Your data has more to say—if you know what to ask.

By now, most admissions teams are well into their summer cycle maintenance rhythm—auditing travel schedules, adjusting comm flows, reviewing yield reports. But as the pressure to hit enrollment goals intensifies, it’s not enough to simply tidy up the past cycle.

This summer is your opportunity to move beyond cleanup and into clarity. To shift from what happened to why it happened—and how that insight will shape what you do next.

Here’s a focused checklist to help your team ask better questions, surface more meaningful patterns, and turn this summer into your most strategic reset yet.

1. When a Territory Surprises You, Dig In

You saw a spike in interest or enrollments from a new or previously quiet territory—great. But before you add more travel days or expand your digital outreach, pause and ask: What exactly drove the performance?

• Was it a new rep who brought fresh energy and built strong relationships?
  
  
• Did a change in institutional policy—test-optional, scholarships, pricing—make you more competitive?
  
  
• Did something shift on the high school side—new counseling staff, more career-focused advising, or increased college-going support?
  
  

It's easy to get excited and scale success, but without knowing what triggered it, that growth is fragile. A single, charismatic rep or an accidental alignment of messaging doesn’t guarantee repeatable results.

💡An idea Pick up the phone and call your admissions counselor in the region, some contacts in the region, and maybe even a friendly competitor. Ask about the territory without giving away the results and see what you can gain by listening to their perceptions.

📌 Why it matters: Growth without understanding is just luck. Diagnose the real driver before you invest further to increase your impact. 

2. Before You Revisit the Map, Revisit the ROI

High school visits are time-intensive and often legacy-driven: “We’ve always gone there.” But now more than ever, you need to know which visits deliver measurable value, especially as travel costs have increased.

• Are you tracking outcomes beyond attendance—like inquiries, applications, and yield by school?
  Do your reps log insights about counselor relationships, engagement levels, and follow-up actions?
• Are you comparing in-person outcomes against digital engagement in the same regions?
  
  

More institutions are asking, “Do we need to be everywhere?” The better question is, “Where do we matter most—and why?” Use the summer to evaluate not just where your team went, but where you saw forward momentum in the funnel.

💡An idea If you are having trouble identifying the ROI, consider getting creative with how reps can give students a tangible, time driven, next step. Leaving interested students with passive follow up like “apply in the fall” and “we’ll contact you” isn’t strong enough or measurable. Consider asking them to join a virtual financial aid event, or an upcoming campus tour and get them to sign up then and there!

📌 Why it matters: A refined travel map isn’t about doing less—it’s about focusing your reps where they’ll make the biggest impact.

 3. Know the Why Behind Every Drop Point

You already know where students fall off—started but incomplete applications, missing paperwork, admitted students who don’t deposit. But fixing that requires more than adding reminders or tweaking deadlines. The root causes are often deeper—and more human.

• Did a confusing portal or process stop them midstream?
  
  
• Did they feel unsupported after the high school visit or virtual session?
  
  
• Were they silently unsure whether your institution truly aligned with their goals?
  
  

And here’s a big one: Were they ever really committed to your institution—or just curious?

Students are savvy consumers. They may inquire and apply without deep intention. If your brand isn’t building emotional attachment—a sense of “this place sees me, values me, and is for me”—you’ll lose them long before they click decline.

That kind of connection isn’t built in one email or event. It comes from consistent messaging, authentic engagement, and a process that centers student needs—not just your deadlines.

💡An idea Think about driving engagement and moments of belonging to places that students already are. Don’t reinvent the wheel, figure out where students are already engaging with college preparation and embed connections there.

📌 Why it matters: Fixes that don’t address emotional connection will leave your yield vulnerable. Go beyond process and ask: Where in our funnel are we building trust, belonging, and brand loyalty?

This Is Where Insight Becomes Action

Yes, summer is for cleanup. But the most successful admissions teams use this time to reconnect with their why. The reason you travel, adjust comm flows, audit ROI, and fix drop points isn’t just to refine the machine—it’s to better serve students. To meet them earlier. To understand them more fully. To remove the noise and double down on what matters.

At SchooLinks, we believe the key to real enrollment insight lies in connecting your data with what’s happening in high schools and with students in real time. Our higher ed solution helps you understand not just where you're losing students—but why. And it helps your team turn those patterns into action—whether that’s smarter rep visits, more effective outreach, or a more intuitive process.

🎯 If you're ready to use your summer to gain deeper insight—not just make surface changes—let’s talk.

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