My career in higher education marketing is rooted in my own experience. One of six, I’m the only child who left Pennsylvania—and the country—for college.
My widowed mom took me on that long road trip to New Hampshire. We got lost, but ultimately found our way thanks to students leaving a bar at closing. Walking around a campus covered in trees and filled with friendly people who looked like me, and seeing classrooms with poetry written on the walls, I knew the journey was worth it. I can see myself here.
Now my oldest daughter Lily is a rising high school senior, and I want that same sense of place and possibility for her. But we’re both more aware of today’s higher ed realities: cost, job outcomes, and location. As an athlete hoping to play in college, those factors drive her decision-making. Decisions that won’t fully settle until I’m driving away, leaving her behind the dorm room door as she figures out what’s next. What a privilege that will be.
My role, of course, is parent first and higher ed marketer second. But I’m always a dreamer at heart, and that can get me into trouble. How we’re influenced is never limited to just one part of our lives. For better or worse, we listen to the chatter—on the sidelines, in the supermarket, from your boss and colleagues, on TikTok, in classrooms, at open houses, and at family functions since the moment you first brought a baby into the mix.
That’s why big, mounting decisions often come down to trust.
Make Every Touchpoint Count
Trust is tested during campus visits, after the postcards, emails, portals, conversations, and videos have all made their impressions. It’s in those moments where schools can create lasting impact.
As a mom, I need to believe that a school will keep my daughter safe and guide her toward a better version of herself. And Lily has to trust that this is the place worth investing in for such pivotal years of her life. The school, in turn, has to trust that they’ve admitted the right student, someone who won’t just join the community but help shape it as one of thousands of co-creators of the institutional brand.
From open houses to admitted student days, small moments shape big impressions. These are your chances to make your brand tangible: seen, heard, and felt.
But competition is fierce, pressures are high, and expectations are rising. Here’s how to build more emotion into your events.
1. Check-In as a Brand Moment
Is your check-in process purely functional, or does it create a moment of welcome and recognition? A warm greeting, name recognition, branded lanyards, and informed ambassadors can instantly send the message: You belong here.
At one school, we felt that. At another, we didn’t. The difference came down to a dismissive tone from a student ambassador. Today’s teens pick up on these cues quickly. It’s not just about logistics. It’s storytelling in action.
You already collect information from registrants. Use it. Equip your check-in team with quick ways to personalize the moment.
2. Student Panels That Feel Real, Not Scripted
Too often, panels sound like rehearsed endorsements. But when students share imperfect, personal stories—why they enrolled, what challenged them, what surprised them—audiences lean in.
One of the most listened-to episodes of Innovating Enrollment Success, our podcast, features a student reflecting on their recruitment to a D1 program. It’s not polished, but it’s powerful. Because it’s real.
A good college experience requires mutual effort. Your event should reflect that, not gloss over it.
3. Food as Fuel for Belonging
Food connects us. It softens the edges of structured events and makes space for casual conversation, especially for teens. (Starbucks has my wallet to prove it.)
At a recent open house, our favorite part wasn’t the info session. It was the access to the dining hall. That moment gave us time to breathe, talk, and take in the environment.
At another college, there was no food, but a different kind of connection happened. During a one-on-one, an admissions counselor mentioned that the best essay he’d read was a recipe for mac and cheese. My daughter laughed, pushed back with her Chipotle-over-Taco-Bell stance, and suddenly the conversation became real and memorable.
The research backs it up:
- 87% of faculty and staff say food encourages connection.
- 86% agree it boosts attendance.
- 81% of students feel more connected with peers when food is present.
- 82% are more likely to attend if food is offered.
It’s not about snacks. It’s about signals: comfort, hospitality, and inclusion.
4. Turning Engagement Into Commitment
Emotional events that reflect your brand values build momentum. The goal isn’t to impress. It’s to invite. To turn moments into meaning. To build trust.
Our research with first-generation students showed that emotional clarity matters, even on your website. Their feedback wasn’t just about layout. It was about how the site made them feel. Did it reflect them? Did it make them feel seen?
Your events are no different. Students shouldn’t leave with just a tote bag. They should leave with clarity:
This place sees me.
I can be myself here.
I belong here.
5. Bringing It All Together
In a digital-first world, in-person events carry real power. Not because they’re rare, but because they’re real. They’re where your marketing promises meet lived experience.
It’s a privilege to work with enrollment marketers at Paskill who connect the student touchpoints for our partner institutions so admissions events are part of the overall enrollment strategy. We utilize the latest tech in marketing and events, but never at the expense of lived experience and genuine human connection.
It’s personal. And well-executed events and recruitment moments come from strategy and training.
I hope Lily finds her fit. In the meantime, we’ll keep touring and asking questions. Every student deserves the experience of being valued and finding a place that sees such promise in them.
So when she says no to an institution at any point in the journey because of a tone or disconnect, I believe her.
As a parent and a higher ed marketer, I know we all have options.
