A Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Winning University Prospectus

With 50.2% of young people making the decision to go to university, making sure you stand out to the top applicants has never been more important. There are lots of different ways to appeal to these students, from engaging with them at student fairs to inviting them in for taster days. But, the one thing they’ll refer to again and again is your prospectus booklet.

In this guide, we’ll talk you through exactly how to create an impressive college or university prospectus that’ll show prospective students that you should be their top choice.
 

1. Choose a High Quality Booklet

   First things first, you’ll need to pick your weapon carefully. And in this case, your weapon is a doorstop-sized book that needs to show off exactly why you deserve your good reputation! 
   
   Quality is key here – the higher quality your prospecting materials, the higher the perceived quality of your institution. 
   
   Nothing screams quality like a perfect bound book. Not only does this style of booklet printing give you the most page potential (120 pages, if you were wondering!), but the pages are glued to a spine giving it a sleek and sturdy finish. This means your prospectus will look good and be fit to withstand numerous leafings-through as students pick out the most suitable course for their studies.
   
    

2. Hire a Photographer

   How your prospectus looks is just as important as how it feels. Hiring a professional photographer will help you to capture the beauty of your campus so prospective students will (literally) be able to picture themselves walking the halls of your esteemed establishment. You’ll also be able to add department and course-specific imagery to your booklet this way, ensuring that each page is engaging for the reader.
   
   You want your photographer to capture really engaging and visually interesting moments. As prospective students picture themselves studying with you, it’s important that your facility lives up to their fancy. Liaise with course lecturers to find out which days they have their most engaging session and invite your photographer along to capture the natural magic happening.  
   
    

3. Get it Professionally Designed

   Along the same vein as above, getting a graphic designer to put your prospectus design together definitely pays off. They’ll know the best ways to create a cover for the book that students will want to delve into, the best ways to show different course details and how to arrange your beautiful new photography.
   
   If you don’t have a regular or in-house designer to create your booklet design for you, or you’re looking for someone who lives and breathes print design, you’re in the right place. Our Graphic Design Service team are all highly experienced print artwork specialists who’d love to help you out – learn more about this service, who our team is and what we can do for you here.
   
    

4. Pick the Right Materials

   It’s also highly important to make sure your prospectus is made of the right stuff. Seriously, the stock you choose can make or break your booklet design, despite how beautiful it looks on a screen.
   
   After you’ve gone to all this effort to source the highest quality images and design, picking a thick stock will bring all of this to life. Thicker stocks tend to carry a premium perception, with glossy stocks also bringing an element of light and excitement – why else do people love flicking through glossy magazines and catalogues? Learn more about printing stocks, what they mean and get a closer look at what different ones look like here.
   
    

5. Add a Special Touch

   One of the best things about online printing is getting to customise every part of the process. Adding a finishing touch to your print, like lamination, foiling or spot UV, is the cherry on top of the cake and can help your prospectus stand out from the rest – something that’s especially important if prospects are picking up lots of different marketing collateral at university and careers fairs.
   
   Not only does adding lamination give your prospectus booklets a cool feel (matt, glossy or plushy velvet), but it also keeps it protected and looking fresh. Yep, no raggedy corners! If you choose a matt lamination finish, you can also then add spot UV, which adds a slightly raised glossy texture to specific areas of your design, or foiling which adds metallic features in a choice of colours. 
   
    

Now you’ve got all the ingredients to make a really impressive university prospectus, all that’s left to do is get ready for your next student fair. Here’s a handy checklist of everything else you might need!