About the Episode
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About the Episode:
In this episode of Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO, host Jaime Hunt sits down with Jeff Kallay, Senior Vice President of Enrollment Consulting at Echo Delta, to explore the often-overlooked role of parents in the college search and decision-making process. With experience consulting on over 300 college campuses, Jeff brings a unique and data-informed perspective on how institutions can better engage parents, families, and caregivers—not just during campus visits but throughout the student lifecycle. Tune in for a provocative conversation filled with actionable insights and storytelling that will change the way you think about parent engagement in higher ed.
Key Takeaways
- Parents are not just influencers—they’re key decision-makers in the college search process.
- Most colleges still aren’t strategically engaging parents across the student journey.
- Redesigning the campus visit experience with parents in mind creates a more holistic and memorable impression.
- Segmenting and personalizing communication for parents can build trust and increase enrollment yield.
- Higher ed marketers must balance messaging to students and families without losing authenticity.
Why Parents Deserve a Seat at the Recruitment Strategy Table
It’s no secret that prospective students rarely make college decisions in a vacuum. But what many institutions overlook is just how pivotal the parent role has become in recent years. As Jaime Hunt notes in this episode, parents are not just observers in the process—they are co-pilots. And when institutions fail to acknowledge them as such, they miss out on building critical emotional and informational connections.
Jeff Kallay dives deep into this topic by sharing what he’s seen on the ground: families increasingly expect to be part of the conversation. Yet most campus visits, marketing emails, and websites are still built around the student-only narrative. For enrollment leaders, this is a missed opportunity. Jeff advocates for rethinking the entire recruitment experience to include thoughtful, timely, and resonant parent engagement strategies.
When parents feel seen, heard, and respected, they become your institution’s biggest champions. Whether it's crafting dedicated parent sessions during campus tours or segmenting email campaigns by role (student vs. guardian), Jeff and Jaime push us to stop treating parents as an afterthought—and instead invite them into the brand journey.
How to Rethink the Campus Visit Experience for Families
Jeff Kallay has long been recognized as a national authority on campus visit design, and in this conversation, he shares why parent engagement must be central to that experience. It’s not just about offering coffee and brochures in a separate lounge—it’s about integrating parents meaningfully into the day’s programming. What messages are we sending when we silo parents during a tour? Are we answering their most pressing concerns?
Together, Jeff and Jaime explore how thoughtful campus visit design can reinforce trust with families. This includes scripting moments specifically for parents, ensuring access to financial aid advisors, and facilitating opportunities to connect with faculty or current families. It’s not just logistics—it’s brand-building.
More importantly, campus visits are emotional touchpoints. Jeff emphasizes the need to “design for feelings,” helping parents walk away not just with answers, but with confidence in the institution’s ability to care for their child. It’s a strategy rooted in empathy and backed by data—and one that more institutions need to adopt as a core part of their enrollment marketing playbook.
How Can Higher Ed Marketers Personalize Communications for Parents?
One of the biggest communication pitfalls in higher ed marketing? Assuming all audiences want or need the same message. Jeff and Jaime make the case for parent-specific messaging across all channels—starting early in the funnel and extending beyond orientation.
Personalization begins with segmentation. Rather than defaulting to generic messages sent to a “family” inbox, progressive institutions are beginning to collect data on parental interests and concerns—and then use that information to craft more relevant communications. Financial aid, safety, academic quality, and career outcomes often top the list of parental priorities, so speaking to those topics directly helps build credibility and trust.
Jaime and Jeff also discuss how important it is to maintain authenticity and warmth in parent communications. Just like students, parents can sniff out scripted, sales-y content. By speaking with empathy, transparency, and respect, marketers can turn parents into long-term advocates who support not only enrollment decisions but retention and institutional reputation.
Episode Summary — Key Questions Answered
Why should enrollment marketers prioritize parents just as much as students?
Parents are often co-decision-makers in the college search process. Engaging them meaningfully can improve recruitment outcomes, yield rates, and family satisfaction.
What does an inclusive campus visit experience look like for parents?
It integrates parents into programming rather than isolating them. This could include Q&A panels with administrators, sessions on financial aid, and opportunities to connect with other families.
How can higher ed communications be personalized for parents?
By segmenting parent audiences and tailoring messages to their unique concerns—like cost, safety, and academic rigor—institutions can foster deeper trust and emotional investment.
What’s the risk of overlooking parents in your marketing strategy?
You alienate a key influencer and miss out on valuable word-of-mouth advocacy. Worse, you risk parents steering students away from your institution if they feel ignored or uneasy.
What are some first steps institutions can take to improve parent engagement?
Start by auditing your current communications, redesigning campus visits with families in mind, and building a content calendar that includes parent-specific touchpoints from inquiry to enrollment.
Connect With Our Host:
Jaime Hunt
https://twitter.com/JaimeHuntIMC
About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Some of our favorites include Talking Tactics and Higher Ed Pulse.
Enrollify is produced by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.
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