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SPORTS strategy for the University of Arkansas, said Suzanne McCray, vice provost for en- rollment. Often times, local students think they know the campus after attending a game or other event, she said. A campus visit gives them a comprehensive experience of what the school has to offer, she said. "If we get them to campus, we think they'll want to come here," she said. CHANGES Traditional recruitment methods still play important roles, but the use of websites and social media platforms have become increasingly vital as technology is an in - tegral aspect of universities' prospective students, officials said. John Brown has a steady increase in what university officials call "stealth apps," or applicants who have no formal interaction with the school until they apply, Brad - ford said. They do their own research, largely relying on the school's website. "They've just been flying under the radar until they ap- ply," she said. "That's interest- ing. How do you reach out to students you don't even know about?" The answer is to have a good web and digital pres- ence. Nearly 88 percent of colleges and universities who responded to a National Association for College Ad - missions and Counseling sur- vey said their website was of "considerable importance" in a recruitment strategy. Email and hosting campus visits were the second and third most important tools, according to the report. JBU receives about 1,400 applications each year, and about 50 percent are the first connection with the universi- ty. It allows prospective stu- dents and parents to drive the process rather than feel like they're being sold something, Bradford said. Stealth applicants also ac- count for a large portion of University of Arkansas ap- plicants, McCray said. They are often students who have known they've wanted to at- tend the university for a long time, possibly because family members are alumni. UA officials are using so- cial media because younger generations prefer to get in- formation from it, McCray said. "We have to keep pretty hip on the social media be- cause Facebook sort of wanes, then Twitter takes a rise in popularity or Instagram is the way they want to communi - cate," she said, adding Pinter- est is out of favor and Tumblr is no longer a thing. "We have to keep that fresh. We have to understand where they are and how they're communicat - ing." Direct mailings are a tra- ditional recruitment tool that still have marketing power, according to Alice Haney, Bentonville High School post-secondary adviser. There are more than 4,000 higher education institutions in the country, and many stu- dents will become interested in a school they never heard of prior to receiving a direct mailer from them, Haney said. UA still used mailers be- cause parents want them and high school counselors display the booklets, McCray said. Students typically start receiving mail from colleges and universities after taking the ACT or PSAT college entrance exams. Institutions buy information from test registrations, officials said. Of the Bentonville High School 2017 class, 83 per- cent pursued some form of post-secondary education, according to Haney. Of that, 70 percent attended schools in Arkansas, and the other 13 percent dispersed to schools in 35 states. The majority go to the University of Arkansas or Northwest Arkansas Com- munity College, she said. CHALLENGES The community college is evaluating its recruitment plan, looking to redesign its approach as its full-time recruiter moved to another job at the college, said Justin White, executive director of enrollment management. The college plans to fill the position, but, until then, recruitment is focused on building strong connections with students, he said. "We're looking at the stu- dents that we have made ini- tial contact with or who have shown interest in NWACC and then really case-manag- ing those students so we build a robust relationship with them from the first point of contact through enrollment," White said. Admissions and enroll- ment staff have taken on re- cruiting duties. It's actually been a benefit, said Beverly Grau, director of the enroll- ment support center. The nine-member team is diverse in gender, age and ethnicity, allowing them to reach a larger demographic of potential students than just one person would, she said. "Just because we don't have a full-time recruit- er doesn't mean that we're not recruiting," White said. "We're all recruiters." One of JBU's biggest chal- lenges is breaking down ste- reotypes, Bradford said. Some prospective students think the school is too expensive or too conservative, she said. About 39 percent of stu- dents come from families making less than $60,000 a year, and about 37 percent come from households mak- ing more than $100,000, ac- cording to university num- bers. The 2017-18 tuition is $26,144 without room and board. Total cost with room and board is $35,184. Ninety percent of full-time students received some kind of financial aid last year, with $14 million awarded in schol- arships and grants, according to the university's website. "Once financial aid comes through, they have a really amazing, very