Tara Conrad to Lead CollegeAPP’s Community/Technical College Division
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15, 2023
SUNY and NSC Alumna Will Guide Two-Year Institutions Into and Through Demographic Cliff
[Los Angeles, CA]: CollegeAPP, the only recruitment service in higher education focused on the identification of adult learners who have intent to enroll, has announced the hiring of Tara Conrad as Vice President, Community and Technical Colleges. Conrad, an alumna of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, has spent her career guiding colleges to increase enrollment and efficiency through the use of data-centric approaches.
Conrad takes over a group that is currently serving more than 120 community and technical colleges. “I’ve been following CollegeAPP closely for the past three years. And it is undeniable that leading with intent to enroll results in partner success,” said Conrad. “The enrollment cliff is real, and I’ve decided this is the time to do everything in my power to guide community colleges through that challenge. The CollegeAPP platform can and should be that guide.”
Prior to CollegeAPP, Conrad served as Director, University Partnerships at Stellic, a leading degree management platform. Before Stellic, Conrad was Manager, Data Connectivity at The National Student Clearinghouse. “Tara is the right person at the right time,” said CollegeAPP CEO Jack MacKenzie. “Her experience with both data-focused solutions and the inner workings of community and technical colleges has given her a unique skill-set to lead our partners through this critical time. Adult enrollment has never been more important, and Tara is committed to our mathematics-based solution.”
Conrad’s hiring comes at a time that community and technical colleges are facing the reality of a reduction in the number of high school seniors, known as the enrollment cliff, that will arrive in 2025. Combined with an increase in the economic necessity of adult education attainment and skill-building that leads to qualification for jobs in communities across the country, CollegeAPP is focused on the future of adult student recruitment. “I am committed to solving for this challenge and opportunity,” Conrad said. “The net effect of increased adult student enrollment in education and training is all positive. CollegeAPP is the best place for me to play in role in that solution.”
Conrad’s experience includes deep engagement with the SUNY system, one of the largest and most diverse comprehensive higher education systems. Conrad held multiple roles at Genesee Community College, a Provost Fellow with SUNY System Administration and a senior consultant with current CollegeAPP partner Monroe Community College.
“We have the right data and Tara has the insight in how best to use it,” said CollegeAPP co-founder Sean Godlewski. “CollegeAPP’s media placement engagement rate continues to outperform advertising platforms, which are only getting more restrictive and costly. With CollegeAPP colleges are uniquely able to target the 25% with intent, yielding stronger results at lower costs. We look forward to Tara sharing that story with the nearly eight hundred community colleges that don’t yet deploy our data to enhance their adult student recruitment.”
Conrad’s hiring comes as CollegeAPP acknowledges its third consecutive year of triple-digit growth. “Colleges, workforce development agencies and adult education providers across the ecosystem have realized that the traditional education marketing industry has let them down in the adult recruitment market.” MacKenzie noted. “We do one thing. Identify adults who have intent to enroll. Intent matters and it is why CollegeAPP is must-have for colleges seeking to grow their adult learner enrollments.”
Conrad, who lives in suburban Rochester, New York with her husband and two children, started with CollegeAPP October 9, the same the day the company recognized its fourth anniversary with a VIP reception with clients and partners in Denver, Colorado.
About CollegeAPP
CollegeAPP is a data analytics service company serving the higher education sector. CollegeAPP works with more than 200 colleges and universities to identify and recruit potential students among the adult population. Using proprietary predictive analytics algorithms, CollegeAPPs live dashboard allows clients to dynamically create target audiences and launch marketing campaigns to boost recruitment and enrollment strategies.
