The University of Law  – The seemingly impossible task

Challenge

The University of Law (ULaw) historically relies more heavily on Clearing to meet enrolment targets compared to traditional institutions, recruiting around 27% of its students through Clearing. To achieve ambitious 20% growth targets, ULaw aimed to shift focus toward main-cycle recruitment while maintaining short-term Clearing objectives.

Solution

The key strategy, developed byThe Grove Media, involved a full-funnel, data-driven media campaign to attract students early in the recruitment cycle, engage prospects, and increase applications and acceptances. Insights revealed ULaw’s student base largely consists of commuters, many first-generation university students. To boost domestic enrolment, the campaign prioritized localized recruitment and enhanced visibility across influential platforms like UCAS, YouTube, and The Student Room.

The strategy included multi-channel efforts, such as search advertising, paid social, sponsorship deals, direct mail, and content marketing. This approach locked out competition in key subject areas and maximized reach through granular geographic targeting.

Results

Results exceeded expectations: ULaw saw a 36% year-over-year increase in undergraduate applications, outpacing the national decline of 1.98%. Domestic applications grew by 28%, and subject-specific growth was significant—Law up 16%, Business up 129%, and Social Sciences up 80%. Acceptances more than doubled compared to the previous year (113% increase).

The success was attributed to smart use of paid media, strategic audience engagement, and data-driven insights, proving the effectiveness of The Grove Media’s approach in a competitive landscape.