Insights

Keep your college freshmen coming back for more. According to The Chronical of Higher Education, as many as one third of your freshman class is likely to disappear before their sophomore year. That’s a third too many at a time when enrollments are on the decline and...

Synergy is honored to be engaged to create the identity for Lori Lightfoot’s campaign for mayor of Chicago 2019. After meeting with Lori and her team, we began the process of creating a platform that captures the passion and progressive leadership she brings to the...

There’s fact and there’s fiction. And sometimes there’s a bit of both. With the constant influx of blogs, anecdotal evidence, sponsored content, political spin, clickbait, old stories packaged as new and peer-reviewed articles, being able to distinguish between actual...

Universities are supposed to be a safe haven for discourse and self-expression. It’s like totally your time to speak your mind. But is that ability to safely self express still true today? What value does your campus place on advocacy and debate? Taking a look at the...

It may seem pretty obvious that the student we’re trying to recruit is the person solidly at the center of the university marketing strategy. But is it so obvious that it is easily overlooked? Colleges may think they are being thoughtful in developing target...

Solving the Branding vs. Direct Response debate starts by understanding that it’s all in the family   Many college marketing or admissions directors are faced with the dual tasks of improving ROI by hitting lead and enrollment budgets, while simultaneously being...

The statistics are clear. As fall approaches, we are reminded that more students are arriving at college with a history of mental illness that includes major disorders. While universities put their efforts towards ensuring academic excellence, the question becomes are...

Toting sweet treats and flowers, Sarah Ghesquière swooped gracefully through the doors of Synergy to join us as senior writer/creative director. In addition to beautifying the office and boosting our sugar intake, she brings a fresh perspective that has most...

I enjoyed this recent article from Inside Higher Ed, as it captures a familiar conundrum in our world. Institutions express they are ready to engage in a new campaign. They want “something fresh” and “totally different.” With enthusiasm we jump into our new creative...

I got a pit in my stomach typing that headline. Most of us are firmly attached to the idea that higher education is a great equalizer, and the key to pulling people out of poverty. While that might be true, according to this Brookings study it’s also true that the...

Even if your institution isn’t among the first 90 in the Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success initiative set for the April 2016—your team is talking about it. Developed to improve the college application process for students as they search for their...

For the fourth straight year, national college enrollment numbers have taken a dip. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center released the updated Fall 2015 report in December 2015, reflecting an aggregate 1.7 percent decline over the previous year....