Hey $[UD:FIRST_NAME||]$,

Welcome to the Edular Brief — a quick read on what’s actually moving enrollment, admissions, and retention at small-to-mid institutions right now.

Three things worth your time this issue:

📊 The enrollment platform shortlist for 2026

The largest high school graduating class in U.S. history just graduated — and from here, the pool shrinks for 16 straight years. Choosing enrollment management software under that pressure means getting the five non-negotiables right: mobile-first experience, financial aid built in (not bolted on), early-alert retention, fit for your team’s actual size, and a go-live measured in weeks. This piece breaks down what each one looks like — and how to spot the real thing.

Read it →

🛠 Trade school admissions: modernize without a big IT team

Trade and vocational enrollment jumped nearly 20% since 2020 — and most admissions software still wasn’t built for rolling start dates, three-person front offices, or applicants who do everything from their phones. With Fall 2026 applications opening July 1 at many programs, here’s a practical guide to choosing the right admissions CRM before peak season arrives.

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🔔 Why your early alert program isn’t moving retention

93% of four-year institutions run some form of early alert system. Rigorous evidence that those systems change outcomes? Thin. The problem is almost never the software — it’s the protocol (or lack of one) that kicks in after the flag fires. This piece lays out the four design flaws that stall most programs and what a working response protocol actually looks like.

Read it →

That’s the Brief for this issue. If any of this is useful to forward to a colleague, please do.

— The Edular Team