The Application with Allison Turcio

In this episode, Allison is joined by Jeff Dillon, Founder and CEO of EdTech Connect, to discuss a major research report on higher ed site search. Jeff reveals shocking data, including that 92% of schools ignore "no result" searches, a treasure trove of first-party data. He explains why your current site search is a high-risk area for enrollment and how the rise of AI is changing user expectations from a list of links to instant, conversational answers. Learn how schools like TCU are achieving huge gains by focusing on search relevance, how to pitch a site search upgrade to IT, and how to use search data as invaluable market intelligence for campaign planning.

Join us as we discuss: 

• [1:58] The most surprising findings in the report and the biggest barriers to fixing them
• [11:42] How AI tools can help improve site search and content discovery
• [19:40] How TCU and Grand Valley State optimized their site search

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

• The State of Site Search in Higher Education
• Search Stax
• EdTech Connect Podcast

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for “The Application with Allison Turcio” in your favorite podcast player.

Guest Name: Jeff Dillon, Founder and CEO of EdTech Connect

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edtechconnect/

Guest Bio: Jeff Dillon has more than 20 years of leadership experience in higher education technology, with expertise in search, AI, digital governance, and communication tools. He is the founder and CEO of EdTech Connect, a crowd-sourced platform that helps universities discover and evaluate technology solutions. Jeff partners with best-of-breed software providers to guide colleges toward smarter digital strategies and stronger student experiences.

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Connect With Our Host:
Allison Turcio
https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/
https://twitter.com/allisonturcio

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Are you still trying to out-volume your enrollment problems? More apps, more emails, more FAFSAs? What if the real solution isn’t more noise, but sharper signals? In this episode, Geoff Baird, Founder and CEO of Enroll ML, joins Allison to pull back the curtain on higher ed’s “Category 5 collision” and explains why the old playbook of chasing volume is broken. You’ll hear how application surges can actually hide intent, why the movable middle is where enrollment is won or lost, and how AI is changing the game by revealing hidden behavioral patterns.

Join us as we discuss: 

• [2:38] The  category five storm of forces that’s reshaping higher ed
• [8:06] How to analyze patterns of behavior to understand student intent
• [16:13] Unpacking the student decision process and smart AI vs. vanity AI

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

• The Signal Solution

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for “The Application with Allison Turcio” in your favorite podcast player.

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Connect With Our Host:
Allison Turcio
https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/
https://twitter.com/allisonturcio

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if your university’s marketing felt as irresistible as a Spotify playlist? That’s exactly what Lauran Hundshamer, VP of Enrollment and Marketing at St. Catherine University, is building. Instead of relying on tired “apply now” email blasts, her team is delivering personalized portals, layered communications, and behavior-driven outreach that moves students to act. The payoff is clear: campus visits are soaring, engagement is climbing, and enrollment is growing across every program. Tune in to discover the playbook for making personalization a reality on your campus.

Join us as we discuss:

• [4:23] Portals and what an individualized student experience looks like
• [11:00] Steps to move from spray-and-pray to individualized outreach
• [21:20] AI tools and surveys that deepen personalization

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

• Loper

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for “The Application with Allison Turcio” in your favorite podcast player.

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Connect With Our Host:
Allison Turcio
https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/
https://twitter.com/allisonturcio

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this final installment of The Application AMA miniseries, Allison Turcio confronts three unavoidable realities shaping the future of higher ed marketing. But rather than offering recycled takes, this episode delivers three powerful reframes that challenge conventional thinking and offer clarity amidst the chaos.

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Connect With Our Host:
Allison Turcio
https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/
https://twitter.com/allisonturcio

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In part 2 of her AMA Mini Series, Allison Turcio dives into the transformative role that AI and social media are playing in the college search process. The conversation centers on a big shift: AI tools and platforms like TikTok and YouTube have become the first stop for many students researching colleges—not your homepage. This episode breaks down what that means for your enrollment marketing strategy and offers tactical advice for evolving your content to meet students where they are.

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Connect With Our Host:
Allison Turcio
https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/
https://twitter.com/allisonturcio

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this special bonus episode from the AMA Mini-Series, hosted by Allison Turcio, she dives into one of the most pressing—and often overlooked—topics in higher education: retention. As Allison shares, we can’t out-recruit poor retention. This episode unpacks why student persistence isn't just a student services issue—it’s a marketing, messaging, and promise-keeping priority. You’ll walk away with actionable strategies and fresh perspectives on how enrollment marketers can become key players in student success.

