Shippensburg University Reduces Summer Melt Through Strategic Student Engagement

For many colleges and universities, one of the biggest enrollment challenges begins after a student is accepted. Known as summer melt, this occurs when admitted students decide not to enroll before the fall semester begins.

To help reduce summer melt, Shippensburg University partnered with Advance Education on a three-month campaign designed to maintain excitement throughout the critical period between acceptance and enrollment. The goal was to engage admitted students, their parents and influencers, and the broader community with messaging that reinforced enrollment decisions and built anticipation for joining the Shippensburg community.

Advance Education developed a coordinated engagement strategy built around a custom audience of admitted students. Rather than relying on a single marketing channel, the campaign delivered consistent, emotionally driven messaging that celebrated campus life and the excitement of becoming part of the Shippensburg community.

The strategy extended beyond admitted students by engaging parents, families, influencers, and the surrounding community, recognizing that enrollment decisions are often shaped by a student’s support network. This integrated approach helped maintain momentum from acceptance through move-in day.

The campaign combined paid social, video, display, and digital out-of-home advertising to create a connected experience throughout the summer enrollment cycle.

“Summer melt isn’t just an enrollment challenge. It’s an engagement challenge. This campaign succeeded because we met students where they were, reinforced their decision to attend Shippensburg, and extended that message to the people influencing those decisions. Reducing summer melt from 13% to 11% demonstrates what’s possible when strategy, audience insights, and a true partnership come together.”

Katie Trickey Cowden
Account Director, Advance Education