Over the past decade, enrollment leaders have felt something shift.

Campaigns are running. Messages are being sent. But students seem to appear suddenly in the funnel with little to no visible engagement beforehand.

New research from the 2026 Enrollment Engagement Report from Capture Higher Ed helps explain why.

More than half of students report applying or requesting information from a college without ever interacting directly with the institution first. Meanwhile, nearly two-thirds believe colleges should understand their interests based on how they engage with content—even before submitting a form.

The reality is simple but profound:

Student engagement hasn’t disappeared. It has gone quiet.

In this conversation, Jonathan Clues (StudentBridge) and Bart Caylor (Caylor Solutions) will explore how the modern college search is evolving, what students actually expect from institutions, and how enrollment teams can adapt to a world where the most important moments of the decision journey often happen before institutions even know a student exists.

Moderated by Gil Rogers (GR7 Marketing), this discussion will unpack the key insights from the report and explore practical ways colleges can rethink their digital experiences, content strategies, and engagement models to better meet students where they are.

Together, we’ll discuss:

• What the “dark funnel” really means for enrollment teams
• Why students expect personalization earlier than most institutions deliver it
• How AI is influencing the college search—and where it can backfire
• Why human connection and authentic storytelling remain the strongest drivers of confidence
• How digital experiences, video, and content shape perception long before inquiry

If your institution is struggling to understand where student engagement is happening—or how to reach students earlier in their decision journey—this session will provide both clarity and practical ideas to move forward.

What Attendees Will Learn

Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of:

• Why student engagement is becoming less visible in traditional enrollment systems

• How the dark funnel is reshaping recruitment strategy

• Where AI fits into the enrollment experience—and where it doesn’t

• How digital content and storytelling influence student decisions earlier than ever

• What enrollment teams can do today to respond earlier and build confidence with prospective students