The Application with Allison Turcio

Hosted by Allison Turcio

Business Education

Website RSS feed

Episodes

128

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

About the show

The Application is your playbook for the ever-evolving world of higher education enrollment marketing. This podcast zeroes in on the niche, often-unexplored areas of the field, delivering a potent mix of actionable insights, practical strategies, and cutting-edge perspectives. Host Allison Turcio, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing at Siena College, tackles the topics others aren't – from empowering student influencers to harnessing AI. The Application is where uncharted territories in marketing get mapped out, designed to arm higher education enrollment marketers with tools to stay ahead of the curve. This podcast isn’t just about keeping pace with the market – it's about leading the charge. We're here to provoke thought, encourage innovation, and foster a community of forward-thinkers. Whether you're crafting your next campaign or redefining your institution’s marketing strategy, The Application is your essential resource for fresh, innovative approaches in higher education marketing. Get ready to be inspired, educated, and transformed with each episode. The Application is hosted by Allison Turcio and is a proud member of the Enrollify Podcast Network.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 16, 202628 min

Ep. 98: Building Healthy Creative Cultures that Deliver Authentic Student Stories

In this episode, Allison sits down with Webb Lewis, Assistant Director, Marketing & Brand Strategy at the University of Mississippi, for a thoughtful conversation about burnout, creativity, purpose, and remembering your why in higher education marketing. They explore what happens when marketing becomes more transactional than transformational, why authentic storytelling matters more than ever, and how staying connected to students can bring fresh energy and meaning back to the work. Join us as we discuss: [2:20] Why pressure on enrollment teams drives transactional marketing [10:48] How Ole Miss scaled its ambassador model across campus [22:01] Why student-centered content is the key to breaking through the noise Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: EduWeb Smart Brevity To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for “The Application with Allison Turcio” in your favorite podcast player. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Allison Turciohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/https://twitter.com/allisonturcioAbout The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

June 2, 202625 min

Ep. 97: How ODU Boosted Admitted Students Day Attendance by 30% in One Year

In this episode, Allison talks with Ashley Miller, Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management at Old Dominion University, about the strategy, resilience, and teamwork behind one of ODU’s most successful admitted student events to date. Ashley shares how her team increased their Admitted Student Day attendance to more than 3,300 students and guests while navigating an incredibly difficult season on campus. From building a stronger enrollment marketing operation to creating more personalized student experiences, this conversation explores what it means to lead with resilience, empathy, and accountability during difficult moments. Join us as we discuss: [2:46] Why building an in-house enrollment marketing team was key to ODU’s success [14:07] Reconnecting with the “why” behind enrollment work [19:27] Leaning into leadership during your institution’s most challenging moments To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for “The Application with Allison Turcio” in your favorite podcast player. Guest Name: Ashley Miller Giuest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-miller-iukelleygrad/ Guest Bio: Ashley Miller currently serves as the Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management at Old Dominion University (ODU). As ODU’s chief enrollment officer for campus. Ashley earned her Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Master of Science in Data Science, both at Indiana University. She received her Doctor of Education in Leadership and Innovation from Purdue University Global. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Allison Turciohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/https://twitter.com/allisonturcioAbout The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 19, 202625 min

Ep. 96: If Financial Aid Is an Afterthought, Your Marketing Strategy Is Broken

Financial aid is often treated like a backend function post-enrollment after the student has already decided. But in reality, it shapes everything. In this episode, host Allison talks with Rachel Gordon, VP of Student Financial Aid Services at American University of Antigua College of Medicine, about what happens when financial aid and marketing stop operating in silos and start working together. They explore why cost is one of the most emotional parts of the student journey, and how the way we talk about it can either create clarity or create risk. Rachel shares how financial aid teams support students through complex, real life moments, and why that work often continues long after graduation. Join us as we discuss: [1:48] Why admissions is the window and financial aid is the door for students [8:51] Avoiding higher ed jargon and speaking human-to-human [19:04] The role financial aid plays in lifelong relationships with alumni To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for “The Application with Allison Turcio” in your favorite podcast player. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Allison Turciohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/https://twitter.com/allisonturcioAbout The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

May 5, 202624 min

Ep. 95: The Roosevelt Pledge: How a Free Tuition Promise Drives Enrollment and Revenue

What if affordability isn’t just a financial aid strategy, but a positioning strategy? In this episode, we sit down with Nicole Barron, Senior VP of Enrollment Management at Roosevelt University, to unpack the Roosevelt Pledge, a program guaranteeing free tuition for qualifying students. What started as a tuition reset became a clear, compelling promise that now drives nearly 40% of their application pool. Nicole shares how Roosevelt turned complexity into clarity, using financial aid modeling, competitive data, and thoughtful marketing to increase enrollment, improve retention, and grow net tuition revenue all at once. Join us as we discuss: [2:08] How Roosevelt moved from a tuition reset to affordability positioning [11:14] Internal buy-in and making the case for an affordability pledge [16:29] The full-cycle impact and future outlook of the Roosevelt Pledge Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: The Roosevelt Pledge EAB Market View To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for “The Application with Allison Turcio” in your favorite podcast player. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Allison Turciohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/https://twitter.com/allisonturcioAbout The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

