Ruffaloni

FEBRUARY 3, 2023

For over a decade now I have led strategic enrollment planning work at RNL. In this post, I share some common questions I hear from campus leaders as a way to encourage you to attend RNL’s Strategic Enrollment Planning (SEP) Executive Forum , April 19-20 in Las Vegas. What are the building blocks of a strategic enrollment plan?

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Enrollment Retention Financial Aid Semester 258

Ruffaloni

JANUARY 25, 2024

As I sifted through all the data released last fall by IPEDS, National Student Clearinghouse, Open Doors, Council of Graduate Schools, and more, I arrived at five data-driven trends that institutions will likely have to take into account as they chart their course in 2024.

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Enrollment Semester Concentration Graduate Students 162

Ruffaloni

JUNE 15, 2023

How can you your institution is optimizing your strategies for enrollment growth? With enrollment rates eroding and costs skyrocketing, everything is being evaluated at these institutions to make them more resilient and better prepared to compete in a changing higher ed landscape.

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Enrollment Retention Higher Education Programs 147

HEM (Higher Education Marketing)

MAY 1, 2024

Reading Time: 10 minutes In the dynamic landscape of higher education, institutions constantly seek innovative strategies to enhance their brand visibility, improve student engagement, and foster a sense of community. One potent yet underutilized strategy is the implementation of a Student Ambassador Program. To what end?

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Higher Education Education Education Programs 88

Ruffaloni

NOVEMBER 9, 2023

Does direct admissions directly lead to enrollment growth? Students are pre-screened based on their academic qualifications and are offered a guaranteed spot at participating institutions if they complete the school’s short admission application. There is no denying that more colleges are jumping on board the direct admissions train.

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Admissions Enrollment Financial Aid Transition 147

Ruffaloni

JANUARY 26, 2023

In the last year of that relationship, no enrollment was generated for their fall cohort. As they began to think about the future, it was clear that they would be moving on with little knowledge of the marketing and conversion efforts that were used during the many years they put these things in the hand of their “partner.”

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Enrollment Transfer Tuition Placement 147

Ruffaloni

SEPTEMBER 28, 2023

Are your online courses optimized for the way students learn? Student expectations are key for online enrollment. While increased demand for online learning has driven enrollment growth, simply having an online program may not be enough to attract and retain students.

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Enrollment Online Programs Programs Education 264

Ruffaloni

APRIL 27, 2023

RNL’s graduate and online theme this year is “Scaling for Growth,” and our sessions will deliver techniques, tactics, and strategies to help you do just that. Here are a few key sessions that graduate and online enrollment managers will not want to miss. The full program is ready and it is jam-packed with content.

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Enrollment Online Programs Graduate Students Programs 130

Ruffaloni

AUGUST 30, 2023

Regardless of the common misperception that prospective graduate students do not click on digital ads, they do click, and therefore digital lead generation really does work. I wrote on just this topic in RNL’s recently released RNL 2023 Graduate Student Recruitment Report. The answer? The answer?

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Programs Graduate Students Enrollment Higher Education 130

The Enrollment Marketer

APRIL 17, 2024

As a typical first entry point for prospective students, college websites have always been a crucial instrument in any marketing strategy toolkit. While many enrollment marketers may lack total control of their site, there are plenty of elements that they can implement or advocate for. What makes a great website?

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Higher Education Campus Tours Enrollment Transition 98

HEM (Higher Education Marketing)

NOVEMBER 1, 2023

Reading Time: 8 minutes In a globalized world, international student recruitment is no longer an option but a necessity. Schools engaging in recruiting international students are not only working towards their growth and success but also playing a vital role in fostering global citizenship and cultural exchange.

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International Students Higher Education Campus Tours Education 89

Ruffaloni

MAY 11, 2023

Deposited students still remain a yield opportunity for campuses. Long gone are the days of admission offices counting college enrollment deposits on May 1 and beginning to plan out their summer conference tours. The good news for an admissions team is that a deposited student is still very much a yield opportunity.

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Orientation Retention Financial Aid Enrollment 147

Ruffaloni

NOVEMBER 17, 2022

Rapid response is one of the key expectations of today’s prospective students. The answer was clear: Institutions need to stop thinking that students should meet them where we are and instead adjust to meet students where they are. Day to day experiences are not only molding but constantly changing student expectations.

