The Question Higher Ed Leaders Don't Want to Answer
And Why It's One Of The Biggest Blockers of Growth
Fit or Fill? Shape or Scale?
That’s the uncomfortable question many higher ed leaders don’t want to answer.
The reality is, one of the biggest blockers of enrollment growth today isn’t budget or demand.
It’s the institutional desire to grow… strategically.
By that I mean:
📌 Not just grow the class,
📌 But grow it exactly how we want - by program, by modality, by mission-aligned initiative.
But here’s the hard truth:
Program-specific marketing is the most expensive form of marketing.
And trying to direct enrollment to fill pre-planned buckets rarely aligns with how the market actually behaves.
When I speak with Presidents and CFOs, I always ask:
“Are you trying to grow your total incoming class, or shape it?”
They always say: “Both.”
And then I ask: “If you could only achieve one - hit your overall enrollment goal or your ideal program distribution - which would you choose?”
Every. Single. Time. They say: “Hit the overall goal.”
That’s when we talk about a rolled-up budget - where we invest in brand and area-of-study campaigns that generate performance across the portfolio, not just in isolated silos.
It works because:
✅ Every brand campaign drives interest in some program.
✅ Every area-of-study campaign drives interest somewhere in that field.
We may not control exactly where - but we can measure it, report on it, and refine it from there.
Eventually, the conversation turns back to: “Yes, but X, Y, and Z are critical programs.”
And I ask: “Would you accept a lower total enrollment if we could grow those programs specifically?”
The answer? “No.”
That’s the moment to draw the line in the sand. Because for institution’s struggling to drive enrollment, the reality is:
👉 Shaping your class is a luxury.
👉 One that comes after you’ve filled it.
These are not parallel strategies - they are linear ones.
First you fill. Then you shape.
Trust the process. Work the plan.
It’s not about ignoring the importance of key programs - it’s about aligning to reality and viewing enrollment growth on a multi-year cycle, one where first you fill and then you shape.
It’s about accepting that you can have it all, but you can’t have it all at once.
Because the market doesn’t always behave the way we want. But we can grow, and grow smart, if we stop fighting it, start following it, and answer the difficult question so many choose to ignore.
About The Author
Seth is the founder and CEO of Kanahoma, a San Diego-based performance marketing agency on a mission to build a better agency for organizations building a better world.
You can learn more about who we are and what we do at www.Kanahoma.com.