Innovating Enrollment Success

Show Notes

First-generation students bring determination, resilience, and ambition to higher education. Yet many also face challenges that institutions may not fully understand, including navigating unfamiliar systems, finding a sense of belonging, and learning how to advocate for themselves.

In this episode, Julio Abreu, author of the new book First-Generation Voices of Success, discusses the experiences of first-generation students and what colleges and universities can do to better support them.

Through stories of perseverance, achievement, and personal growth, Julio shares lessons that can help enrollment, marketing, and student success professionals create more welcoming and supportive environments for the students they serve.

What You'll Learn

• Why personal stories can help institutions better understand the first-generation student experience
• Common challenges first-generation students face before and during college
• How belonging influences student confidence, engagement, and success
• Why self-advocacy is a critical skill for navigating higher education
• Ways colleges can encourage students to seek help and access support services
• Areas where institutions still have opportunities to improve support for first-generation students
• Key lessons from First-Generation Voices of Success for enrollment, marketing, and student success leaders
• What higher education professionals need to better understand first-generation students today

Digital recruitment dominates today’s enrollment landscape. But Weston Noyes of 13th Year believes institutions should not replace digital strategy. They should expand it.

Through interactive kiosks placed inside high schools, 13th Year helps colleges create measurable, real-time engagement in the environments where students are already thinking about their future.

In this conversation, Weston shares how 65-inch interactive kiosks create simple pathways to connection. Students can scan QR-enabled video content, explore institutional profile pages, or opt in for outreach through a $1,000 scholarship program.

With nearly 70% of scholarship applicants requesting direct contact from partner institutions, one insight stands out. Students do not just want information. They want connection.

What you will learn

Presence builds trust. Consistent visibility inside a student’s school day creates familiarity that digital impressions alone cannot.

Connection drives action. High opt-in rates signal a desire for genuine connction, not just brochures.

Digital and physical work together. In school engagement can move students from awareness to action.

Prospective students can decide quickly whether a campus feels right for them.
Frank Delaney and Lien Do of Paskill join Douglas Benedict of Academic Image to explore how authentic, emotionally grounded photography shapes that first impression, builds trust, and helps institutions stand out in a crowded enrollment landscape.

Together, they discuss what authenticity really means in enrollment marketing and how campuses can move beyond staged visuals to tell honest stories about place, people, and culture. From planning smarter photo shoots to understanding student visual literacy, this conversation breaks down what works now and what truly resonates with prospective students.

What you’ll learn

• Authenticity matters more than ever. Students can spot staged or misleading imagery instantly.
• Sense of place drives connection. Campus photography should feel unmistakably unique to your institution.
• Emotion builds belonging. Images that capture real moments help students see themselves on campus.
• Plan with intention. Start with enrollment and program priorities before the camera ever comes out.
• Quality over quantity. A focused set of meaningful images outperforms large libraries of generic shots.
• Respect and consent are essential. Trust and comfort lead to more genuine student engagement.
• Leave room for the unexpected. Some of the strongest images come from unplanned moments.
• Minimal editing wins. Overuse of Photoshop or AI can erode credibility with today’s visually savvy students.
• Collaboration fuels success. Enrollment teams, creatives, photographers, and students all shape the story.

 When financial pressures and shifting demand collide, what actually moves the needle? Blending financial clarity with student-centered marketing helps institutions stabilize today and grow tomorrow. 

Chester Moyer of RubinBrown and Dave Black of Paskill explore how smaller, enrollment-dependent institutions can face budget stress with clear-eyed strategies that connect finance and enrollment. From pausing capital projects and managing hiring to improving marketing yield and campus culture, they share what works now and what takes time. 

What you’ll learn 

• The financial reality. Tuition revenue alone isn’t covering costs for many smaller colleges.
• Tough talks lead to change. Leaders need honest plans that reduce expenses or increase revenue.
• Smart cost control. Pause big projects, review hiring, and consolidate where possible.
• Quality over quantity. Focus marketing and admissions on fit and yield, not inflated applicant pools.
• Holistic marketing. Align paid media, content, and CRM to generate strong leads and conversions.
• Culture builds confidence. Every visit, message, and staff interaction shapes yield.
• Collaboration wins. Finance, enrollment, and academics must share data and direction 

What happens when higher education reclaims its civic purpose at a time when the public questions its value? By engaging deeply with their communities, institutions can rebuild trust, demonstrate relevance, and strengthen student belonging in ways that go beyond enrollment numbers. 

In this episode of Innovating Enrollment Success, Andrew Seligsohn, president of Public Agenda, a nonpartisan research and engagement organization focused on strengthening democracy and expanding opportunities for civic participation, shares how institutions can align civic purpose with student success. 

From building community partnerships to modeling institutional values, Seligsohn shares what it takes to make engagement central to both learning and leadership. 

What you’ll learn 

·       Civic engagement builds learning and belonging. When students connect coursework to real communities, they form deeper ties to their institution. 

·       Partnerships make institutions trusted and relevant. Collaborating locally shows your brand’s value beyond campus walls. 

·       Leaders must live their values. Authentic action from leadership reinforces mission and builds audience trust. 

·       Listening creates connection and understanding. Dialogue across differences strengthens both campus culture and brand perception. 

·       Every voice strengthens the institution. Inclusion fuels belonging, engagement, and advocacy among students and staff. 

·       Meaning drives student success and loyalty. When students see purpose in their education, they stay, succeed, and champion your story. 

