Enrollment Catalyst
MAY 28, 2025
In my work with schools across the country, I often see a pattern: when things get busy or uncertain, marketing and admissions efforts shift into reaction mode. Thats understandablebut not sustainable. Thats why Andy Lynch and I dedicated a recent Show & Tell Show to sharing 10 always-on strategies. These are practices that dont depend on the season or enrollment pressure.
Grown & Flown
MAY 5, 2025
As a parent, I know how hard it can be to let go and allow our children to manage the bumps and bruises of life. I wish to protect my daughter from every difficulty and shield her from every hurt. However, as a higher education professional, I know I cant, and shouldnt, parent with that as my priority. In my work in higher education, I see examples of parental over-involvement that may come from love but may not, in the end, succeed in producing confident, capable adults.
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Sara Harberson
MAY 29, 2025
With the school year coming to an end and my son showing increasing interest in the whole college experience, we are planning some college visits for the summer. Knowing him, we have to ease our way into this first major step of the process. Goodness, he just finished freshman year. Frankly, though, easing into college visits is an approach I recommend for all families.
Ruffaloni
MAY 15, 2025
…and What You Need to Do to Stay Ahead The higher education enrollment landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by shifting demographics , technological advancements , and economic uncertainty. To remain relevant and competitive, colleges and universities must adapt to these changes and develop strategies to succeed in a challenging environment.
College Transitions
MAY 8, 2025
Getting into the right college is typically the biggest concern for parents and students as they start to plan for the future. But now, the importance ofand competition inacademics starts earlier and earlier.
HEM (Higher Education Marketing)
MAY 28, 2025
Reading Time: 11 minutes In a world obsessed with TikTok trends and digital ad spends, its easy to overlook the humble email. Yet, email marketing for universities and other higher educational institutions isnt just surviving, its thriving. While newer platforms grab headlines, email continues to deliver results where it matters most: student recruitment.
Top Tier Admissions
MAY 13, 2025
Going on a college tour is a rite of passage for many American teens and their parents. From the peppy tour guide who has perfected the art of walking backwards, to the sometimes-shocking sight of a dorm room (so small! no air conditioning?!), the college tour is the cornerstone of a college visit. In a 2023 study based on over 5,000 surveys , Niche.com found that high school students visit three colleges on average.
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Sara Harberson
MAY 22, 2025
When I began my career in college admissions in the late 1990s, it was rare for a student not to attend a bricks and mortar high school. Granted, there were no online high schools back then. Alternate options were quite limited and carried a stigma among college admissions committees. For instance, it took a lot for a homeschooled student to get admitted to a selective college.
Ruffaloni
MAY 14, 2025
Having spent years in higher education enrollment and marketing, I’ve know firsthand the dedication it takes to connect with prospective students and ensure their success, keenly aware of the immense effort required, the daily challenges teams face in standing out amidst a sea of institutions, and the ever-increasing workloads they manage. And, at the center of all of this is a profound passion for making a real difference in students’ lives and a deep commitment to the unique missio
College Transitions
MAY 21, 2025
As the calendar turns to April, Emily, a high school senior and aspiring engineering student on the East Coast with phenomenal test scores (1530 SAT) and near-perfect grades (in mostly AP courses), begins to hear back from her prospective colleges.
Tex Admissions
MAY 30, 2025
The peak of volcano Tajumulco, Guatemala at sunrise (13,789 ft) One of the most common questions I receive from parents is, When and how did UT-Austin get so competitive? They will say, Back in my day, as long as you didnt flunk out of school and had a decent SAT, you could gain admission. It didnt matter what major you chose either. This sentiment motivated me to write my first two books, Your Ticket to the Forty Acres and Surviving the College Admissions Madness.
University Gurus
MAY 16, 2025
Careers at Kate Stone Prep At Kate Stone Prep, we build wildly successful lives for our students through education, mentorship, and powerful connections. The core problem we solve for families is helping their children gain admission to top-choice colleges and careers. Our approach is different. We dont check boxes, we break the outdated college coaching models.
Grown & Flown
MAY 29, 2025
We need to choose our words carefullyespecially the ones we offer our children. I used to think I was being supportive, even encouraging, when I told my sons things like, Youre going to do great things, or Youre going places, kid. Those words came from love. From the belief in who they are and what theyre capable of. But in hindsight, I see that it may have been carelessness, not thoughtlessness, that led me to contribute to a culture of quiet, crushing expectations.
