Micro-Adjustments, Macro Results: Rethinking Inquiry Response in Graduate Enrollment

Please provide a one-paragraph overview of the session.‎ (200 words or less): What happens when the national data comes home to your campus? In this updated session on NAGAP & Liaison’s Graduate Inquiry Response Project, we move beyond the broad benchmarks shared last year and focus on what we’ve learned by taking the results directly to individual campuses. Using our “secret shopper” methodology, submitting inquiries to hundreds of graduate programs, and pairing it with leader self-assessments, we uncovered persistent gaps between institutional perception and the actual prospective student experience. Over the past year, presenters have met individually with dozens of institutions to share their own inquiry response performance, walk through detailed examples, and identify tangible opportunities for improvement. These one-on-one conversations have revealed striking patterns: while each school’s data is unique, the themes, bottlenecks, and quick wins are surprisingly consistent. We will share fresh qualitative insights, anonymized case examples, and evidence of how simple changes—tailored to an institution’s specific response patterns—can directly improve inquiry-to-application conversion rates. Join us to see how national benchmarks become actionable campus-level strategies, hear common challenges echoed across GEM offices, and leave with concrete, practical steps to ensure your institution’s inquiry response process delivers the experience prospective students expect and the enrollment outcomes you need.

Session Agenda/Outline (200 words or less): Welcome and Introduction [5 minutes]
Today's Graduate Enrollment Challenges [5 minutes]
Overview of the findings from the NAGAP-Liaison Graduate Inquiry Response Project [10 minutes]
Overview of findings from new qualitative data collected in 2025 [10 minutes]
Actionable insights and takeaways [10 minutes]
Audience discussion [15 minutes]
Closing and final reflections [5 minutes]