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Connect With Our Host:
Allison Turcio
https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/
https://twitter.com/allisonturcio

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of The Application, Allison sits down with Jennifer Lonchar, Co-founder of AmbioEdu, to demystify performance TV. Jennifer explains how this new approach to streaming ads moves beyond brand awareness to become a measurable, personalized, and highly effective tool for driving enrollment outcomes. She shares actionable insights on how to use hyper-specific targeting, from high schools and community colleges to specific demographics and income levels, to reach prospective students and their families where they're most engaged. Learn how to leverage AI to optimize campaigns, measure true impact beyond vanity metrics, and create powerful creative that tells a story instead of just screaming stats.

Join us as we discuss: 

• [2:03] What differentiates performance TV and why streaming ads are still an untapped goldmine
• [11:15] Real examples of performance TV moving the needle for smaller schools
• [16:03] How AI is optimizing personalization opportunities and audience segmentation

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for “The Application with Allison Turcio” in your favorite podcast player.

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Connect With Our Host:
Allison Turcio
https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/
https://twitter.com/allisonturcio

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens when storytelling stops being a side project and becomes the main event? In this episode, we talk with Kelly Peiffer, VP of Communications and Advancement at Manor College, to explore how stories drive not only connection but measurable enrollment results. Kelly shares how her team turned storytelling into the centerpiece of their marketing strategy, tracking its impact on applications, building collaboration across departments, and proving that authentic student and alumni voices can outperform traditional campaigns.

Join us as we discuss: 

• [6:32] How to connect stories to KPIs and enrollment goals
• [12:26] Why collaboration is key for sourcing authentic stories 
• [16:29] “You Belong Here”: Storytelling and student identity

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

• The Nest podcast

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for “The Application with Allison Turcio” in your favorite podcast player.

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Allison Turcio
https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/
https://twitter.com/allisonturcio

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Every email, text, and touchpoint with a prospective student matters. Get it right, and you move them closer to enrollment. Get it wrong, and you may lose them to another institution. In this episode, we sit down with Lisa Starkey-Wood, Sr. Director of Digital Strategy at Stamats. She breaks down the must-dos of prospect nurturing: from mapping communication by stage and student type, to delivering quick wins that keep your funnel strong. You’ll hear why “day zero” response is critical, how to avoid overwhelming prospective students, and why student workers may lead you to your most valuable insights.

Join us as we discuss:

• [1:53] Why a “day zero” response is non-negotiable
• [8:59] How to use “mystery shopping” to test your own funnel
• [16:54] Making students and faculty a part of your outreach process

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

• EduWeb Summit
• Halda AI
•  Lisa's slides from EduWeb 

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for “The Application with Allison Turcio” in your favorite podcast player.

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Allison Turcio
https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/
https://twitter.com/allisonturcio

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When a prospective student lands on your website, what do they really want to find? It might not be what you think. In this episode, Grant De Roo, Founder and Principal at ADV Market Research & Consulting and Jarrett Smith, Senior VP of Strategy at Echo Delta share results from surveying over 1,000 prospective students about the top tasks students want to accomplish online. From cost clarity to course descriptions, modality, and career outcomes, the data challenges some common higher ed marketing assumptions and reveals a handful of universal priorities you can focus on to improve the student experience.

Join us as we discuss: 

• [1:45] The surprising consistency across student segments
• [10:04] What students want on academic program pages
• [20:26] Gaps between higher ed professionals’ assumptions and student needs

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

• Siena University - Affordability and Aid
• Siena University - Merit Scholarship calculator
• Grant and Jarrett’s research

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for “The Application with Allison Turcio” in your favorite podcast player.

Guest Names: 
Grant De Roo, Founder and Principal, ADV Market Research
Jarrett Smith, Senior Vice President of Strategy, Echo Delta

Guest Socials:
Grant De Roo - https://www.linkedin.com/in/grant-de-roo-26062043/
Jarrett Smith - https://www.linkedin.com/in/smithjarrett/

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Connect With Our Host:
Allison Turcio
https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/
https://twitter.com/allisonturcio

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.