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Enrollment Higher Education Graduate Students Admissions 147

Ruffaloni

OCTOBER 13, 2023

Engaging Hispanic families can help you then engage prospective Hispanic students. Hispanic students often face disparities in educational attainment. Research indicates that Hispanic students are more likely to attend underfunded schools with fewer resources, resulting in limited access to quality education.

Financial Aid 147

Financial Aid Higher Education Enrollment Out-of-State 147

Ruffaloni

NOVEMBER 17, 2022

I finally picked up the phone to talk with him about a set of blogs he wrote about new data from IPEDS that indicate that they’ve been undercounting online students by almost 2 million students. Even pre-pandemic, we were hearing that one in three students take at least one online course.

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Non-Degree Students Online Programs Enrollment Financial Aid 182

Ruffaloni

FEBRUARY 23, 2023

This month we are talking about some of the strategic questions that institutions need to really consider critically as they lay their plans to meet student demand for increased access to online programming. Last month she and I talked about the Building Blocks that need to be in place in order to scale online programs.

Online Programs 147

Online Programs Programs Retention Enrollment 147

HEM (Higher Education Marketing)

JANUARY 10, 2024

Reading Time: 7 minutes Although 2024 has only just begun, if you’ve already set your recruitment objectives, now is the ideal moment to contemplate the strategies you’ll be putting into action for the year ahead. Continue reading to delve deeper into the significance of implementing an education-industry-focused CRM.

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Higher Education Education Education Enrollment 97

HEM (Higher Education Marketing)

NOVEMBER 8, 2023

Reading Time: 7 minutes Customer Relationship Management is one of the best tools schools have to enhance communication and engagement with students, parents, alumni, and staff. Understanding these metrics and how your school is performing can help you set realistic goals and address potential gaps. What Are CRM Metrics?

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Retention Enrollment Higher Education ACT 88

The Enrollment Marketer

JANUARY 24, 2023

There are lots of enrollment marketers that spend their time playing whac-a-mole. They don’t sacrifice long-term strategy for short-term gain. If you think about enrollment marketing as a chess game, you can see how the pieces fit together and why it’s important to think with the end in mind.

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Enrollment Higher Education Semester Education 98

The Enrollment Marketer

FEBRUARY 14, 2023

Building an effective marketing and recruitment plan is still a crucial part of graduate enrollment management, but many of the rules have changed in today’s digital-first, virtual-is-normal reality. Find Out the Freshest Industry Benchmarks Do you know how prospective students are engaging with email?

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Enrollment Out-of-State Graduate Students In-State 94

Ruffaloni

NOVEMBER 10, 2022

We know that the college planning process is an intensive one for students and families, but how do they perceive the process? High School Student Perceptions of Financial Aid (conducted with Ardeo Education Solutions and PLEXUSS )—a study conducted with 1,250 11 th – and 12 th -grad students.

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Financial Aid Enrollment Out-of-State High School 162

HEM (Higher Education Marketing)

MAY 31, 2023

Reading Time: 11 minutes Any school looking to increase its engagement on social media may be keen to know about the positive impact a student ambassador program can have. Not yet sold on the idea of student ambassadors for your school? Schools looking into influencer marketing can use these statistics to their advantage.

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Programs Campus Tours Mentorship Mentorships 93

Admitted

APRIL 16, 2023

Numerous campus administrators and staff members are concerned and offer plenty of potential ideas to reach more students. adding in some weekend hours, increasing marketing, and scheduling more in-person and virtual open houses are some of the usual approaches. Your students: Who do you serve?

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Community College Community College Enrollment Placement 98

HEM (Higher Education Marketing)

AUGUST 9, 2023

Reading Time: 10 minutes Improving your student recruitment strategy is a big step in boosting your school’s enrollment numbers, making it an essential part of your marketing efforts. You can proactively connect with prospects through your content and student recruitment team and address many of their concerns.

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Financial Aid International Students Campus Tours Study Abroad 75

The Enrollment Marketer

JANUARY 12, 2024

The hardest part about building a strategic enrollment marketing plan for student recruitment is figuring out where to start. Most schools are already operating a handful of enrollment management tactics, CRM systems, email communications flows, info sessions, and marketing campaigns.

