The Enrollment Clinic

Gjergj Dollani

The Enrollment Clinic Podcast delivers expert insights and actionable strategies for higher education recruitment, admissions, and marketing. Hosted by Gjergj Dollani, the show explores international student enrollment, SEO, content marketing, emerging markets, and innovative strategies for engaging Gen Z and adult learners. Featuring industry leaders and higher ed innovators, each episode dives into data-driven solutions and practical advice to help institutions grow. Whether you're in admissions or enrollment management, this podcast provides the tools to succeed in today’s landscape.

  1. 2d ago

    Why Most New Online Degree Programs Fail (and How to Launch One Right) | Gjergj Dollani

    Most universities launch online degree programs backwards. A dean sees competitors offering an online AI program, the course already exists, and enrollment and marketing are handed a finished product and told to sell it. The result is often years of expensive advertising chasing a product-market fit that never comes. In this solo episode of The Enrollment Clinic, host Gjergj Dollani lays out a step-by-step framework for launching an online program the way consumer packaged goods brands launch products: validate the market first, then build everything else around the student. You’ll learn: How to validate market demand by starting with jobs, employers, salaries, and regional growthHow to tell whether a “blue ocean” market is untapped or a graveyard where competitors already failedHow to size the enrollment funnel backwards, from starts to deposits, admits, applications, and leads, and set cost-per-start limits before you spendWhy speed to lead is the deciding factor in online enrollment, and why your admissions operation needs dedicated online staffWhich application requirements create friction for adult learners, and how to test removing them one cohort at a timeWhy “admitted” doesn’t mean “enrolled,” and how to reduce summer melt and pre-start drop-offWhy your first cohort should be treated as a test year for setting KPIsPlus, one exercise you can do this week: pick a struggling or upcoming program and write its funnel backwards. If the numbers don’t add up, you’ve found your next leadership conversation. For enrollment managers, admissions directors, VPs of enrollment and marketing, online program leaders, and deans building adult and online learner programs. Chapters: 00:00 Why online programs get launched backwards 03:30 Validating the market: is it really a blue ocean? 04:40 Starting with jobs, employers, and regional demand 06:30 Sizing up competition and pricing 08:00 Adult learners vs. traditional students: the decision timeline 10:00 Doing the P&L math and building the funnel backwards 12:30 Building an online admissions operation: speed to lead 16:50 Removing friction from the application process 21:10 Admitted isn’t enrolled: closing the gap to day one 23:30 The first cohort as a test year 26:20 Your action item for this week Views expressed are my own and do not represent any employer or client. Keywords/tags: online degree program launch, online program development, higher education enrollment, enrollment marketing, adult learners, speed to lead, enrollment funnel, admissions strategy, online learning, higher ed marketing, cost per start, summer melt

  2. Aug 25

    The High School Hallway, Higher Ed's Last Untapped Channel | Harrison "Soup" Campbell, NextGrad

    Harrison "Soup" Campbell went from Bible college and a high school social studies classroom to running growth at NextGrad — the ad network that's turned high school hallways into higher ed's newest, and most contested, media market. In this episode of The Enrollment Clinic, Soup traces his path from teaching and coaching to pioneering social media recruiting in the MySpace era — including the time a room full of college leaders told him "we will never get on the Facebook" — through a decade in college admissions, seven years building ZeeMee, and now leading growth at NextGrad. We dig into what NextGrad is actually selling: exclusive digital and print advertising placed inside high schools, reaching students up to nine hours a day in an increasingly phone-free, bot-free environment. Soup makes the case that "real eyeballs" matter more than ever as ad fraud costs the industry over $150 billion a year, walks through how NextGrad proves ROI without traditional attribution, and explains why the company turned down a partnership with Mr. Beast to protect the trust it's built with high schools. We also cover what's wrong with most in-school advertising creative right now, why QR codes are a dead end in phone-free schools, the tension between flagship universities and the high schools that still want to see them on screen, and where Soup thinks AI in higher ed marketing is more hype than substance. If you work in enrollment, admissions, or higher ed marketing, this is a look inside a channel most institutions haven't figured out yet — and a reminder that in a small industry built on trust, reputation still travels faster than any ad.

