Beyond the Funnel: Marketing to the Incoming Class While Recruiting the Next One
This session explores one of the most important and complex moments in higher education enrollment marketing: the point in late June when institutions must continue guiding and affirming their incoming class while also beginning to attract and influence the next one.
Rather than treating summer as a pause between cycles, this session reframes it as a critical transition moment requiring two distinct but connected communication strategies. Grounded in cognitive marketing, empathy-driven communication, and experience-led design, the workshop will help enrollment marketers better understand how to support two very different student journeys at once.
Participants will learn how to create communications that build confidence, belonging, and readiness for deposited students while also generating attention, curiosity, and early momentum among future prospects. Gain valuable insights to reduce friction, strengthen message clarity, and design more human-centered enrollment marketing during one of the most strategically important moments in the cycle.
Online | June 23, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Central Time)
Key Takeaways
- Distinguish between the needs of the incoming class and the next recruiting class during the late-June overlap period.
- Evaluate enrollment communications through cognitive, emotional, and experience-led lenses rather than relying only on a traditional funnel model.
- Identify common messaging and campaign mistakes that occur when institutions blend audiences or fail to match communication to readiness.
- Apply practical strategies to create clearer, more human-centered communications that support both melt prevention and early-cycle recruitment.
- Use a simple framework to align messages, channels, and next best actions for two distinct but connected student journeys.
Purchase 3 or more tickets for your group or team and save 10%.
All non-member registrations will include details to redeem a FREE 1 YR AMA Academic or Professional Membership ($199 value).
Training Backed By Research
AMA training is unique because of its data-backed approach. The AMA Competency Model Framework identifies the most impactful skills marketers need to advance their careers. It’s based on our research with more than 1,000 marketing professionals and academic leaders.
AMA Event Policies
June 23, 2026 | 10:00AM - 12:00PM (Central Time)
- Understand why late June requires two distinct communication strategies running at the same time, and what breaks down when institutions treat them as one
- Move beyond traditional funnel thinking with a practical framework that accounts for how deposited students and future prospects think, feel, and respond differently
- Get clear on the cognitive factors that affect both audiences: how to sequence messages, reduce friction, and meet each group where they actually are
- Identify the emotional drivers that move each audience forward, including confidence, belonging, trust, and momentum, and learn how to design for them intentionally
- See how your full channel mix, including email, web, text, social, and orientation communications, either supports or undermines a coherent enrollment experience
- Walk away with a practical review framework you can apply directly to your own late-June communications to sharpen audience distinction and strengthen momentum for both classes
Jami Hornbuckle
Vice President Innovation & Engineering/ 3 Enrollment MarketingDr. Jami Hornbuckle is a higher education marketing and innovation leader with deep expertise in enrollment strategy, content design, and the human side of student decision-making. Her work focuses on the intersection of empathy, cognitive marketing, experience design, and technology to help colleges and universities create enrollment communications that move people, not just metrics.
With a background spanning content strategy, product development, communications, and organizational leadership, Jami brings a practical and thought-provoking perspective to the challenges facing enrollment marketers today. She is especially passionate about helping institutions design student-centered experiences that reduce uncertainty, build belonging, and drive action across the enrollment journey.
What’s Included?
- 2 hours of live instruction starting at 10:00 a.m. CT
- Interactive Q&A
- Tips and best practices
- Access to recording and resources for three months
Who Should Attend?
This session is designed for higher education marketing and enrollment professionals who are responsible for student communications, recruitment strategy, and enrollment campaign planning. Ideal attendees include titles such as Vice President or Assistant/Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management, Director of Admissions, Director of Enrollment Marketing, Director of Marketing and Communications, CRM or Communications Strategist, Digital Marketing Manager, Content Strategist, Admissions Communications Manager, etc.
Best suited for professionals with a working knowledge of the enrollment cycle and responsibility for campaign strategy, student communications, digital content, visit promotion, admissions marketing, or summer melt communications. It is likely to be most valuable for early-career to senior-level practitioners who are actively planning, reviewing, or optimizing communications across multiple stages of the student journey.
Can’t Attend Live But Want the Information?
We will send a link to the recording and resources within one business day of the event to registrants! Access will be available for three months.