Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO — with Jaime Hunt

Ep. 85: Authenticity First: A Case for More Student-Generated Content

Episode Summary

Jaime welcomes Camryn Simpson and Blake Mischley of MeetYourClass to break down insights from their newly released 2025 College Decision Playbook. The conversation dives deep into the shifting priorities of Gen Z students—from major-first decision-making to the critical importance of digital campus "vibes." If you're crafting a marketing strategy for student recruitment or aiming to improve yield, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Episode Notes

Jaime welcomes Camryn Simpson and Blake Mischley of MeetYourClass to break down insights from their newly released 2025 College Decision Playbook. The conversation dives deep into the shifting priorities of Gen Z students—from major-first decision-making to the critical importance of digital campus "vibes." If you're crafting a marketing strategy for student recruitment or aiming to improve yield, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

The 2025 College Decision Playbook: https://colleges.meetyourclass.com/resources/2025-college-decision-playbook

Guest Names: 
Blake Mischley, Co-founder and CEO, MeetYourClass
Camryn Simpson, Head of Community, MeetYourClass

Guest Social: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/camryn-simpson-1a9739194/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/blake-mischley/

Guest Bio: Blake Mischley is the Co-Founder and CEO of MeetYourClass, a platform helping students build community from application through move-in. A recent graduate of the University of Michigan with a degree in Computer Science, Blake has been building in the social media space since middle school—first through content creation and later by working with top digital creators.

He launched MeetYourClass while still in college after recognizing a disconnect between how students engage on platforms like Instagram and other popular social media platforms and the tools available to enrollment teams that meet students where they are. Today, MeetYourClass has grown to over 600,000 students and 20+ university partners, driven entirely by organic student adoption.

Camryn Simpson is the Head of Community at MeetYourClass, where she leads marketing, community strategy, and partner engagement across a growing network of higher education institutions. As the company’s first employee, she’s helped shape both sides of the platform—building authentic peer-to-peer communities that students want to join, while supporting institutional partners in tracking connections and community growth, and embedding social communities more naturally into their enrollment strategies.

Camryn graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2022 with a degree in Marketing. Prior to joining MeetYourClass, she built her marketing and community expertise through roles at companies like American Eagle Outfitters and Bumble—gaining hands-on experience creating authentic connections and engaging modern audiences. She’s passionate about designing student experiences that feel personal and relevant, and bringing more empathy, transparency, and creativity into higher education marketing.