The following is excerpted from a blog by Spark451, a Jenzabar Company.
As the traditional May 1 college deposit deadline approaches, higher education admissions folks across the industry will probably tell you roughly the same thing: Nothing feels so “traditional” these days.
As students apply to more colleges, families take more time to make decisions, and the overall pool of college-bound students fluctuates, it can be difficult for most admissions pros to know which lever to pull next. And while we know as well as you do that many schools extend their yield season well into the summer, we also know that May 1 is still a critical checkpoint for colleges and universities across the spectrum.
With that in mind, we’re here to help you prepare for those critical weeks ahead. Below, you’ll find a wide collection of insights from Spark451’s deep bench of enrollment marketing strategists. They share their takes on this admitted yield cycle so far, as well as recommendations about where college and university admissions and marketing pros should focus their limited time, resources, and energy as they run the gauntlet to build their Fall 2026 classes.
Yield Season, So Far
If your yield numbers aren’t quite where you want them to be yet, it can be helpful to quickly take a step back and consider the many broader factors that may be contributing to that stall. For example, “College and university application numbers have surged, driven by test-optional policies and the rise in direct admit programs,” says Megan Brammer, Director of Client Strategy. “This has led to many of our clients seeing drastic increases in applications, as students can easily submit them stress-free. This is going to make yield forecasting harder for many schools, as relying on YOY data won’t provide accurate benchmarking.”
Timing is also a factor…
You can read the full blog here to uncover where higher education admissions teams should focus their time and energy.
