As there is a paucity of research in the creation of a social media marketing framework for higher education administration and marketing managers. This study sought to create a framework for higher education and the use of social media in current recruitment strategies. Through the lens of current, successful business marketing models, this study…

During the 2019 American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Conference, there was much discussion about how important change management is for successful SEM implementation. While we have known for some time that SEM needs institution-wide collaboration and support to achieve its…

The President of prestigious Beacon University is dealing with a nationwide scandal involving its admissions and athletics operations. For years, a network of corrupt admissions consultants, standardized test proctors, and college coaches operated a lucrative underground pipeline into top universities, and it has recently infiltrated Beacon. Under…

Transfer admission continues to be a profoundly complicated experience. Despite stakeholders' efforts to support prospective transfer and non-traditional students to navigate the complexities of transfer admissions, only a small percentage of them will eventually access educational opportunities at four-year institutions in each recruitment cycle.…

This study focuses on how admissions at selective colleges and universities represent key racialized organizations. We analyzed data from 50 individual interviews of admissions professionals, through a theory of racialized organizations to recognize admissions as practices that consistently reproduces systemic inequities. We reveal how…

Academic advising can teach students how to engage with post-secondary curricula and connect curricular engagement to career exploration and lifelong learning. However, academic advising is both a one-on-one activity and a systemic enterprise, and institutions should thoroughly communicate the benefits and functions of advising on official…

Enrollment Management offices serve a vital role in the recruitment and retention of students. Despite the rapid evolution of the field, little research exists exploring the competencies needed for success. A job advertisement analysis identified a number of similar competencies needed across enrollment management, as well as competencies unique…

There are 44 million adults over the age of 24 who hold a high school diploma, and another 35 million adults who have some college credit, but have not earned their college degree. These numbers make adult learners a viable population to attract and matriculate at community colleges. Considering the impact adult learners would have on enrollment…

With an increasing number of institutions chasing a shrinking pool of prospective applicants, most schools are actively on the lookout for new recruitment strategies for reaching and converting potential students. A key component of the prospective student experience and an important factor in students' decision-making process, faculty are better…

Profiles describing a high school's quality and composition are one component of the undergraduate admission application to selective colleges, offering admission officers insight into a student's academic environment. This study explores alignment between the data admission officers seek in a profile to support their holistic evaluations and the…

The next decade may present continuous, dramatic and transformational change in higher education. New paradigms and educational delivery systems may become commonplace. New federal legislation may dictate admission practices, tuition increases, and mandates for standard retention and graduation rates. The ethnic and socioeconomic makeup of…

The purpose of April 2022 60-Second Survey was to perform initial research on enrollment management at the graduate and/or professional level. This data will serve as a benchmark and may shape content for a comprehensive research study. Based on this sample, institutions face a profusion of strategic enrollment challenges associated with graduate…

In January 2023, UCAS announced their intention to reform the personal statement to a series of short questions. This built upon UCAS's work with students and providers in 2022/23, as well as academic literature that has documented the challenges and inequalities that surround the personal statement, including the Higher Education Policy Institute…

We analyze eight letters of recommendation written by high school teachers for first-generation college students, so as to illustrate narrative strategies that can make letters more effective in providing support for students' college applications. Amidst recent criticisms of the limited utility of letters in college admissions, we argue that they…

Admission to highly selective institutions offers a pathway to upward social mobility, particularly for low-resource students. However, entrenched wealth disparities in the United States present serious challenges for admission officers at highly selective institutions. Utilizing individualized holistic review (IHR), including letters of…