Enrollment 52

Enrollment Out-of-State Higher Education College Fairs 52

The Enrollment Marketer

APRIL 10, 2024

Both offer robust tools to help enrollment marketers attract, engage, and nurture prospective students through the admissions funnel. Its CRM platform leverages inbound marketing tactics to attract and convert leads. Slate is an enrollment management platform built specifically for higher education.

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Higher Education Education Education Enrollment 52

Niche

JANUARY 31, 2024

The education industry is more competitive than ever, so it’s no longer a luxury to a strategic, data-driven approach to marketing your school or district—it’s a necessity. From Ivy League colleges to local community colleges, many higher ed institutions are nailing it when it comes to marketing. And guess what?

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Ivy League Higher Education Out-of-State Retention 52

HEM (Higher Education Marketing)

JULY 5, 2023

Though it might seem like these tools are new and coming out of nowhere, AI marketing tools have been around for a while, working in the background and helping businesses reach their marketing goals. If used adequately, AI in education marketing can lead to a turning point for many schools.

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Education Education Accommodations Financial Aid 80

HEM (Higher Education Marketing)

MARCH 29, 2023

Reading Time: 10 minutes Communication is key for schools looking to connect with potential students and build meaningful relationships. In fact, great communication and a deep understanding of your target audience are two things that can help your school boost its enrollment numbers.

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Education Education Private School Enrollment 81

The Enrollment Marketer

JANUARY 25, 2024

Many institutions are struggling to figure out whether video marketing as a strategy for student recruitment is really worth it, and if it is, how to do it effectively, efficiently, and affordably. Why Video Marketing? Want us to help your videos shine? Connect with us over at DD Studio !

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Enrollment Admissions High School Applications 52

EAB

DECEMBER 14, 2023

Blogs Our top five lessons on lead generation for graduate and adult programs in 2024 Insights and resources from a year of lead generation innovation As I look back on 2023, I’m struck by just how much we learned about the challenges that graduate and adult enrollment leaders face when it comes to lead generation.

Programs 52

Programs Enrollment Graduate Students Testing 52

HEM (Higher Education Marketing)

OCTOBER 9, 2023

These common factors can shape your messaging and impact how effectively you can communicate with your target audience. This is where student personas come in, allowing schools to develop a semi-fictional representation of their target audience in order to better reach them.

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Higher Education Enrollment Education Education 52

EAB

AUGUST 28, 2023

Unrealistic Goals “We will grow total enrollment by 20% over the next five years” “We will become an AAU university” “We will improve six-year graduation rates by 20 percentage points” "Visionary” presidents tend to believe that bold proclamations will inspire people to perform better, but clearly impossible goals have the opposite effect.

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Higher Education Retention Enrollment Education 98

HEM (Higher Education Marketing)

MARCH 4, 2024

Reading Time: 9 minutes Not so long ago, students who had been accepted to a college or university might expect a phone call, an invitation to an open house, and perhaps some brochures or a catalogue in the mail. Repeatedly promoting your selling points at this stage can have the unintended effect of seeming impersonal or oppressive.

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Admissions University University Transition 52

The Enrollment Marketer

JUNE 14, 2023

When it comes to forming a marketing strategy for student recruitment, the variety of options and avenues can be overwhelming. Getting all the information to prospective students throughout the application process can be hard to do in an efficient, effective manner. Eliminate unnecessary steps.

Admissions 52

Admissions Retention Higher Education Enrollment 52

HEM (Higher Education Marketing)

JUNE 7, 2023

Having a strong multi-channel marketing strategy in this current competitive digital landscape is instrumental, and it can easily set your school apart from its competition. As you explore inbound marketing strategies, advertising and lead generation , consider consolidating your efforts through a multi-channel marketing approach.

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Higher Education Education Education Enrollment 82

EAB

OCTOBER 24, 2022

5 Tips to Recruit and Enroll Latine/x Students in Your Community College. Prospective Latine/x college students in the U.S. And even though Hispanic students were the only college student population who saw consistent growth over the past 10 years, there was still a 24.5% Tip #1: Build belonging.

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Community College Community College Enrollment Orientation 95