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Using Data to Drive Smarter Enrollment Decisions with Pete Upham
Pete Upham has worked inside schools across multiple functional roles, from admission and development to college counseling, before spending 15 years leading a school association and working with hundreds of institutions. Today he runs his own consulting practice, and about 70% of his projects circle back to the same challenge: enrollment. What draws him to this work isn’t just the analytics. It’s the gap he keeps seeing between the data schools already have and the decisions they’re actually making.
Most schools are sitting on years of untapped information. They collect it, store it, and rarely interrogate it. Pete’s work is about changing that, helping schools move from anecdote and assumption to patterns, clarity, and smarter choices.
This conversation covers what good data practice actually looks like, where schools most commonly go wrong, and why the schools still standing in 20 years will almost certainly be the ones who took this seriously.
What You’ll Learn
How ad hoc data collection and siloed systems leave schools making big decisions based on gut feel, and what it costs them over time.
Pete’s consistent finding: when you run the numbers, 8 out of 10 assumptions schools hold about their own enrollment are accurate. But the other two can be damaging, and nobody even knew to question them.
The difference between summing numbers and actually asking questions of your data, and why that distinction is where real insight lives.
Why the second largest line item in most school budgets rarely gets serious analytical attention, and a practical way to change that in a matter of days.
How enrollment offices can start using AI tools today to query their data, as long as they understand what it can and cannot invent for them.
Key Takeaways for School Leaders
Resources & Links
Underwriting Support
Help 100 Schools Podcast is underwritten by Spiral Marketing for Schools, a national enrollment marketing agency serving independent schools.
Heads of School and senior leadership teams may request a listener invitation for a complimentary 7-Point Enrollment Visibility Analysis. This assessment provides actionable insights into your school’s digital presence, inquiry pipeline, and growth opportunities.
Request a listener invitation here.
Join the Conversation
How is your school using data to drive enrollment decisions, and where would you honestly rate your data practice on a scale of 0 to 10?
Share your thoughts on social media and tag #Help100Schools
Subscribe to the Help 100 Schools Podcast for more conversations on enrollment strategy, leadership, and what it takes to build a school that lasts.
View all episodes
By Karl BoehmPete Upham has worked inside schools across multiple functional roles, from admission and development to college counseling, before spending 15 years leading a school association and working with hundreds of institutions. Today he runs his own consulting practice, and about 70% of his projects circle back to the same challenge: enrollment. What draws him to this work isn’t just the analytics. It’s the gap he keeps seeing between the data schools already have and the decisions they’re actually making.
Most schools are sitting on years of untapped information. They collect it, store it, and rarely interrogate it. Pete’s work is about changing that, helping schools move from anecdote and assumption to patterns, clarity, and smarter choices.
This conversation covers what good data practice actually looks like, where schools most commonly go wrong, and why the schools still standing in 20 years will almost certainly be the ones who took this seriously.
What You’ll Learn
How ad hoc data collection and siloed systems leave schools making big decisions based on gut feel, and what it costs them over time.
Pete’s consistent finding: when you run the numbers, 8 out of 10 assumptions schools hold about their own enrollment are accurate. But the other two can be damaging, and nobody even knew to question them.
The difference between summing numbers and actually asking questions of your data, and why that distinction is where real insight lives.
Why the second largest line item in most school budgets rarely gets serious analytical attention, and a practical way to change that in a matter of days.
How enrollment offices can start using AI tools today to query their data, as long as they understand what it can and cannot invent for them.
Key Takeaways for School Leaders
Resources & Links
Underwriting Support
Help 100 Schools Podcast is underwritten by Spiral Marketing for Schools, a national enrollment marketing agency serving independent schools.
Heads of School and senior leadership teams may request a listener invitation for a complimentary 7-Point Enrollment Visibility Analysis. This assessment provides actionable insights into your school’s digital presence, inquiry pipeline, and growth opportunities.
Request a listener invitation here.
Join the Conversation
How is your school using data to drive enrollment decisions, and where would you honestly rate your data practice on a scale of 0 to 10?
Share your thoughts on social media and tag #Help100Schools
Subscribe to the Help 100 Schools Podcast for more conversations on enrollment strategy, leadership, and what it takes to build a school that lasts.