Episode 29: Why There’s No Such Thing as a Stealth Applicant

If you have ever worked in an enrollment office or marcomm department for any educational institution, you’re probably already familiar with the term “stealth applicants” — a term commonly used to refer to applicants who show up in the system without any previous interaction with your brand. Enrollment managers, admissions officers, and higher ed marketers alike have used this term for many years to describe the seemingly unstoppable force of a certain number of prospective students that will essentially fly under the radar and appear at the application stage of the admissions process. On this week’s episode of the Enrollify Podcast, we sit down with Tony Fraga, the CEO of DD (an enrollment marketing technology agency). Over the past 14 years of working with schools of all shapes and sizes, Tony has grown accustomed to hearing statements like, “Well there are always some stealth applicants that will come into the applicant pool” and “We’re seeing more stealth applicants than ever before, so we can’t really count on certain marketing tactics.” Tune into this conversation to learn why Tony believes stealth applicants don’t actually exist, and what enrollment marketers can do to eliminate them within the context of their enrollment offices!- - - - Connect With Our Host: Mallory Willsea  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/ https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea About The Enrollify Podcast Network: The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! Enrollify is made possible by Element451 —  the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com. Attend the 2025 Engage Summit!  The Engage Summit is the premier conference for forward-thinking leaders and practitioners dedicated to exploring the transformative power of AI in education. Explore the strategies and tools to step into the next generation of student engagement, supercharged by AI. You'll leave ready to deliver the most personalized digital engagement experience every step of the way. Register now to secure your spot in Charlotte, NC, on June 24-25, 2025! Early bird registration ends February 1st -- https://engage.element451.com/register