13 ways enrollment leaders can cut through the holiday noise (without adding to it)

’Tis the season, friends! You know I love a seasonal post, so consider this the wintery bookend to my Summer Melt blog: a set of practical tips to cozy up with around the fire. 

The holidays can be an intense stretch in the college admission cycle for students, parents, admission counselors, communication teams, and, well, you! With anxiety running high and everyone competing for attention, how can enrollment leaders cut through the noise without adding to it? Drawing on experience, observation, and lessons from cycles past, I’ve got a few ideas for navigating the season ahead. Let’s get into it!

1. Unless it’s an acceptance letter, you are probably the last person that a 17-year-old wants to hear from over holiday break. 

I know…this is a hard truth to hear, and probably not how you thought I was going to start this blog. This is quite possibly the most stressed this young person has been in their entire life. They’ve spent the fall writing essays, navigating an overly complex college admission process, worrying about college costs, and chances are they are currently in a painstaking waiting game with their top-choice college. 

Every single relative at Thanksgiving dinner is going to ask where they have applied, where they have gotten in, where they want to go. So, with that in mind, choose your communication carefully and purposefully. And remember: applicants, incomplete applicants, admits, deposited students, and parents should not receive the same holiday message. This will take some work segmenting before your comms team goes on PTO!

2. Get as many admission letters as possible out before Winter break.

I know, easier said than done, but if you want to really cut through the noise, do everything in your power to get that admission letter in before your office shuts down. Having a decision in-hand during winter break creates a HUGE sense of relief for families, makes the admission real, gets families to book a visit, and motivates them to start filling out the FAFSA. Winter break is a time of joy; if you can add to that joy by sending a letter of admission, you are guaranteed to cut through the admission marketing noise. I know this might feel like a no-brainer, but it’s worth the emphasis because we know that earlier engagement helps admitted students make their decision. 

3. Consider a compassionate email to parents.

A few years ago, when I was Director of Admission at Tulane, I posted a blog titled “Admission Anxiety and 12 Steps to Reduce It” In it, I asked that families consider having Thanksgiving be a “college-talk-free zone.” I sent the blog out to parents and kindly suggested that they share the blog with family members coming into town. It ended up being one of the most popular blogs I had ever written. 

Consider something you can share with parents about the college application process that shows some humanity. Perhaps you are a VP of Enrollment, and you had a child go through the college process recently yourself, so you understand that anxiety firsthand. A simple, compassionate email to parents saying, “hey…we get it…we know this is a stressful time” can go a long way over another app reminder. 

EAB’s latest parent survey offers a helpful reminder of what families need from us, including support for their students’ well-being.

4. Get your current student ambassadors involved over the break.

College winter break is roughly a month! And high schools will be in session for much of that. Try sending a quick message to your current student ambassadors before school closes that gives a few holiday to-dos. 

Some examples:

• Hey! Could you consider swinging by your high school with a few swag items? Here is a list of admits from your school you can connect with while you’re there.
• Have you emailed your high school counselor lately? Your school counselors LOVE hearing how things went in your first semester. Let them know you are thriving and thank them again for their help in getting you there! Here is your counselor’s email address: [insert amazing counselor’s email here]

5. Consider a presidential email (if the circumstances are right).

This is a great time (especially if you already have an admitted student pool you are communicating with) to involve the president in a little bit of holiday communication to overcome the noise. For admits, use a congratulatory tone, and for applicants, offer a genuine “thank you” for applying. This is not your bread-and-butter Holiday Wishes email that goes out to everyone. Instead, create a message specifically for your high school families. Perhaps you have a favorite holiday recipe that you or your university is known for that the president can share. If you are a faith-based school, a Spotify playlist of your school’s holiday music can keep your name top-of-mind. When the president reaches out to parents in an approachable way, it really makes a difference. 

That said, read the room. If you’re a school with a 10% admit rate, an upbeat presidential email thanking students for applying may not land quite the way you intended. In those cases, this strategy is probably best reserved for admitted students and families. The goal isn’t to create more excitement for you; it’s to create a meaningful moment for them. As with everything this time of year, a little empathy goes a long way.

6. Be exceptionally transparent with admission notification dates.

The biggest cure for college admission anxiety? Transparency and specificity. If you are a selective school, be specific about exactly what date and time students can expect to hear back (after 5:00 p.m. EST, please!). 

