Meeting Students Where They Are: How NWU Built an Authentic Enrollment Experience
Students going to college today have been surrounded by constant marketing and messaging their whole lives. As a result, they tend to be more skeptical of traditional advertising and institutional communication, and instead gravitate toward real conversations, peer connection, and authentic experiences that reflect what college life is actually like.
Recognizing this, NWU set out to create a more authentic, student-first engagement experience built around real communication, peer connection, and actionable insights into how students engage throughout the enrollment journey.
About Nebraska Wesleyan University
Founded in 1887, Nebraska Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts university in Lincoln, Nebraska, known for its personalized approach to education, strong sense of community, and commitment to student success.
NWU offers more than 100 academic programs spanning the arts, sciences, business, education, health professions, and emerging fields such as cybersecurity, data analytics, and digital marketing. At the heart of the university is a commitment to personal attention, ensuring students are supported academically, professionally, and personally throughout their college journey.
The Challenge
Filling in the gaps
Like many institutions navigating enrollment transformation, NWU recognized several challenges in its recruitment strategy. The institution had limited visibility into student intent and engagement behaviors, relied heavily on traditional one-way communication methods, and needed more authentic opportunities for peer-to-peer connection throughout the decision-making process.
At the same time, increasing competition placed greater pressure on the enrollment team to improve yield and reduce melt. As student expectations evolved, it became clear that prospective students were looking for engagement experiences that felt more social, authentic, and immediate rather than relying solely on institutional messaging.
The Solution
Student-First Community Engagement
NWU implemented ZeeMee as a key component of its enrollment strategy, creating a dynamic, peer-driven community that enhanced the prospective student experience. The team focused on fostering connection, support, and engagement through several key features.
- Roommate Match helps students build early social connections and develop a sense of belonging before arriving on campus.
- Ask a Counselor channel provides quick, accessible admissions support
- Live Event chats increased participation during critical recruitment moments.
- Feed posts kept students informed, connected, and engaged throughout the enrollment journey.
The Success
Since partnering with ZeeMee in late 2024, Nebraska Wesleyan University has seen exceptional engagement and enrollment outcomes, highlighting the power of authentic student connection throughout the college decision journey. A key driver of this success has been peer-to-peer engagement, with 85% of activity occurring organically between students.
Students who participated in NWU’s ZeeMee community consistently progressed through the enrollment funnel at higher rates than their peers. By creating opportunities for meaningful connection well before students arrived on campus, Nebraska Wesleyan University increased engagement throughout the decision journey, strengthened yield, reduced melt, and helped students develop a stronger sense of belonging from the start.
Ready to write your success story?
See how ZeeMee can transform your enrollment outcomes like it has for these institutions