Notes from the field

This one is for the cabinet. Every enrollment and marketing team has people on staff who know exactly what's broken. The information exists. It just doesn't travel. Summer is the window to change that — before the next cycle starts carrying the same weight the last one did.

Every yield season, someone writes a 'Last Chance to Secure Your Spot' email. But urgency applied to an undecided student doesn't create a decision — it creates pressure.

Hotels solved the 'almost booked' problem years ago. Here's what enrollment teams can steal from hospitality to move students toward “yes”.

This regional public university had no real admitted student campaign. For a campus where many students would be first-generation college-goers, that silence carried real risk. The campaign Square One built drove 21.7% deposit growth year over year.

We spend a lot of time thinking about what students are feeling during yield season. We almost never talk about what's happening to their parents — the financial fear, the grief, the midnight Google searches. That's a significant gap. And it's costing institutions deposits.

When the new vice president of enrollment arrived, she discovered there was no yield campaign in place. None at all. With admitted students already in the pipeline and a narrow window before May 1, the institution needed a full yield strategy built and deployed in weeks.

If undecided students retain at lower rates, what can enrollment do? Help them explore majors before they enroll. Here’s how.

Admitted student day shouldn’t be overwhelming. Disney’s approach to guest experience can help colleges design a smoother, more engaging eve

Let admitted students personalize their acceptance packages with custom swag, videos, and tours to boost yield and engagement.

Families often wait too long to discuss college costs. Here’s how admissions and financial aid offices can help parents start The Money Talk

Marketing builds awareness, but admissions and campus connections seal the deal. Higher ed needs all three to turn students into deposits.

A holiday gift guide email to parents turned into a powerful way to predict yield. Here’s how it worked—and how colleges can do the same.