    The High School Hallway, Higher Ed's Last Untapped Channel | Harrison "Soup" Campbell, NextGrad

  3. Aug 11

    Al, Higher Ed Policy, and the Future of International Student Recruitment | Sanjay Laul, MSMUnify

    Sanjay Laul, founder of MSM Unify and Laul Global, and one of the most influential builders in student mobility today sits down with Gjergj Dollani, host of The Enrollment Clinic to discuss his views on Higher Education. His path into higher ed wasn't a straight line. It was fraught with challenges, set backs and even failure. One observation in the streets of Delhi eventually grew into a global education company now operating across 50+ countries. This conversation goes past the usual talking points into where the industry is actually headed. What we cover: → Why Sanjay sees AI as the biggest shift in higher ed since the internet, and why every new MSM hire has to pass an AI capability test before they start → MSM Aventra, the integrated CRM, SIS, and LMS platform built to run the full student lifecycle → MSM Campus OS, the "education process outsourcing" model already deployed across 15 institutions → The real story behind the Canada and US policy shifts, and why Sanjay is still betting on the US to stay the #1 destination → How China is quietly pulling ahead as the world's top country in student mobility, both sending and receiving → The growth markets most enrollment leaders are sleeping on: Southern Europe and all 54 countries across Africa → The uncomfortable truth Sanjay says the sector still refuses to face... Enrollment, recruitment, higher ed leadership, this one's worth your time.

    Al, Higher Ed Policy, and the Future of International Student Recruitment | Sanjay Laul, MSMUnify

  4. Jul 31

    Why Gen Z Chooses Colleges Out of Fear, Not Hope | Gjergj Dollani

    Gjergj Dollani joins the Education Marketing Leader Podcast to unpack why fear — not prestige — now drives college choice, and what it means for higher ed marketing. Today's students aren't chasing the "best" college anymore — they're trying to avoid picking the wrong one. In this episode, originally recorded for Chris Raposo's Education Marketing Leader Podcast, Gjergj Dollani (ClearCourse Advisory) breaks down why fear — not hope — now drives the enrollment decision, and what that means for how universities need to market themselves. Gjergj and Chris dig into why college closures and mergers are spooking prospective students, how Gen Z's later independence (drawing on Jonathan Haidt's research) is pushing students to stay closer to home, and why a "subscription model" for higher ed — lifelong access to retooling and micro-credentials — may be where the industry is headed. They also tackle the trade school vs. college debate, how AI is already reshaping entry-level hiring, and why higher ed marketers rarely benchmark outside their own industry. Gjergj closes with lessons from running his own chocolate shop and what it taught him about ownership, P&L thinking, and outcome-driven marketing. Connect with Gjergj Dollani on LinkedIn or at ClearCourseAdvisory.co.

    Why Gen Z Chooses Colleges Out of Fear, Not Hope | Gjergj Dollani

  5. Jun 17

    Direct Admissions, Faith-Based Growth, and Engineering Enrollment Wins | James Steen, HCU

    What if the enrollment KPI you've been optimizing for is the wrong one? James Steen, VP of Enrollment, Admissions, and Marketing at Houston Christian University, joins host Gjergj Dollani on The Enrollment Clinic to challenge some of the field's most deeply held assumptions — and share what's actually driving growth at HCU. With 33 years in higher education enrollment, James breaks down: Direct admissions as both a recruitment strategy and a brand awareness play — and why lower yield rates can coexist with enrollment growthHow HCU nearly doubled its engineering program in a single year through a transformational donor partnershipAligning admissions and marketing KPIs under one leadership structure when their timelines rarely matchGrowing a faith-based institution in an era when many are closing — and what HCU's diverse, majority-Hispanic student body says about the future of Christian higher edWhy 75-80% of online students live within 150 miles of campus — and what that means for your recruitment strategyPreparing students for an AI-disrupted workforce by launching new programs fast enough to matterWhether you're navigating the demographic cliff, rethinking your funnel metrics, or leading enrollment at a tuition-dependent institution, this conversation delivers hard-won perspective from someone who's been doing it since before the internet existed.

