Case Study: Mining for Motivation

What happens when you combine behavioral data with a little creative spark? At Illinois College, the result was a morale-boosting, yield-driving enrollment strategy that made the work feel like play. In this standout case study, Assistant Director Joe Legendre shares how weekly, themed counselor challenges turned cold lists into energized outreach and revived conversations with students others had given up on. From dressing as a gold miner to testing message tone on silent admits, the gamified approach brought focus, fun, and real results to spring recruitment.

Instead of asking counselors to “try harder,” Illinois College gave them specific targets and a reason to care, backed by enroll ml’s behavioral signals and wrapped in pop culture flair. The result? More counselor buy-in, smarter outreach, and measurable gains from micro-wins. If your team is doing the work but losing steam, this case study offers a playbook for recharging momentum without adding more tools or headcount.

Download the full case study to see how gamification became a leadership strategy, and how it helped Illinois College turn effort into impact.