April 21, 202623 min

Ep. 94: Beyond SEO: The New Content Strategy for AI-Driven Enrollment

AI isn’t just changing how students search for colleges, but changing how they decide. In this episode, we talk with Jason Smith, Founder of OHO Agency, about how generative AI tools like ChatGPT are becoming a new layer of the enrollment funnel. With more than 75% of students now using AI in their college search, institutions risk being evaluated, compared, and even eliminated before a student ever visits their website. Jason also introduces the AI Visibility Scorecard, a tool OHO designed to help institutions understand how they’re represented in AI and where critical content gaps exist. Join us as we discuss: [2:03] The shift from traditional search to personalized AI-filtered questions [10:08] How the AI Visibility Scorecard gauges your school’s AI search “rankings” [18:18] Why AI-powered visibility is really a content strategy shift Check out these resource s we mentioned during the podcast: AI Visibility Scorecard To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for “The Application with Allison Turcio” in your favorite podcast player. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Allison Turciohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/https://twitter.com/allisonturcioAbout The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

April 7, 202623 min

Ep. 93: Student-Shaped Storytelling: Why Real Voices Outperform Polish

What if the students already on your campus could shape your most powerful stories? Greg Carter, Director of Strategic Enrollment Marketing and Communications at Virginia Tech, joins Allison to share how they built a student-powered storytelling engine that actually moves the needle. In 2022, his team shifted student content from peer chatter to future-student focus, without handing students a script. The 100-plus Hokie Ambassadors aren’t just tour guides. They’re storytellers, creating thousands of real belonging moments. Authentic voices beat polished campaigns here. The strategy is simple: put students in the room, give them the mic, and let their perspectives steer the story forward. Join us as we discuss: [3:15] The dining hall reel that hit 210K views [13:23] VT’s scholarship storytelling shift and why outcomes matter more [16:20] Why marketing meetings need students in the room Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: Eduweb To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for “The Application with Allison Turcio” in your favorite podcast player. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Allison Turciohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/https://twitter.com/allisonturcioAbout The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

March 24, 202624 min

Ep. 92: Marketing People Remember: Inside Fordham’s Experiential Pizza Pop-Up

Higher ed marketing teams are competing in one of the noisiest environments we’ve ever seen, and traditional tactics often get lost in a “sea of sameness.” So Fordham University tried something different. At the NACAC conference, the team transformed a pizza shop across the street into a fully branded Fordham pop-up experience. With New York style pizza, music, and Fordham branding everywhere, the activation drew nearly 1,000 attendees in a single day. In this episode, Allison talks with Justin Bell and Laura Cioffi about how the idea came together, what they learned from launching the pop-up, and why experiential marketing works best when it’s amplified by traditional campaigns. Join us as we discuss: [2:25] How Fordham brought a piece of New York to Columbus [11:17] What success and ROI look like in experiential marketing [17:50] Why experiential marketing needs amplification with traditional marketing Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: NACAC EduWeb Summit To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for “The Application with Allison Turcio” in your favorite podcast player. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Allison Turciohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/https://twitter.com/allisonturcioAbout The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

March 10, 202630 min

Ep. 91: Higher Ed Marketing as Service: Own the Student Experience

What happens after a student clicks “Request Information”? For most institutions, that’s where marketing’s job ends. For our guest, that’s where it begins. Devin Purgason, Associate VP of Student Experience at Forsyth Technical Community College, explains how rethinking marketing as service transformed enrollment, strengthened persistence, and improved completion. By merging marketing with student care, restructuring onboarding, and investing in paid student influencers, Devin argues that the goal of marketing isn’t just more leads. It’s better outcomes. Join us as we discuss: [2:11] Why navigating a website is homework to Gen Z [14:40] Why the goal of marketing should be completion [22:40] Bringing human-centric marketing into your social media Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: American Marketing Association Conference To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for “The Application with Allison Turcio” in your favorite podcast player. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Allison Turciohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/https://twitter.com/allisonturcioAbout The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

February 24, 202629 min

Ep. 90: Why Clear Communication is a Top Enrollment Tactic

Allison is joined by Laura Rudolph, Founder and CEO of Square One Consulting, and Kristin Nichols, CMO at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, to unpack the “secret language” of higher education. They argue that clarity is not just a best practice, but an act of equity, leveling the playing field for all audiences. From decoding terms like “matriculate” and “bursar” to realizing “graduate” can confuse a high school senior , they show how jargon creates friction and erodes student trust. The conversation explores practical methods, including using AI at a sixth-grade reading level paired with human review, to audit and rewrite communications. They emphasize that small, free changes can lead to huge gains, like the reduction in melt-related phone calls and improved conversion rates.Join us as we discuss: [2:18] Common words or phrases in higher ed that trip up prospective students[11:18] How to ensure your language is clear for your intended audiences[20:15] Finding the balance between conveying your intended message and meeting your audience where they areTo hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for “The Application with Allison Turcio” in your favorite podcast player. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Allison Turciohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/https://twitter.com/allisonturcioAbout The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

February 10, 202628 min

Ep. 89: Student Personas: The Journey Mapping Playbook Colleges Need

In this episode, Allison talks with Day Kibilds, VP of Strategy at Ologie, and Bridget Campolettano, Executive Director of Communications - Arts and Sciences at Dartmouth College, about the bold journey mapping project that transformed how Amherst College thinks about access, communication, and enrollment strategy. Day and Bridget break down how they uncovered four personas that reveal the emotional and informational barriers students face, and how those insights reshaped real conversations and real materials. They also share the early impact, including record numbers of first generation and rural admits, and offer practical advice for any institution ready to rethink its approach from the student perspective.Join us as we discuss: [2:00] How journey mapping uncovered what traditional research missed[11:52] The pain points that most students want schools to solve[19:14] How admissions counselors use the personas in real conversationsTo hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for “The Application with Allison Turcio” in your favorite podcast player. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Allison Turciohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/https://twitter.com/allisonturcioAbout The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.