    Direct Admissions, Faith-Based Growth, and Engineering Enrollment Wins | James Steen, HCU

  6. May 7

    Speed, Authenticity, and the Future of Higher Ed Marketing

    In this episode of The Enrollment Clinic, Gjergj Dollani sits down with Rob Clark and Chris Rapozo, co-authors of The Attention Gap, to unpack why so many colleges struggle to break through online despite spending heavily on marketing. The conversation dives into the growing disconnect between how universities market themselves and how students actually discover schools today. Rob shares how he helped generate over 5 billion social media views, while Chris explains how years in higher ed marketing and podcasting led him to co-write a book challenging the industry’s traditional approach to content, branding, and speed. They discuss why polished institutional marketing often underperforms, why authenticity now beats perfection, and how slow approval processes are quietly killing relevance. The episode also explores student behavior, parent influence, AI tools, content repurposing, and why many schools are still treating social media as an afterthought instead of a primary discovery engine. If you work in enrollment, admissions, or higher ed marketing, this episode is a direct challenge to rethink how your institution earns attention in a world moving faster than higher education is built for.

    Speed, Authenticity, and the Future of Higher Ed Marketing

  7. 08/26/2025

    From Vanity Metrics to Real Results: Rethinking Higher Ed Marketing

    In this eye-opening episode of The Enrollment Clinic, we sit down with Robert Kadar, Senior Director of Marketing at Yeshiva University, to challenge one of higher ed’s most sacred cows: the lead form. Robert reveals the data behind why 85–90% of enrolled students never filled one out — and why most universities are optimizing their digital marketing for the wrong audience. We unpack: The fatal flaw in most higher ed ad strategies Why your lead gen obsession may be costing you quality applications The shift from form-filling to intent-tracking The overlooked power of audience targeting and landing page design How to talk to your leadership team about ditching vanity metrics If you’re in enrollment marketing, admissions, or digital strategy, this is a must-listen episode—time to stop chasing ghosts — and start optimizing for the students who actually enroll.

    From Vanity Metrics to Real Results: Rethinking Higher Ed Marketing

  8. 05/07/2025

    Beyond Rankings: How Manaferra Is Redefining Higher Ed SEO

    In this episode of The Enrollment Clinic, host Gjergj Dollani sits down with Faton Sopa and Granit Doshklaku, the founders of Manaferra—an award-winning digital agency laser-focused on SEO for higher education. Recorded in Manaferra’s offices in Kosovo, this conversation explores why most universities misunderstand SEO, how organic search outperforms paid ads in student recruitment, and what an omnichannel SEO strategy actually looks like. The episode also dives into: Why higher ed institutions are obsessed with PPC—and why that's a problem The rise of platforms like Reddit and ChatGPT in the student decision-making journey How universities can build trust through content that actually resonates What makes Manaferra different from full-service agencies How AI and SEO intersect (and what not to automate) Whether you're an enrollment leader, digital marketer, or higher ed strategist, this episode delivers actionable insights on building a sustainable, high-converting digital presence—without burning through ad budgets.

    Beyond Rankings: How Manaferra Is Redefining Higher Ed SEO
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About

The Enrollment Clinic Podcast delivers expert insights and actionable strategies for higher education recruitment, admissions, and marketing. Hosted by Gjergj Dollani, the show explores international student enrollment, SEO, content marketing, emerging markets, and innovative strategies for engaging Gen Z and adult learners. Featuring industry leaders and higher ed innovators, each episode dives into data-driven solutions and practical advice to help institutions grow. Whether you're in admissions or enrollment management, this podcast provides the tools to succeed in today’s landscape.

Information

  • Creator
    Gjergj Dollani
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    32
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Gjergj Dollani
  • Show Website
    The Enrollment Clinic