Mark and Andy have a discussion about what made 2026 so challenging for so many colleges.

– Andy tells us some of the reasons why so many colleges felt blindsided by how difficult it was to attract and yield students in 2026, and what made 2026 so different.
– Mark and Andy talk about things like:
– The job market for recent grads
– Return on investment
– The power of brand name
– The focus on grad school
– The difficulty of meeting families’ financial expectations
– We talk about how some colleges have a veneer of selectivity, but behind closed doors, they are very worried about feeling fully enrolled, very worried about meeting their class
requirements.
– Andy explains why Conn College is adding Early Action when they already have Early Decision 1, Early Decision 2, and Regular Decision, and we talk about the challenges adding EA
is going to add when they already have Early Decision 1, Early Decision 2, and Regular Decision.
– We continue our conversation about the reasons why Connecticut College is adding Early Action.
– We talk about some of the creative ways colleges are trying to yield students.
– We talk about some creative ways colleges recruit students, and we have an honest conversation about whether this practice is fair to both parties, or does it cross the line,
and is it not student-centric.
– Andy and Mark have a very honest conversation about predictive modeling. Andy tells us what predictive modeling is.
– Andy gives the most detailed description of how predictive modeling works at Connecticut College, and friends, you do not want to miss this.
– Andy also tells us one major problem with predictive modeling.
– Andy shares some of the possible solutions some colleges are utilizing to yield more students.
– Andy talks about reframing how students see college.
– We discuss the pros and cons of requiring more writing from students when completing their applications.