Sara Harberson
MAY 2, 2025
Last week, Max, my middle child, attended his first college fair. Initially, I wasn't super encouraging about it. He's only a freshman. And, my own professional experience working at college fairs was not particularly memorable. I spent many days and nights as an admissions officer and dean of admissions standing behind tables at college fairs, talking to "interested" students about the college I represented, wondering if I was making an impact.
Ruffaloni
MAY 15, 2025
Let’s be real: college planning is not the only thing on your prospective students’ minds. They’re juggling school, jobs, relationships, social media, and, you know, just trying to figure out life. So, when we talk about AI in college planning, it’s crucial to remember that it’s just one piece of a much larger puzzle. At RNL, we’re constantly looking at the trends shaping higher education, and AI is definitely a big one.
College Transitions
MAY 26, 2025
In the early 1990s, the University of Pennsylvania was struggling to keep up with their fellow Ivy League universities and found itself frequently relegated to “back-up plan” status among the nations top students. Their institutions location in less-than-idyllic West Philadelphia and the “sounds like a state school” name contributed to their relative woes.
HEM (Higher Education Marketing)
MAY 14, 2025
Reading Time: 11 minutes Student retention remains one of the biggest challenges in higher education, with dropout rates continuing to concern institutions worldwide. For colleges and universities today, student retention in higher education has evolved into something far more holistic than it once was. Recent data underscore the scope of the problem: roughly one in four undergraduates will leave college without completing a degree.
Top Tier Admissions
MAY 2, 2025
Vanderbilt University , located in Nashville, Tennessee, has seen a significant rise in popularity in recent years. (For a deeper look at the growing appeal of Southern colleges, check out our blog post, The Rising Popularity of Southern Colleges.) The Common Data Set shows an approximate 25% increase in yield over the last 10 years. Its also frequently described as both a Southern Ivy and a New Ivy.
Grown & Flown
MAY 27, 2025
Students need the summer to rest and relax and may be busy with summer jobs. But THEIR downtime during the vacation months can sometimes collide with our work responsibilities, need for sleep and/or the activities of younger siblings. Students need to rest and recharge during the summer. They may already be busy with summer jobs, too. Here are 30 ways they can make the summer an even more productive one.
Sara Harberson
MAY 15, 2025
Dear Class of 2025 Graduates, Congratulations on your impending graduation. As many have told you, it is a milestone. Your family will gather. They will celebrate you. And, you will mark this day as a lifelong memory. I still remember my own high school graduation. It felt monumental at the time. It was.
Ruffaloni
MAY 15, 2025
Opening the door to college starts with a knock on the counselor’s office Ask a student who their guide to college was, and the answer depends a lot on their background. For someespecially those from higher-income families or with college-educated parentsthe process might not involve a school counselor at all. But for students without those built-in supports, counselors can be the critical link to higher educationif theyre able to get help.
College Transitions
MAY 20, 2025
As an Asian teenager or a parent of one, youve likely heard that Asian students have historically been at a disadvantage in the admissions process at elite American colleges and universities.
HEM (Higher Education Marketing)
MAY 21, 2025
Reading Time: 14 minutes Reaching todays college and university students, most of whom belong to Generation Z , requires more than a digital presence. It requires cultural fluency, authenticity, and a deep understanding of how this generation engages with the world. Gen Zs , typically identified as those born between 1997 and 2012, are the first true digital natives.
PrepScholar
MAY 16, 2025
There are many reasons you may want to email a college admissions office. You might have questions about deadlines, application requirements, financial aid, or getting off the waitlist, among other topics. Whenever you interact with a college, it's important to showcase your best self. This means you'll want to be thoughtful about any email you send them.
Grown & Flown
MAY 7, 2025
Here are great responses to unsolicited opinions about where your teen is going to college. (Aaron Amat/Shutterstock) Teens work hard to get accepted into college: please be supportive Your kid worked their tail off during high school and they are so proud of the college they will be attending in the fall. Or maybe they were kind of just not that into school and they are simply happy theyve chosen a community college to have some time to figure out what they want to study in the future.
