Hey, Reader-
May 1st is College Decision Day.
Students are committing.
Parents are exhaling.
Instagram feeds are full of campus lawn signs and celebratory selfies with captions like “So proud of my future Husky/Spartan/Seagull/Artichoke!”
It’s a milestone.
But it’s also a moment of vulnerability.
Because once the hype dies down, the questions start creeping in:
- Will I make friends?
- Did I pick the right major?
- What am I going to do with this degree… and what even is a bursar?
And yet, most students wait until junior year to connect with career services.
Career development doesn’t start with a résumé
It starts with a mindset. (And ideally, fewer existential crises sophomore year.)
When students say yes to your campus, they’re saying yes to a vision of their future.
That gives us—career services—an opening. A beautiful, pre-orientation, decision-day-shaped opening to help shape what comes next.
If we wait until year three? We’re reacting to choices already made.
But if we show up early?
We become part of the reason those choices are made with confidence and purpose.
Imagine the possibilities: From small sparks to full momentum
What if your career center became part of the welcome party?
What if students heard from you before they ever got their ID card?
Here are a few ways to engage admitted students now—starting simple and building up:
1. Send a welcome email
A quick hello. A little context. A few ways to connect. Keep it fun and light.
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2. Share student video spotlights
Let current students talk about what they’ve explored, changed, or discovered. Tip: capture these stories at commencement! |
3. Share major-to-career pathway guides
Students are hungry for these. Give them inspiration not pressure. Aim to spark imaginations. |
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4. Introduce peer mentors
Train a few students to engage with incoming students on social. |
I mean, what if career was unavoidable?
🎯Launch a Summer Dream. Plan. Do. Challenge
This one’s the big idea—and it’s worth it.
A four-to-six week experience that helps students build clarity and confidence before college even starts. Each week offers a simple, meaningful activity:
- Take a career assessment
- Read a career book (like What Color is Your Parachute? for Teens)
- Write a letter to your future self
- Complete a strengths + values worksheet
- Interview someone they admire
- Create a “career curiosity” list
Low-lift. High-impact.
And it helps reduce melt, build momentum, and show families your institution walks the talk.
Want to bring this to life? Start here:
Early engagement doesn’t have to be complicated. But it does take collaboration. Here’s where to begin:
1. Secure access to admitted student data
Connect with admissions or enrollment to get basic info. You can’t invite students if you can’t reach them.
2. Coordinate with the orientation team
Find out what’s already in motion. Look for opportunities to plug in—not pile on.
3. Even better? Ask for a feature in the admitted student portal
Front-and-center visibility makes a difference. You want students to see that career development is part of the experience from day one.
4. Loop in Marketing & Communications
Ask for their help with social promotion and story telling.
5. Pilot before perfecting
Don’t try to launch everything. Test one piece—track engagement—then build from there.
Final thought—
When students commit to your institution, they’re not just choosing a dorm and a dining plan.
They’re betting on a future.
Let’s help them make that future feel real—and reachable—from day one.
You’ve got the tools. You’ve got the vision.
Now’s the time to get in early—and make career services part of the story students tell from the very beginning.
If you’re ready to roll this out or test it on your campus, I’d love to help.
Sponsored by a tool that helps students
start career exploration as soon as they commit.
Personalized, structured, and built for scale—
so you’re not waiting until junior year to make an impact.
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Thanks for reading, and have fun planning!
