The Admissions Directors Lunchcast

Any time we get a chance to interview someone on the cutting edge of a problem facing admissions directors, you have to assume the interview is going to run long as it did with our conversation with Matt Osborne, Senior Vice President of Client Service and Sales at Ardeo Education Services in Bloomington, Indiana.  Matt had so much to say, a thoughtful perspective, and a clear message to Admi...

The theme of the J Term this year is financial aid, and we continue that by bringing you the extended interview with Ryan Gebler, Director of Financial Aid at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin.  In addition to the great conversation we dropped a few months ago, we also discuss the seeming shift in perspective where students in the "financial aid donut hole" used to be a pressing topi...

As revealed in our initial interview, Jim Zielinski, Co-Director of College Counseling at The Prairie School in Racine, Wisconsin, is a professional role model for Teege - and as such, the conversation went on far too long during our recording in August.  With decades of experience as a Director of Admission and now many years on the school counseling side of the desk, Jim had a lot to say ab...

All of us have, at some point, considered what a jump to the vendor side of the desk would be like.  Is there a better work/life balance?  Is the salary better?  Would you still get a sense of fulfillment from your work?  How stressful are sales goals relative to enrollment goals?  Can I work from home?  Would there be fewer meetings than in an on-campus job? We're br...

Well, this was easily the hottest topic at NACAC in Houston - how the Great Resignation impacts admissions offices.  Holding on to great admissions counselors has always been important - but it's now also top of mind and what everyone is talking about.  In this week's episode, we hope to provide you with more arguments and rationale to take back to your campus as you look to initiate str...

Well sure, we would all agree that the buzzword "authenticity" should apply to our recruitment efforts.  But in practice, what does it mean and how do we achieve it?  How do counselors stay authentic to themselves while also being authentic to their institution?  What happens when we miss on this mark?  We have two natural voices offering their genuine thoughts on the topic of...

Guiding middle-income families through the financial aid process is particularly vexing.  That's not to imply it's easier with low- and lower-income families, but in that case there are more programs and places to point them to.  Middle-income families often exist in the "donut hole" of financial aid - making too much to qualify for state or federal grants, but not enough to afford the c...

Whether rational or not, the biggest fear stopping students from enrolling is the fear of student loan debt.  While mainstream perspectives and media representations are wildly off base, that incorrect information is what many families bring to the college search process.  So what can we do about it? We took a different approach to guests this week - finding folks who can share unique pe...

If this topic catches you off guard - you're not alone.  We'll bring it all together as we work through how understanding the executive functioning and development of high school students can improve your recruitment efforts.  Then, we'll dig a bit deeper and discuss the levels of executive functioning with admissions counselors and even Deans and Directors.  The key takeaway: we co...

:: written tentatively in case covid surprises us again :: We are now knee-deep into our first "full" travel season post-covid.  High school visits, college fairs, afternoons at Starbucks and Panera, and an endless array of Hampton Inns / Holiday Inns / Marriotts / Whatever Points Plan You Have are back.  Yet, when you consider the fact that the pandemic has thwarted travel for two falls...

A unique feature of our profession is that even as adults, we can find ourselves in the awkward situation of being the "new kid" in school.  Successfully transitioning to a new role or a new campus can sometimes hinge on coming out of the gate strong in those first few critical weeks on the job.  While each of your hosts has had a few transitions, we invited into the conversation two fol...

The fourth season (FOURTH!!!) begins in just a few days.  We have sixteen dynamic, interesting interviews scheduled revolving around 8 different topics directly related to recruitment and admission.  If you haven't already, subscribe now so you don't miss a single episode.

Sponsored episode: Ardeo Education Solutions 2022 NACAC Booth: #1119 Our limited edition partner series features Dr. Jonathan Shores, Senior Vice President of Client Service at Ardeo Education Solutions and current Ardeo client Dr. Evan Duff, President at North Carolina Wesleyan University in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Ardeo Education Solutions helps colleges and universities enroll more student...

Our limited edition partner series features Meghan Cooley, a Higher Ed Marketing Specialist in Rock Island, Illinois and a current client, Omar Correa, Vice President of Strategic Enrollment Management St. Thomas University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Meghan Cooley is a Marketing Strategist, Copy Writer, and Communication Expert who also provides mentorship and guidance to Directors, VPs, and other ma...

Sponsored episode: Verto Education Our limited edition partner series features Mitch Gordon, President and Co-Founder and Michael Kabbaz, Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff at Verto Education in Portland, Oregon and current client Meredith Twombly, Vice President for Admissions and Financial Aid at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. Verto Education is transforming the way students...

Sponsored episode: Loper 2022 NACAC Booth: 723 Our limited edition partner series features Sam Bernstein, Co-Founder of Loper in Chicago, Illinois. After listening to this week's episode, you can continue the conversation with Loper by emailing sam@getloper.com . Loper is a personalized pathing platform that helps students explore their preferences and discover best-fit schools. The average user i...

Personal testimonial from both of your hosts: Mary Napier is one of the kindest, most helpful, and effective executive search consultants operating in the enrollment management space.  In our final episode of the season, "Making the Move", Mary Napier, Founder and Search Consultant at Napier Executive Search in Deland, Florida, guides us through the process of a search, how to prepare yoursel...

Each season, we've brought you a guest a step or two removed from our profession.  We've had a parent, a bakery owner, and now a Director of Residence Life.  As you'll hear in this extended cut, Terry Tumbarello, Director of Residence Life at the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater, in Whitewater, Wisconsin, has a lot to say about how colleges and universities can help students become h...

In our original episode, Dan Savaadra, Founder and President of StriveScan in Chicago, Illinois, shared some thoughts about the future of college fairs.  We had so much left on the (not-literal) cutting room floor, that we knew immediately we'd have to bring you this extended cut.  What happens to college fairs in the next few years is going to impact us all.  As a genuine thought l...

When an interview runs long, we have to make edits to fit the format.  This week, we are excited to bring you the extended cut of our interview with Dean Jacoby, Director of College Guidance at Albuquerque Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  In this longer interview, Dean discusses gap year experiences, what the current research says, his own gap year experience, and what colleges can d...

Whether it's moving in to your first Director role, or moving on from it, the decision on when to make the move is critical.  And difficult.  And not always yours to make.   Our influencer is Mary Napier, the Founder and Search Consultant at Napier Executive Search in DeLand, Florida.  She discusses how the process works, when she knows someone is ready to make the move, and wh...

In the olden days, we just mailed an admit letter to a student.  Then we upgraded to "the big envelope."  Then, admit boxes, with balloons and gifts.  Then, digital portals.  Then, digital confetti.   Where on that spectrum does an in-person application and admission decision fit?  We're joined by two great professionals to discuss just that topic.  Crys Latham i...

We're all fully aware about the changing demographics facing admissions professionals.  As a result, colleges are turning to transfer students with increasing urgency and interest.  While it should have perhaps happened long ago, we've got two experts to guide us through the current state of play today. Our influencer guest is Andre Richburg, Director of Enrollment Services - Management...

Each season, we have a guest that is a bit out of left field.  That's this episode. This week, we wanted to dig into the process of developing admission professionals from student workers.  We're joined by someone from outside the world of admission to show us that there's a much better way to do this.  Terry Tumbarello is the Director of Residence Life at the University of Wisconsi...

Three years ago, it would have felt like a wild thought experiment to imagine a world without college fairs.  Or at least the start of a zero-based budgeting process for an admissions office.  Now, the future of college fairs is genuinely unknown, and we have two experts to help sort through it. Behind the scenes, Dan Savaadra has been influencing college fairs for years as the Founder a...