ABOUT
Meet Jonathan:
Expert Guidance, Tailored Recruitment Solutions for Your Success
ABOUT
Meet Jonathan:
Expert Guidance, Tailored Recruitment Solutions for Your Success
INTRODUCTION
Who I Am
I never expected to fall in love with the intricate and unique world of enrollment management, but more than 20 years ago, it captured my attention—and my passion. What could be more engaging and challenging than blending creative data analysis, complex strategy, and old-fashioned experience to influence the behaviors of one of the most unpredictable groups in society, high school students and their anxious families? I’ve loved it ever since.
At the core of my career is a commitment to helping institutions thrive through personalized, data-driven strategies. Over the past 25 years, I’ve had the privilege of partnering with a wide range of schools, from large universities to small colleges, public flagships to private arts schools, and from the most elite highly selective to open enrollment institutions honorably searching for every last student. Though vastly different, they share the fact that each can only tackle the challenges of their institution. It’s been my job and my privilege to help them identify, engage, and enroll the right students and achieve sustainable enrollment success.
JONATHAN’S STORY
A Career Built on Strategy and Impact
My journey into student recruitment began more than two decades ago, working in admissions at Brandeis University in the suburbs of Boston. After moving to the consulting and service provider side of the desk in 2006, I began working with and seeing the day-to-day experiences of a wide variety of institutions, public and private, large and small, selective and non-selective.
Early in my career, I realized that many institutions, especially private, tuition-dependent schools, were not fully leveraging their recruitment potential. Too often, they were pouring resources into student search in the pre-application stage without getting the results they needed. I saw an opportunity to be part of changing that.
Over the years, I have developed a deep understanding of the challenges schools face—particularly those struggling with stagnant recruitment efforts and limited resources. Through my work in leadership roles at Fire Engine RED and Whiteboard Higher Education, I honed a philosophical approach to student search and recruitment outreach. My "Engagement Framework" challenged the outdated responder/non-responder model, focusing on a more nuanced understanding of student interactions with institutional marketing. By interpreting the spectrum of student behavior, it enables institutions to build their inquiry pools with more control, as well as to refine their messaging and follow-up strategies, increasing the effectiveness and return on investment from their recruitment efforts.
Starting this consultancy was a natural evolution of my career, driven by the belief that every institution can benefit from access to innovative, affordable partnerships and strategies that deliver results.
Over the years, I’ve helped numerous schools achieve record-breaking application growth and develop more sustainable, data-driven outreach models. Now, my objectives are simple: to partner with institutions to take greater control of their recruitment efforts by crafting flexible, authentic strategies that resonate with prospective students and families. And to continue to love what I do every day, and ensure that every client knows it – hopefully they’ll love working with me, too.
Let’s discuss your unique challenges and create a solution tailored to your institution.
SERVICES
Mission & Values
My mission is simple: to provide cost-effective, data-driven enrollment consulting and support that helps institutions optimize their recruitment efforts. Whether you're struggling with stagnant applicant pools or looking to improve vendor relationships, my goal is to execute strategies with you that achieve results, without the overhead of the larger firms.
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Customization:
Tailored strategies for each institution’s specific needs.
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Accountability:
Committed to delivering measurable results with integrity.
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Results Driven:
Focused on outcomes that boost student recruitment and enrollment.
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Excellence:
Always striving for the highest quality in every engagement.
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Customization:
Tailored strategies for each institution’s specific needs.
-
![]()
Accountability:
Committed to delivering measurable results with integrity.
-
![]()
Results Driven:
Focused on outcomes that boost student recruitment and enrollment.
-
![]()
Excellence:
Always striving for the highest quality in every engagement.
What Sets Me Apart
With nearly 25 years of experience, I deliver a personalized, data-driven approach that gives your institution the EDGE in student recruitment—expert, efficient, experienced, and always narrowly tailored to your needs.
Expertise: Nearly 25 years of experience helping institutions solve recruitment challenges, with proven and ever-evolving strategies that drive results.
Data-Driven: I rely on analytics and savvy data interpretation to develop strategies with you that maximize student engagement and improve recruitment outcomes.
Genuine: I’m highly involved in every project, offering hands-on support to ensure your success. I care deeply and am invested in your results.
Efficient & Cost-Effective: I offer a high-touch and high-impact partnership without the big-agency costs, ensuring your budget delivers maximum value.
PROVEN SUCCESS
Key Achievements
Over the course of my career, I’ve worked with more than 250 institutions to improve their student recruitment strategies. From increasing application numbers to enhancing enrollment processes, my clients consistently see measurable, lasting results.
Increased applications by 30% for Drake University (IA) in the first year of partnership, with record-breaking increases for several years to follow.
Doubled the application conversion rate for key target audiences with University of Virginia (VA), with an outstanding proportion of depositing students having engaged with the specific recruitment outreach efforts.
Partnered with Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) (RI), immediately increasing their junior/sophomore search engagement dramatically, leading to several years of all-time record applications.
Through deep and collaborative recruitment efforts, helped Thomas Jefferson University (PA) shatter all-time record applications for three years in a row, with more than 20% annual growth.
Let’s discuss your unique challenges and create a solution tailored to your institution.
MY APPROACH
Personalized
& Data-Driven
When you work with me, together we will tailor an approach to fit your institution’s exact needs, starting with an in-depth understanding of your current recruitment efforts and ending with measurable, actionable results. I’m endlessly flexible, and here's how I typically work with clients:
Discovery:
We begin by identifying your institution’s specific challenges and goals. We’ll discuss your current recruitment strategies, audience segments, messaging, and outcomes. I’ll attempt to embed myself in an overarching understanding of how things work and how they’ve gone in recent cycles.
Ongoing
Optimization:
Recruitment is continuous. I use feedback loops and review results and reporting to continue to work with you to refine your campaigns and maximize ROI, ensuring every dollar you spend contributes to your long-term success.
Strategy Development:
Based on the insights gathered, we’ll collaborate to create a customized, data-driven plan to target your recruitment objectives — whether that’s improving student engagement, optimizing CRM systems, revamping messaging, or building a comprehensive outreach or student search campaign.
Implementation
& Support:
Once we finalize the strategy, I provide hands-on support to ensure smooth implementation, working closely with your team and offering ongoing feedback.
