Are You Ready For Yield Season?
5 Tips for not just surviving, but thriving during yield season
Communicate, communicate, communicate
Don’t forget that families and prospective students have fallen in love with more than just the college or university. They have also felt appreciated, important and supported by the admission team throughout the recruitment season. It’s not time to give up on them because they haven’t deposited yet. It’s time to continue to provide support and care as they navigate the decision making part of the season.
Meet Families Where They Are - But Choose Wisely
Not all platforms work equally well for yield. Gen Z admitted students live on Instagram and TikTok, but their parents (often the financial decision-makers) are active on Facebook. We've seen campuses waste precious time posting to the wrong audiences. The key? Map your communication strategy to who makes the decision at each stage. Private parent Facebook groups for financial aid concerns. Instagram takeovers by current students in high-demand majors for admitted students. Strategic SMS for time-sensitive deadlines.
Message What Matters - But Know What That Actually Is
Most campuses message what they think matters, not what students and families are actually asking about. Your campus visit feedback is valuable, but only if you're analyzing patterns across segments. Are admitted students interested in business asking different questions than liberal arts majors? Are out-of-state families more concerned about career outcomes while local families want community connection? Mission-driven schools have a unique advantage here, but only if you can connect your values to tangible outcomes in ways that resonate with each student's "why."
Track, Adjust, Repeat - In Real Time
Most campuses wait until summer to analyze yield performance. That's too late. You need daily visibility into: engagement by student segment, conversion rates by communication channel, and yield indicators by key populations. But here's the tricky part: correlation isn't causation. That Instagram Live might show high engagement but low deposit conversion. Do you pivot or push harder? Knowing when to hold and when to fold requires experience across multiple yield cycles.
Close the Deal - By Listening, Not Just Selling
It's easy to get so focused on hitting deposit goals that you forget to ask the critical question: should this student enroll here? We've seen campuses celebrate hitting their numbers in May, only to face devastating melt by August or retention struggles by sophomore year. Real yield strategy requires listening for fit signals as you engage. Is this student genuinely excited about your strengths, or are they settling?
And don't forget: a deposited student is not a done deal. Summer melt is real, and it starts the moment after they submit payment. Your anti-melt strategy should begin immediately. Dig into why they deposited. Did they rave about your tight-knit community in their campus visit survey? Then connect them with their future roommate, their academic advisor, students in their major. Show them more of what sealed the deal. Use the same platforms and messaging rhythms that worked to get the deposit. Protect that commitment by deepening their connection to your specific strengths, not generic college excitement.
What's working for your campus this yield season? We'd love to hear what strategies are moving the needle for you. And if you're looking for a strategic partner to help navigate the complexities we've outlined here, our DMs are open.