We keep a lot of the admission process behind a curtain, but we don’t have to. If you are communicating with parents or students this winter, they’ll appreciate the transparency.

7. Let the January 1 application deadline die.

There is no reason to have a deadline on January 1. High schools are closed. Colleges are closed. Everyone is eating black-eyed peas. No one should be emailing their school counselor asking for transcripts to be sent or stressing about application portals. I am glad to see so many schools pushing their deadlines to before or after the winter break, and I hope you’ll consider the same for your school, if you haven’t done so already.

8. Offer an easy activity over the break.

You likely have many resources available to send students and families over the break. The message here is truly “here is something fun to do…that’s IT!” 

Your virtual tour is especially handy here. Students may have visited campus already, but has the parent who couldn’t make the trip? What about the grandparent who wants to see where they might be living? Give students an easy way to show their family what has them excited about your school.

Instead of just sending “Take our virtual tour,” give them somewhere to start: “Home for break? Show your family the residence hall you loved, find your future study spot, or explore campus together from the couch.” You could even highlight three stops that show off student life, housing, and career opportunities. Keep it fun and easy, with no assignment to complete or form to submit afterward. Sometimes exploring a few campus spaces together is enough to get a good conversation going.

Here are some other activities that students and families may enjoy: 

9. Demystify financial aid before families spiral

The holidays often bring the first serious family conversations about how much college will cost, and those conversations can get stressful very quickly. This is a great time to share a simple, plain-language explanation of your financial aid process: when families can expect an award, what they need to submit, how scholarships are determined, and who they can contact with questions. Avoid leading with a complicated checklist or another urgent deadline. My dear friend and colleague Brett Schraeder has some really helpful guidance on talking financial aid with families in this blog post. 

10. Reassure students that they do not have to have it all figured out

I know I just said the cure for anxiety is certainty, but students’ plans can be in flux over the holidays. If your institution is a flexible one, academically speaking, now is the time to brag about it. Easy to change your major? Don’t need to apply to a specific major right now? Easy to double major? Brag about all of that over break. 

Students have a lot of time away from school over the holidays, so it’s the perfect time for them to do some self-reflection about their future careers. Add in some AI-induced anxiety and you have a recipe for some serious career questioning. EAB’s AI Pulse Survey shows that half of students believe AI will impact their career pursuits, and 62% of students believe degree requirements will change because of AI. 

I read a great WSJ piece a few months ago about the future of work for college grads in the world of AI and one thing that really stuck with me: your future isn’t a major. It’s your ability to adapt. Show students how your advising, internships, and classroom experiences can help them explore their options and build that adaptability. They don’t need a ten-year plan before they arrive on campus, and you can do a lot to reassure them of that.

11. Consider a holiday “wrapped” for your own school

We love a Spotify Wrapped! Think of all the cute end-of-year trends that the big brands do and lean into it. Students are used to getting these at the end of the year, so go with whatever already works in the branding world.

Here’s a quick example from Marquette University last year, which features big events, top study spots, and fan-favorite meal spots. 

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A post shared by Marquette University (@marquetteu)

12. Be available when students reach back out

One really good way to overcome the noise? Actually respond to emails over break. 

This might mean setting up an internal staff plan to monitor the main admission email address over the holidays. I know…not ideal, but when your university is closed for winter recess, assigning one staff member to monitor the main account for one day is a great way to show you are here to support students during their break.

13. Give students the gift of silence

Sometimes the best way to break through the noise is to stop adding to it. Before winter break, take a hard look at every automated email, text, deadline reminder, and incomplete-application nudge scheduled to go out. Does it truly need to be sent right now? Can you imagine getting a “YOU’RE MISSING YOUR TRANSCRIPT!” email on Christmas Eve? 

Unless the communication is urgent, helpful, or responding to something the student initiated, consider pausing it for a few days. A short period without marketing messages may be the most compassionate thing you can offer. Then, when you do reach out again, students may be more likely to pay attention because you respected their break.

You don’t have to try all of these before your office closes. Pick a few that will make the season a little easier for your students and families and swap them in for something else that can wait until after the new year. Be sure to give yourself some time to recharge, too. Happy holidays, friends! 

Jeff Schiffman

Senior Strategic Leader, Enroll360

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