Our Lab Series

Practical, strategic workshops for smarter enrollment communication

Higher ed is flooded with data, templates, and tech—but what admissions teams really need is the ability to think and act strategically. That’s where the Square One Lab Series comes in.

These hands-on, no-fluff workshops are designed to help admissions and marketing teams interpret data, plan smarter campaigns, write more compelling messages, and adapt when things don’t go as planned.

Each lab can stand alone—or combine into a year-round system of counselor development and enrollment strategy.

Counselor Data Lab

Turn Slate insights into counselor-driven strategy

The Foundation

This is where your counselors learn to think like strategists.

Using the SEE → THINK → DO framework, the Data Lab teaches counselors to stop waiting for instructions and start thinking like strategists. It's where they build the habit of interpreting data, spotting patterns, and knowing what action to take next—skills that power everything from message planning to seasonal pivoting.

Perfect for:

Counselors who get lists from Slate but don’t know what to do with them
Teams overwhelmed by too much data and not enough direction
Leadership who wants to empower their teams to think strategically and independently

Outcomes:

Strategic thinking skills counselors can apply all year
Clear process for translating data into outreach
Tools for message planning, territory reflection, and funnel movement

🕒 Format: Half-day (3.5–4 hours)
🎁 Includes: Counselor toolkit (10+ docs) + optional Leadership Wrap-Up session

Coming Soon!

T.R.U.S.T Messaging Lab

Write messaging that students believe, value, and act on.

Great strategy is useless without great writing. This lab focuses on crafting communication that is empathy-first and builds trust—from subject lines to call-to-actions. We’ll dig into tone, empathy, clarity, and how to write like a human (not a brochure) with our own T.R.U.S.T. framework.

The
Craft

Perfect for:

Counselors or staff uncomfortable writing
Institutions struggling with low response or engagement rates

Outcomes:

Stronger subject lines, opening hooks, and CTAs
A repeatable messaging formula for any funnel stage
Improved writing confidence across the team

🕒 Format: 2–3 hours, writing-intensive
🎁 Includes: Messaging templates + Trust Writing Checklist

Let's Do It

Communication Strategy Lab

Get the right message to the right student—at the right time.

Build a communication plan that actually works in one day. In this lab, we help your team understand their audiences, map the student journey, and create campaigns that align with both student behavior and enrollment goals.

The Planning Engine

Perfect for:

Teams that are reactive instead of proactive
Institutions lacking a clear, audience-centered content calendar

Outcomes:

Audience segmentation plans
Campaign structure by funnel stage
Smarter timing, frequency, and channel choices

🕒 Format: 2–3 hours, virtual or on-campus
🎁 Includes: Planning templates + messaging cadence guide

I Want to Know More

Enrollment Action Lab

Adapt your communication in real-time when the numbers don’t go as planned.

This is your pivot workshop. Whether apps are down, yield is soft, or melt is creeping in, this lab teaches your team how to adjust fast—using data, territory trends, and proven plays. It’s about preparing in advance to turning enrollment anxiety into strategy.

Perfect for:

Leadership and mid-level staff managing counselor plans
Teams needing help recalibrating in real time

Outcomes:

A territory-level action plan
“What to do when...” plays for app, yield, and melt pivots
Better team alignment around urgent enrollment goals

🕒 Format: 2–3 hours
🎁 Includes: Seasonal reflection tool + adjustment playbook

Coming Soon!

Meet Your Workshop Leader

Laura Rudolph, M.S.

Founder & CEO, Square One Consulting, LLC

With more than 15 years in enrollment marketing, Laura Rudolph has helped institutions recruit students across undergraduate, graduate, student affairs and athletics offices. As the Founder & CEO of Square One Consulting, she specializes in understanding consumer behavior—what students want, how they make decisions and how to craft messages that resonate.

Ready to Transform Your Marketing?

Your prospective students and families deserve a seamless experience. Let’s build it.

📆 Don’t wait to improve your strategy—get started today!