The Admissions Directors Lunchcast

If you follow higher ed news, you'd think small colleges everywhere are falling faster than when a quarter push machine is shaken. Of course, for every story told about a small college that is struggling or worse - there are stories that aren't told.

So how (and why) are some small colleges thriving in this environment?

To answer that, we have two outstanding guests.

Rachael Stock, Dean of Admissions & Recruiting at Principia College in Elsah, Illinois joins us as a practitioner, helping to dissect what it means when a college is intentionally small.

We've talked about all the different directions enrollment leaders go when they move on: the dark side - the high school side - the independent counseling side - this week we explore a whole new angle: K-12 Admissions.

For the second year in a row, The Admissions Directors Lunchcast has sponsored a survey on the state of morale in college admissions.

You can view the full report here. Additionally, this research will be discussed at the first Lunchcast Live event in October and the Lunchcast Lectures event in Milwaukee in June, 2025.

The first order of business, however, is bringing in a rockstar guest with a certain cross-over appeal. Ken Anselment, Vice President of Enrollment at RHB, Host of The Admissions Leadership Podcast, and Author of the forthcoming book: Climbing the Admissions Leadership Peak: Lessons from the ALP.

Perhaps more significant than all that: Ken has always been a leader in staying attuned to the morale of his team and making adjustments when necessary.

For this special episode, Ken shares his reactions to and insights from the 2024 Morale in Admissions Report.

We're as surprised as you are.

The Admissions Directors Lunchcast has officially crossed over 15,000 unique listens since we launched a few years ago.

For that reason, we're thrilled to announce a new initiative: Lunchcast Live. This talk show style series will be available only to members of the Lunchcast community for an intriguing conversation twice-monthly.

If you're interested in an invitation, email [email protected] ... or contact either Nathan or Teege some other way.

It is easily the hottest topic of the year in college admissions - the appropriate and reasonable use of artificial intelligence in the world of college admissions.

How and where can this new technology by used to help, create efficiencies, and improve the process?

Emily Smith, Vice President of Partner Success at CollegeVine kicks the conversation off with a top-of-the-funnel discussion, including a delightful conversation with Sara, the AI Recruiter.

Elizabeth Kirby, Director of Partnerships at PeopleGrove comes in to share her experience applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to the middle of the funnel.

Do virtual tours still work after the pandemic?

It's a resounding yes from us, and our guest, Andrew Klotz, Co-Founder and CEO of Circuit Virtual Tours, based in Toronto, Ontario.

Let's take a different look at international students - specifically, Americans going to study in Europe. This week focuses on the reasons some families are looking to study overseas, and how European colleges are trying to crack open the North American market. There are lessons in here for all of us.

Sara Bitner, Co-Founder and Head Education Advisor at Launch Education Advisors, gets us started with the perspective of an influencer.

Iain Harris, International Recruitment Manager of the Americas at Northumbria, in the United Kingdom continues the conversation, with the mindset of an admissions professional.

Ever the hot topic, we're tackling the best practices for communicating with parents through the college admissions process. After scouting them at the Illinois ACAC conference last spring, Nathan asked them to bring the insights from their presentation to our listeners.

Christopher Chiakulas, Post-Secondary Counselor at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois, gets us started with the perspective of an influencer.

Erin Soroosh, Senior Regional Enrollment Manager at the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio continues the conversation, with the mindset of an admissions professional.

At long last, The Admissions Directors Lunchcast comes back for an eighth season. We've got an intriguing slate of topics coming your way, every Tuesday from now until the end of October. If you just can't wait to see who's coming each week, this quick teaser episode will give you the inside scoop early.

Enjoy this extended conversation, where we dig much deeper with Dr. Wicker about the implications of her research for admissions directors.