affordable ed- ucation," Bradford said. "Just because of the sticker shock and the stereotype associated with the private college, most people would not even start the process or apply." It's not a requirement stu- dents be Christian to attend, but all student must meet certain requirements such as taking Bible courses and attending a certain amount of chapel services, Bradford said. HIGH SCHOOL HELP While recruiters focus on reaching students, area high schools help students navi- gate the college application process by offering group programs on various topics, one-on-one career counsel- ing and maintaining small resource libraries. Rogers Public Schools cre- ated Rogers Honors Acade- my in 2016 to inform students about their options and pre- pare them to be competitive, said Carla Fontaine, academy director. Students have to maintain a certain grade-point average and take a number of pre-ad- vanced placement, advanced placement or college-level courses to be an academy member. Part of the academy's mis- sion is to help high-achiev- ing students consider some of the country's best colleges and universities, but it also makes sure students know about honors colleges and programs at local universities, Fontaine said. "At the end of the day, it's really about the best fit for the student," she said. The first 200 students in the academy are high school juniors. Melissa Gute can be reached at mgute@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWAMelissa. Colleges v Continued from Page 4T Costs Northwest Arkansas educational institutions present the cost to attend differently. The amount varies depending on numerous factors. General costs for the 2017-18 school year are: m John Brown University: $35,184 for the school year, which includes tuition, room and board. m The University of Arkansas: $9,062 for in-state, undergradu - ate tuition and fees for a school year and $9,582 to $13,106 ad- ditionally for room and board. m Northwest Arkansas Com- munity College: tuition per credit hour costs between $75 and $175 depending on whether a student lives in the Bentonville or Roger school districts, in a neighboring county, out of state or is international, plus fees. Source: Staff report A person can get whiplash try- ing to catch a glimpse of the vast amount of ongoing construction in Northwest Arkansas. But for all that's new to the area, things that are old or traditional re- main to provide balance. There are high school rivalries, for instance, that date back more than 100 years. The oldest series in Northwest Arkansas is the football rivalry be- tween Fayetteville High School and Springdale High School. There are other rivalries of note, including Rogers and Bentonville, Farming- ton and Prairie Grove, and Gravette and Gentry. But Fayetteville vs. Springdale stands out because of its longevity and the combined 12 state championships the teams have won. The rivalry changed some in 2006 when Springdale added a sec- ond school, Har-Ber High School, but games between the Red Bull- dogs and Purple Bulldogs are still a main attraction. Zak Clark has been on both sides as the head football coach at Springdale and former quarter- back at Fayetteville. "When both were one-school towns, the rivalry was unlike any other," Clark said. "There was al- ways something going on during the week leading up to the game, and what made it fun was the students getting involved. There were the chicken box hats and the purple marshmallows that were dropped on the field one year. One time, there were kids from Spring- dale who released some chickens at Fayetteville High School, and another year there was a streaker in purple tights running around. "When you got to the actual game, the place would be packed, and the games were usually close." Springdale holds a 64-43-13 lead in a series that began with two ties in 1908. Both schools claim to have adopted the bulldog mascot first. To differentiate, Springdale is nicknamed the Red Bulldogs and Fayetteville the Purple Bulldogs. Springdale beat Fayetteville 56- 14 in 2005 when the Red Bulldogs finished 14-0 and fielded what is mostly considered the greatest high school football team in Ar- kansas. Two years later, Fayette- ville beat Springdale 54-41 while winning its first state champion- ship in the playoff era. I n 2 0 0 9, Faye t t ev i l l e a n d Springdale played on a Saturday afternoon after the game was de- layed from Friday because of a bus High school rivalries go back more than century NWA Democrat-Gazette File Photo Fans turn out for the Fayetteville Bulldogs vs Bentonville Tigers game in 2106 in Fayetteville. FEUDING NEIGHBORS RICK FIRES COMMENTARY See RIVALRIES, Page 7T 6T v SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 2018 ∂ ∂ Education With our production facility in Gentry, Arkansas, we are one of many McKee Foods locations serving over 6000 employees. Proud to be a part of Northwest Arkansas, we are privately owned and operated, and skilled with decades of experience in providing quality baked goods. And always remember, behind every smile you unwrap, there is a winning team comprised of heritage, respect and family values. 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