Case Study: Vanderbilt University achieves 31% application growth and a more diverse, higher‑achieving applicant pool with Ruffalo Noel Levitz's SMART Approach

Vanderbilt University - Customer Case Study

Vanderbilt University turned to Ruffalo Noel Levitz to build a more strategic student pipeline, shifting away from broad lists toward prospects who matched the university’s desired characteristics and were more likely to enroll. The challenge was to identify and engage high school students earlier and more precisely using the vendor’s SMART Approach®.

Ruffalo Noel Levitz supplied ranked, qualified names and enriched data so Vanderbilt could target students by enrollment likelihood, geography, ethnicity, and academic preparation, and even recruit beyond its primary markets. After one year using the SMART Approach®, Vanderbilt saw applications rise by 4,000 (31%), with notable increases in applicants of color and improvements in average test scores, class rank, and numbers of AP/IB/honors courses.

Vanderbilt University

Douglas Christiansen

Associate Provost for Enrollment and Dean of Admission