Why Data Driven Decision Making Comes Up Short
Why does data driven decision making come up short in many enrollment offices?
Enrollment work has long since shifted from art to science. And yet, too often, the full potential of data-informed strategy goes untapped.
As a new school year begins, commit to clearing the most common roadblocks—then watch your team (and your numbers) grow stronger.
✅ Bad or Incomplete Data
Still the most common challenge. It often stems from:
Lack of training for support staff on enrollment systems
Manual data entry
Failing to clean submitted data before importing
Lack of shared and written data protocols across your team
✅ Owning the Numbers
You may have a brilliant data analyst on your team, but the enrollment director needs to know the numbers better than anyone. Own them. Lead with them.
✅ Misaligned Metrics
Dashboards only work when there’s alignment on what matters. Too often, trustees push for business metrics that aren’t relevant to enrollment. This sends teams chasing the wrong data and clouds decision-making.
✅ Underused Tools
Yes, AI and CRM platforms can be overwhelming. But mastery matters more than novelty. Stick with tools that work for you. When in doubt, raw data exports + Google Sheets/Excel still = powerful, tailored insights.
Even if you don’t think of yourself as a “data person,” this can be the year you build new habits and sharpen your team’s strategy.
Because when you lead with clear, credible data—your impact grows.
