SEASON 2, Ep. 4 Thriving Amid the FAFSA Chaos: An Interview with Nathan Ament, Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admission at Knox College
02/10/25 • 31 min
Nathan, VP of Enrollment at Knox College in Illinois, shares his unique journey from high school band director to higher education administrator. He explains how Knox achieved a remarkable 60% enrollment increase despite nationwide challenges, crediting key strategies like partnering with EAB, streamlining operational processes, building a regional recruitment team, and introducing the innovative "Knox Box" admit package. This personalized approach, sent to both domestic and international students, helped triple international enrollment.
Nathan highlights the importance of focusing on yield, analyzing data, and understanding the perspectives of students and families. He also stresses the value of financial modeling, securing board support, and fostering a transparent, supportive team culture. Beyond his role at Knox, Nathan co-hosts The Admissions Director's Lunch cast, where he shares practical insights for admissions professionals and counselors.
This podcast is sponsored by Viv Higher Education
About Viv Higher Education
Viv Higher Education is a Boston-based, female-owned comprehensive marketing agency specializing in higher education. With expertise in strategic planning, creative asset development, and media campaigns, we focus on enrollment-centric initiatives. Our approach is grounded in industry best practices, ensuring precision in reaching target audiences. We have extensive experience in marketing to diverse groups, including high school students, Hispanic, military, LGBTQ+, international students, and online learners. Navigating the complex landscapes of university environments is second nature to us, and we prioritize fostering collaborations that yield mutually beneficial outcomes. With a personable, nimble, and highly responsive approach, we deliver tailored solutions to empower organizations to achieve their objectives.
Website: https://vivhied.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/viv-higher-ed/
Nathan, VP of Enrollment at Knox College in Illinois, shares his unique journey from high school band director to higher education administrator. He explains how Knox achieved a remarkable 60% enrollment increase despite nationwide challenges, crediting key strategies like partnering with EAB, streamlining operational processes, building a regional recruitment team, and introducing the innovative "Knox Box" admit package. This personalized approach, sent to both domestic and international students, helped triple international enrollment.
Nathan highlights the importance of focusing on yield, analyzing data, and understanding the perspectives of students and families. He also stresses the value of financial modeling, securing board support, and fostering a transparent, supportive team culture. Beyond his role at Knox, Nathan co-hosts The Admissions Director's Lunch cast, where he shares practical insights for admissions professionals and counselors.
This podcast is sponsored by Viv Higher Education
About Viv Higher Education
Viv Higher Education is a Boston-based, female-owned comprehensive marketing agency specializing in higher education. With expertise in strategic planning, creative asset development, and media campaigns, we focus on enrollment-centric initiatives. Our approach is grounded in industry best practices, ensuring precision in reaching target audiences. We have extensive experience in marketing to diverse groups, including high school students, Hispanic, military, LGBTQ+, international students, and online learners. Navigating the complex landscapes of university environments is second nature to us, and we prioritize fostering collaborations that yield mutually beneficial outcomes. With a personable, nimble, and highly responsive approach, we deliver tailored solutions to empower organizations to achieve their objectives.
Website: https://vivhied.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/viv-higher-ed/
Previous Episode
SEASON 2, Ep. 3 Future-Ready Higher Ed: An Interview with Lisa Keegan, Vice President, Student Enrollment, Engagement, and Success at Bucknell University
In this episode, Lisa Keegan, VP of Enrollment at Bucknell University, shares her unconventional path in higher education—from starting in admissions at Elon University to briefly pursuing law before returning to the field. She discusses the challenges and opportunities facing institutions today, emphasizing mission-driven leadership, collaboration, and innovation. Lisa highlights Bucknell’s focus on access and student success, including the creation of a Center for Access and Success to support first-generation and underrepresented students. She also explores the evolving role of liberal arts education in the AI era, advocating for critical thinking and student-driven learning.
This podcast is sponsored by Viv Higher Education
About Viv Higher Education
Viv Higher Education is a Boston-based, female-owned comprehensive marketing agency specializing in higher education. With expertise in strategic planning, creative asset development, and media campaigns, we focus on enrollment-centric initiatives. Our approach is grounded in industry best practices, ensuring precision in reaching target audiences. We have extensive experience in marketing to diverse groups, including high school students, Hispanic, military, LGBTQ+, international students, and online learners. Navigating the complex landscapes of university environments is second nature to us, and we prioritize fostering collaborations that yield mutually beneficial outcomes. With a personable, nimble, and highly responsive approach, we deliver tailored solutions to empower organizations to achieve their objectives.
Website: https://vivhied.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/viv-higher-ed/
Next Episode
SEASON 2, Ep. 5 Innovative Leadership & AI: An Interview with Frank Hribar, Vice President, Enrollment & Student Affairs at Adrian College
Frank, a higher education leader at Adrian College, shares insights from his career and the college’s remarkable enrollment growth. Starting in supply chain management, he shifted to higher education to work more closely with students. Over the past 15 years at Adrian College, he has played a key role in doubling enrollment under President Docking’s leadership. This success stems from strategic initiatives like expanding athletics, launching 28-32 new academic programs in three years, and embracing innovation through partnerships like RISE to deliver new academic models.
Frank highlights a “cylinder-like” approach to enrollment, focusing on converting interest into action rather than just filling the pipeline. He stresses the importance of data-driven decision-making, understanding student pain points, and aligning strategies with their aspirations. Looking ahead, he sees AI as a tool to enhance the "art" of enrollment by automating data tasks, allowing leaders to focus on personalizing student interactions. His advice: be transformative, prioritize students, and lead with purpose.
This podcast is sponsored by Viv Higher Education
About Viv Higher Education
Viv Higher Education is a Boston-based, female-owned comprehensive marketing agency specializing in higher education. With expertise in strategic planning, creative asset development, and media campaigns, we focus on enrollment-centric initiatives. Our approach is grounded in industry best practices, ensuring precision in reaching target audiences. We have extensive experience in marketing to diverse groups, including high school students, Hispanic, military, LGBTQ+, international students, and online learners. Navigating the complex landscapes of university environments is second nature to us, and we prioritize fostering collaborations that yield mutually beneficial outcomes. With a personable, nimble, and highly responsive approach, we deliver tailored solutions to empower organizations to achieve their objectives.
Website: https://vivhied.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/viv-higher-ed/
Higher Ed Leaders: The Entrepreneurial Campus sponsored by Viv Higher Education - SEASON 2, Ep. 4 Thriving Amid the FAFSA Chaos: An Interview with Nathan Ament, Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admission at Knox College
Transcript
Hi, Nathan. Welcome to the podcast. How are you today? I'm great, Suzan. How are you? Yes, I'm so excited to chat with you and I am good.
I'm ready to jump right in. I want to hear everything about your higher ed journey. How did you end up at Knox as VP of Enrollment, what got you there, I'm super curious. Yah, It was a long journey. I actually started out, if you can believe it, as a high school band director, so that was what I went to school for was music education at my alma mater, Aug
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