The Enrollment Brief

Students have heard "world-class faculty" and "vibrant community" from every campus. Jarrett Smith, Scott Rhodes, and Jeff Kallay share three moves to make before the next recruitment cycle: replace adjectives with concrete evidence, learn what students are actually doing on campus, and update campus visit communications to reflect how families now decide.

America is running short on fun, and college campuses caught the same bug. In this episode, Jeff Kallay makes the case for treating student happiness as an enrollment strategy. The team digs into why student affairs budgets miss the broader audience, what involvement data says about career readiness, and how getting specific about campus life beats another mention of your vibrant, welcoming community.

You spend real money sending your team to conferences every year. Are they coming back with anything? Jarrett, Scott, and Jeff have worked every side of the conference circuit, and in this episode they share how enrollment leaders can prep their staff, what young professionals should ask exhibitors, and why the vendor tables might be the most underused professional development on the schedule.

Is AI eroding the value of a college degree? Jarrett, Scott, and Jeff unpack what they're actually hearing on campuses, from AI-skeptical students to enrollment leaders wrestling with ROI questions that predate ChatGPT. They also push back on the AI job loss narrative and share what institutions must do now to prove their degrees still certify something machines can't replicate.

Families are starting to look past the Ivy League toward "vibe schools," campuses that blend academic strength with social energy, lifestyle appeal, and stability. In this episode, Jeff, Scott, and Jarrett unpack the Forbes article behind the trend, what these schools get right, and the practical first steps any campus can take to build a vibe of its own.