Sara Harberson
MAY 8, 2025
The College Board emailed families yesterday notifying them of three National Recognition Awards, which students could be eligible for starting in 2025. Two of the awards have been around for several years: Rural/Small Town Recognition Award and First-Generation Recognition Award. The third award is new: School Recognition Award. Noticeably absent are the three racial/ethnic awards that have been available for years: National Recognition Award for Black Students, Hispanic Students, and Native Am
Ruffaloni
MAY 15, 2025
Spotting the red flags of college closings before its too late What are the warning signs that could lead to a college closing? Over the last month, two more private schools have announced their closures. St. Andrews University in Laurinburg, NC , and Limestone University in Gaffney, SC. In both cases, as with any college closings, the result is disheartening to the current state of higher education.It is also never something those enrolled students expected or signed up for.
College Transitions
MAY 22, 2025
For many teens, the summer is a time to work extra hours at your job, attend a summer program, vacation with family, or simply enjoy a respite from the hectic pace of the academic year.
Top Tier Admissions
MAY 21, 2025
We had a great turnout at our recent live “Ask Me Anything” webinar hosted by Dr. Michele Hernandez. With dozens of thoughtful and sometimes urgent questions from parents of rising juniors, it was clear: the road to senior yearand to collegecan feel confusing, overwhelming, and high-stakes. But it doesnt have to. Heres a quick digest of some of the most common themes we heardand Micheles insights on how families can navigate the college admissions process with strategy, clarity, and
Georgia Tech Admissions Blog
MAY 30, 2025
Last weekend I was sitting at the pool with my eight year-old, and I felt something in me relax… almost like a mental sigh. You know, the feeling you get when summer approaches. School for my son is not quite over, and admission offices work year-round, so theres no long summer break in sight for me. But still! Like Pavlovs dogs, I have been trained through years of conditioning that summer is a time to relax.
Grown & Flown
MAY 10, 2025
I sent three kids to college without fully thinking about whether they were ready. When I saw some red flags in high school missed homework assignments and poor time management I chose to ignore those problems, rationalizing that there is a lot of growth between ages 17 and 18, and these issues would work themselves out. I reasoned that if my kids were accepted to a college, they must be ready.
Tex Admissions
MAY 12, 2025
I started taking abstract painting classes, an activity far from my comfort zone. For the past seven admissions cycles, UT has required its applicants to write two or three supplements in addition to the Common App Main Essay. One of those supplements has always been: Why are you interested in the major you indicated as your first-choice major? The easiest way to reach me is by email kevin@texadmissions.com and to complete this questionnaire for a free email admissions assessment and to discuss
Ruffaloni
MAY 15, 2025
Let’s be real: college planning is not the only thing on your prospective students’ minds. They’re juggling school, jobs, relationships, social media, and, you know, just trying to figure out life. So, when we talk about AI in college planning, it’s crucial to remember that it’s just one piece of a much larger puzzle. At RNL, we’re constantly looking at the trends shaping higher education, and AI is definitely a big one.
College Transitions
MAY 16, 2025
If college is an obstacle course, you will have plenty of moments when youre leaping from rope bridge to rope bridge like a cat and countless others when youre flailing upside down in your harness. Every class will test you in different ways, whether it analyzes Shakespeares syntax or quantum mechanics.
Top Tier Admissions
MAY 1, 2025
The University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School has claimed the top spot in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report MBA rankings , breaking last years tie with Stanford Graduate School of Business. Stanford now shares second place with Northwesterns Kellogg School of Management, followed by Chicago Booth and MIT Sloan rounding out the Top 5. Kellogg made notable gains this year, not only in the full-time MBA rankings but also by tying for #1 in the part-time MBA category alongside Booth and Berkele
PrepScholar
MAY 30, 2025
When it comes to crafting a strong college application, its easy to focus on numbers: GPA, test scores, number of AP courses, etc. And all of those factors can be important! However, what really sets applicants apart often comes down to less measurable, but equally important, qualities. Colleges want students who will have a positive impact on campus and beyond.
Grown & Flown
MAY 10, 2025
The pharmacist in me made up a First Aid Kit and supply list for my son, which I put in a plastic box for him to take to the dorm. I also included instructions on what to take/use for what ailment and how to do so safely. It seemed like a ton of stuff, but our son was 11 hours from home. I did the same things for our daughter when she went away to school.
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