Recruiting Best Practices: First Impressions through Matriculation

Owen Roff and Anthony Zogheib both came from sales backgrounds before beginning their careers in admissions.  Both have found tremendous success by applying sales strategies to our interactions with prospective students and families—and to the admissions cycle as a whole. There are striking parallels between admissions and traditional sales processes, and have embraced the idea of admissions as “selling” the school. This approach has helped build record-breaking classes.

In this session, we’ll break down the tools and strategies used to “sell” at every stage of the process—whether selling the institution, a specific academic program, or, in some cases, the value of going to college altogether.  Together let's explore interpersonal communication techniques that are often overlooked in admissions, as well as highly personalized outreach strategies designed to create meaningful connections with students and families.

Our presenters will share how they organize the admissions cycle through the lens of a sales process, from the initial inquiry and first outreach through application, admission, enrollment, melt prevention, and matriculation.

Participants will leave with practical, actionable strategies they can adapt to strengthen recruitment, build relationships, and improve enrollment outcomes. Whether you are new to admissions or a seasoned professional, this session will offer a fresh perspective on how sales principles can transform the way we approach the admissions process.