The Myth of Treating Everyone The Same

As May 1 approaches, counselors are feeling the pressure.

More outreach. More nudges. More names on the list.

And underneath all of it, a familiar tension: the belief that every student deserves equal attention—and the reality that time just doesn’t allow for it.

This belief isn’t wrong. In fact, it’s rooted in the very values that draw people to admissions work in the first place: equity, access, belonging. The idea that every student matters, and that counselors should be there to support them all.

But in practice, “equal attention” becomes something else: divided attention. Counselors are asked to split themselves across hundreds of students, each with different levels of engagement, urgency, and intent. And the result is predictable—no one gets the focus they really need.

The deeper issue is this: treating everyone the same doesn’t produce the same outcomes. Some students need a single text to move forward. Others need a 30-minute conversation and a follow-up plan. Some students are already enrolled in their minds. Others haven’t truly considered your institution in months.

Time is finite. Attention is finite. What students need isn’t identical effort.What they need is intentional effort.

Knowing when to lean in—and when to step back—isn’t giving up. It’s respecting the signals students are sending. It’s recognizing that the most equitable approach is one that responds to where students are, not just where we wish they were.

This isn’t about working less. It’s about working with purpose. And right now, in the final stretch of yield season, that purpose needs to be sharper than ever.

If your team is trying to do everything for everyone, step back.Ask instead: What does this student need from us today?

That’s not favoritism. That’s focus.And it’s the difference between outreach and impact.

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Last fall, my colleague Brad held a webinar with Sara Jean Gilbert, then Director of Recruitment and Outreach at Illinois College about Empowering Counselors With Data. If you're intersted in better understanding how to drive counselor focus to the right students, that is a great place to start!