of video by formatting the video for the DVD, and distributing 20,000 to to prospective students, primarily through direct mail. A mini-CD-ROM, containing a virtual tour, Web site links, and an electronic course catalog, is also included with the DVD mailer.

The student recruitment DVD is helping Saint Mary’s University to attain their recruitment goals through:

• Reinforcing positive aspects of Saint Mary’s University.
• Motivating students to want to learn more about Saint Mary's and visit the campus.
• Raising awareness of the academic, religious, cultural, and recreational choices that Saint Mary’s has to offer.
• Showing the appeal of campus life: students in action, interaction, succeeding, and having fun. 

Power of Video has been very favorable, as recruiters are receiving feedback from prospective students and parents.

Recently, Tony Piscitiello, Vice President for Admission, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, said the following about The AVS Group:

“Power of Video is an essential part of our recruitment process. It tells the story of Saint Mary’s University in our own students’ words-no scripting, just verbal comments from men and women, first year through seniors. The professionals at AVS easily facilitated the student interviews and wove them with appropriate footage to create another excellent recruitment video for us. This is the second one AVS has done for SMU; I find them great partners in this project.”

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota has been a leader in their innovative approach to college student recruitment. When they needed their recruitment video replaced, they hired The AVS Group to produce the new version on DVD. SMU selected AVS because they had successfully collaborated on the previous video.

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota (Winona campus) is a four-year coeducational, residential, liberal arts university offering an undergraduate college curriculum that combines traditional liberal arts and sciences with career preparation in a student-centered environment. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota also has top-ranked graduate and certificate programs at locations in Minneapolis and Rochester, and overseas in Nairobi, Kenya.