Sweet Briar College

Unleashing a Bold Plan to Fill a Funnel

Sweet Briar College is a private women’s college consistently ranked as one of the nation’s most innovative liberal arts institutions and is a destination for equestrians of all levels. Its small, diverse student body (441 women from 35 states and 14 countries) conduct collaborative research with faculty, secure internships, and study abroad at far higher rates than national averages. By challenging and inspiring women, Sweet Briar is creating the next generation of leaders committed to a just and sustainable world. 

The Challenge

In December 2024, Virginia’s Sweet Briar College found itself with no pipeline and very few applications for the 2025 academic year. The school needed to generate interest (and applications and deposits), and they needed to do it fast. Oh, and they also needed to reach new counselors and parents at the same time.

Sounds like a job for AmbioEdu.

What We Did

Leveraging AmbioEdu-produced creative assets, we delivered custom messaging to fill the funnel and inspire action. Working closely with the Sweet Briar team, we optimized the application experience to capture every lead and deliver on the promises made by the brand.

How We Did It

We targeted top tier public and private high schools (including STEM high schools) in Va, and parents/caregivers of college-going aged students to build a pool of prospects for this campaign. Using look alike targeting in primary and secondary markets, we reached households with a 16-18 yr old students. The institution’s reputation for having the best equestrian program in the country inspired us to also target horse-lovers in their homes by using mobile data from equestrian facilities in the area.

The Results

It’s not just what you’re saying, but also how you say it—and where. Having a deep understanding of Sweet Briar’s target audiences and a fluency in their interests created an invaluable opportunity to meaningfully connect with prospects and their families. For Sweet Briar, we did just that—and delivered one of their strongest year-over-year enrollment surges in recent memory.

In fact, Sweet Briar is so pleased with this campaign, we plan to run it back in the fall, deepening our partnership with the Vixens of Virginia for the next recruitment cycle. Saddle up!