 What’s really behind your web traffic? How can you tell if the clicks you’re counting are from future students or from bots inflating your metrics? And what does it take to turn raw numbers into insights you can actually act on? 

In this episode of Innovating Enrollment Success, Digital Analytics Manager Sam Hofman and Ad Ops Engineer Nathan Huff talk about how to separate real insights from digital noise, and why trustworthy data is essential for student recruitment and retention. 

What you’ll learn: 

• Good data is trusted and actionable, not just clean spreadsheets.
• Set metrics early with a measurement brief that defines success and allows for pivots.
• Compare platform and CRM data to avoid inflated conversion counts.
• Identify bot traffic—40–60% of hits could be non-human.
• Block invalid traffic with honeypots, IP filters, and ad verification.
• Assign a data steward to own your data strategy and guide smarter decisions.

When your data is done right, it doesn’t just track activity, it tells the real story of your audience. And in today’s enrollment climate, those insights can make all the difference. 

What makes an admitted student portal more than a checklist? How can it guide students from intent to enrollment? And what does it take to build a portal that actually works, for students and institutions? 

In this episode of Innovating Enrollment Success, we explore how admitted student portals can either support or sabotage enrollment goals. As institutions face rising melt rates, especially among first-gen and low-income students, these digital spaces must do more than display deadlines. They must foster connection, clarity, and confidence. 

Paskill Senior Account Manager Angela Wenner and Interactive Developer Suri Sahay break down what makes a portal effective and where most fall short. From personalized content and accessibility to backend strategy and tech limitations, this episode covers the collaboration and innovation required to keep students on the path to enrollment. 

Together, they examine how smart strategy and responsive tech turn static portals into dynamic recruitment tools that resonate with today’s students. 

What you’ll learn: 

• Why portals are a make-or-break moment for enrollment, especially during melt season
• The tech essentials behind a modern, mobile-friendly, accessible portal
• How to personalize the portal experience with dynamic data and relevant content
• Where institutions often miss the mark, and how to fix it
• How collaboration between strategy and development leads to stronger outcomes
• The power of community features, gamification, and AI chatbots in future-ready portals
• Why portal planning should start early, and what to prioritize right now

When a portal is done right, it doesn’t just inform students, it engages them.
And in today’s competitive landscape, that connection can make all the difference.

What makes a college logo not only inspire but last? How do you engage your campus community around it? And how do you know it’s time for a change?

In this episode of the Campus Spirit series, we explore how logos evolve from simple sketches into lasting symbols of pride and identity. A great college logo doesn’t just look good across multiple platforms, it sparks emotion, reflects culture, and stands up to decades of student experiences and institutional change.

Agency Marketing Director Cathy Donovan is joined by Paskill Founder and President Jim Paskill, Associate Creative Director Frank Delaney, and written reflections from Senior Graphic Designer and lllustrator Nick DiNucci, whose logos have shaped dozens of institutions across the country.

Together, they unpack what makes a logo resonate, and how the strongest ones are shaped by design, collaboration, strategy, and story.

What you’ll learn:

• What makes a college logo inspiring, and how that inspiration is designed
• How identity design adapts to campus culture and student expectations
• Why community engagement matters in logo creation and evolution
• How to balance legacy and freshness in a redesign
• Where logo redesigns can go off track, and how to recover
• The role of logos across recruitment and brand touchpoints
• Stories behind logos that stuck, and what made them work

When a logo is done right, it doesn’t just represent a school, it reflects a shared experience. The most powerful marks are built with purpose, shaped by community, and designed to last.

Check out the full Q&A with Nick DeNucci. 

How can colleges create emotional connections that last well beyond graduation?

In this latest episode of Innovating Enrollment Success, we kick off our special Campus Spirit series by exploring how brand experience shapes student engagement, loyalty, and long-term institutional success.

Paskill’s Associate Creative Director Frank Delaney joins Agency Marketing Director Cathy Donovan to discuss what higher ed can learn from one of the world’s most iconic consumer brands—Disney. From hospitality to apparel to campus life, this conversation reveals how consistency, storytelling, and intentional design can deepen student connection and enhance recruitment outcomes.

What you'll learn:

• The key elements that successful brands—across industries—have in common
• How to create anticipation and brand loyalty from the first admissions interaction
• Why identity and self-expression matter in student and alumni engagement
• What colleges can learn from hospitality in delivering personalized experiences
• How to ensure consistency across all brand touchpoints, from website to walk-on
• The role of storytelling in building emotional ties with prospective students
• A simple, high-impact way to elevate brand experience today

Learn more about Paskill’s approach to brand, creative, and messaging.

How can institutions successfully turn admits into enrollees during yield season? 

In this latest episode of Innovating Enrollment Success, we explore the most effective recruiting strategies and marketing tactics institutions are using to make meaningful connections with students and families.

Hillsdale College’s Assistant Director of Admissions Brennan Nokelby shares insights on personalizing outreach, addressing student concerns, and the strategies helping his team convert admits into enrolled students. 

Paskill’s VP of Consulting and Research Dave Black provides a broader perspective on the trends and data institutions should be tracking to optimize yield strategies. 

What you'll learn:

• The biggest surprises in yield season each year
• The top challenges private institutions face in converting admits
• How personalized outreach improves engagement
• The role of marketing in supporting admissions efforts 
• Addressing student and family concerns before they derail decisions
• Creating a sense of belonging before students arrive on campus
• Real-time data tracking and last-minute strategies to increase enrollment 

Learn more about Paskill's Admissions Workshops.