Creative Recruitment Ideas for Colleges: How Emmaus University Makes Big Moves on a Small Budget

Creative recruitment ideas for colleges aren’t just for the big-name institutions with massive marketing departments.

In fact, some of the most impactful and innovative strategies are coming from smaller schools working with lean budgets.

In many cases, lean budgets are the motivation behind the most creative recruitment ideas. 

Perhaps necessity truly is the mother of invention.

In this episode of The Higher Ed Marketer, Troy Singer and I had the pleasure of talking with Tom Kook, Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing at Emmaus University. With a clear mission and a modest budget,  Tom is executing some incredibly innovative strategies that any college — regardless of size — can learn from.

You won’t want to miss all the highlights of this powerful conversation packed with creative recruitment ideas for colleges just like yours.

Big Vision, Small Budget: Why Mission Clarity Comes First

One of the standout lessons from our conversation with Tom was the importance of starting with mission clarity.

“I think the biggest thing that sets us apart and helps us make strategic decisions is our clarity of mission. We’re not trying to be everything to everyone. We know who we are.”

That clarity becomes a filter for everything: messaging, student outreach, event planning, even what tech platforms to invest in. 

For institutions navigating tight budgets, this kind of alignment is especially crucial.

It reduces decision fatigue, prevents mission drift, and ensures you’re spending where it actually matters.

Focusing your limited resources on your ideal student is a strategic mindset more institutions need to embrace, especially in the face of shrinking demographics and increasing competition.

---

---

Building a Student-Powered Enrollment Engine

Another one of the most effective (and cost-effective) creative recruitment ideas for colleges?

Let your students do the talking.

Tom shared how Emmaus University is leveraging student ambassadors to run a significant portion of their summer outreach and campus visit programs.

“We’ve moved to a model where our students are the face of the university. In the summer, we hire student ambassadors who not only give tours but are heavily involved in communicating with prospective students. It’s more authentic, and frankly, more affordable.”

This isn’t just about saving money. It’s also about increasing impact. 

Today’s prospective students are far more likely to trust peers than polished marketing language.

That authenticity builds trust quickly and helps shape a more relatable brand.

Here’s how Emmaus makes it work:

• Student ambassadors are trained not just to give tours, but to share their personal Emmaus story.
• They’re empowered to engage with prospects at events, over email, and during personalized follow-ups.
• Because the ambassadors are from diverse backgrounds and programs, they help represent the full spectrum of student life.

The result? A recruitment strategy that’s personal, scalable, and aligned with the Emmaus brand, all without draining the budget.

---

---

Prioritizing What Moves the Needle

With a smaller staff and limited dollars, Tom has to be ruthlessly focused on what truly impacts enrollment.

This means making deliberate technology choices and scaling back on vanity metrics or trendy tools that don’t provide real ROI. 

For example, rather than buying the flashiest new system, his team recently overhauled their CRM strategy by customizing their existing tools to better support the enrollment pipeline.

“It’s easy to get caught up in the next shiny platform, but if it doesn’t serve your goals or integrate well with your team, it’s not worth it.”

Instead of chasing complexity, Emmaus University focuses on:

• Leveraging their CRM for personalized messaging
• Using data-informed decision-making to fine-tune campaigns
• Automating follow-up processes where possible, freeing up staff time
• Streamlining internal processes to focus energy where it counts

These aren’t merely “budget” solutions. They’re smart, focused, and results-driven. 

And they’re exactly the kind of creative recruitment ideas for colleges that can scale across institutions of all sizes.

Enrollment Marketing as Stewardship

One of my favorite parts of this episode was hearing Tom talk about marketing through the lens of stewardship — a powerful and underused framework in higher ed.

“We try to operate with stewardship in mind. That means making the most of what we have, yes, but also making sure we’re serving students well and honoring their time and interest.”

This philosophy shows up in everything from how Emmaus spends ad dollars to how they nurture prospective students throughout the funnel.

Rather than blasting mass emails or relying solely on search lists, the team at Emmaus focuses on:

• Timely, meaningful communication
• Personalized follow-ups that reflect what a student has shown interest in
• Community-building from the first touchpoint

In other words, they’re doing more than just recruiting students. They’re forming relationships.

And that relational approach doesn’t just increase yield. It also builds stronger, more engaged campus communities.

Creating Momentum in the Summer

Summers are often viewed as the “off-season” for recruitment, but Tom sees it differently. At Emmaus, the summer is a key window to build momentum and engagement. 

For Emmaus, this shows up clearly in the form of youth events and summer camps.

Many small colleges already host events for middle and high school students during the summer months. 

But Emmaus has leveled up and turned these activities into powerful pipeline-building tools.

“We see those camps as a key part of our enrollment funnel. It’s not about a hard sell. It’s about creating a memorable experience that connects young people to our mission early.”

And it works. By starting the relationship earlier, Emmaus builds awareness, trust, and affinity long before students begin their college search in earnest. 

They are playing the long game.

What Other Small Colleges Can Learn from Emmaus

Small institutions often underestimate the advantages they already have: community, mission clarity, and agility.

Emmaus University reminds us that it’s not about how much you spend, it’s about how intentional you are with the resources you do have.

Here’s a quick summary of the most transferable takeaways from this episode:

🧠 5 Creative Recruitment Ideas for Colleges on a Budget:

• Use student ambassadors as authentic enrollment voices
• Streamline your tech to focus on what actually supports your funnel
• Maximize summer camps and events as soft-entry points into your brand
• Prioritize personalization over automation for yield-driving communication
• Root everything in mission clarity — know who you are and who you serve

If you’re in enrollment or marketing at a smaller institution, this episode is your reminder that you don’t need a massive budget to make a massive impact.

You just need a clear mission, focused strategies, and the courage to do things differently.

🎧 For even more insights from Tom Kook, listen to the full episode on The Higher Ed Marketer podcast.

Let’s Turn Strategy Into Momentum — Together

Emmaus University’s success is proof that small colleges with lean teams can still make a massive impact with the right strategy. 

At Caylor Solutions, our Consulting Services are designed to help institutions like yours do exactly that.

Whether you’re rethinking your student recruitment process, clarifying your brand message, or exploring the practical applications of AI in your enrollment marketing, we bring the outside expertise and fresh ideas you need to move forward fast.

Our offerings are flexible and designed for real-world higher ed challenges:

• Fractional CMO Support – Executive-level strategy without the full-time cost
• Ideation Retainers – Bring your toughest enrollment or branding challenge and we’ll workshop solutions with your team
• Monthly Coaching – Ongoing accountability and insight for marketing and admissions teams

If your institution is ready to take the next step — without stretching your already-tight budget — we’re here to help you build clarity, create momentum, and grow enrollment.

👉 Let’s talk about how Caylor Solutions can help your small team make big moves.

---

Want to Improve Your Digital Marketing Results?

Then you’ve got to know how to write for the web. That’s why we want to send you our popular ebook: Writing for the Web: 7 Secrets to Content Marketing Success for Education Marketers!

With this helpful resource, you’ll learn how to:

• Grab your reader’s attention immediately
• Pull your reader’s attention deeper into your content
• Write so that Google (and other search engines) find you easily
• Increase your website’s conversion rates

In short, you’ll be able to write the copy that makes your digital marketing strategy work for you. Download your copy today!

Featured image via emmaus.edu