Best of CASE District VII Award
 

Institution: California State University, San Bernardino

Title of entry: CSUSB Pop Up Acceptance to Fall 2024 Package

About this entry: We sought an affordable and distinctive alternative to the traditional acceptance letter mailing method we had used in previous years. Costs fluctuated annually, reaching $5 per unit before postage, which included a folder, letter, and various inserts. Our goal was to find a solution that would not only stand out in mailboxes but also evoke a sense of excitement.

After careful consideration, we opted for a self-mailing zipper envelope that, upon opening, reveals a 3-inch pop-up cube that flies out to greet the accepted applicant. Additionally, we included a QR code for Spanish translation of the content on a dedicated webpage. Given our student demographics, with 81% being first-generation students and 69% Latino, it was crucial to ensure that parents who do not speak English could comprehend their child's acceptance to the university and the subsequent steps.

To mitigate costs, we collaborated with a vendor to pre-print 20,000 cubes and digitally print the envelopes with variable data in small batches. This allowed recipients to see a personalized message such as "Congratulations, [Recipient's Name], you are in the pack" on the outside of the mail piece. The total printing cost per unit came to $3.05 before postage.