About Abbas Sajid
Higher education marketing consultant and student recruitment strategist. I help universities and colleges enroll more of the right students, at home and across borders.
My story
Every student deserves to find the right institution, and every institution deserves a reliable way to reach those students. I have spent my career making that happen.
My career did not start on a dashboard. I started on the ground: opening offline counselling centres, signing franchise partners and building channel networks of agents and schools from zero. I sat with parents worried about fees, trained counsellors before admission season, and learned which promises students believe and which they ignore. Above all, I learned what actually moves a student from interest to enrollment.
Today I combine that field experience with digital marketing: recruitment funnels, performance campaigns, higher education SEO and enrollment analytics. I have worked with 200+ institutions across 12+ countries, supporting more than 50,000 student enrollments. I also founded HighEdInfo, a platform where education marketers share insights, trends and playbooks.
What I bring to every institution
International and domestic student recruitment
Recruitment strategy for Indian institutions filling domestic seats and for universities recruiting students from South Asia, Africa and the Middle East: market selection, agent onboarding, intake calendars and in-country events. Read more about my work as a student recruitment consultant and an international student recruitment consultant.
Building from scratch
I have built offline, franchise and channel networks from zero. That experience shapes every strategy I write, because I know what it takes to deliver on the ground.
Digital marketing and funnels
End-to-end lead funnels for higher education: ads, landing pages, WhatsApp and email nurturing, CRM and counsellor follow-up, all measured on cost per enrolled student.
Enrollment and institutional branding
Admissions process design, counsellor training and institutional brands that earn the trust of students and parents.
Career journey
| Year | Milestone | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Entered education marketing | First international recruitment campaigns |
| 2019 | First student funnel | Funnel for a UK university that tripled international enquiries in one semester |
| 2020 | Went fully digital | Virtual open days, webinars and online campaigns for institutions |
| 2021 | Scaled to 12+ countries | Campaigns across South Asia, Africa and the Middle East |
| 2023 | Founded HighEdInfo | Community and content platform for education marketers |
| 2024 | 200+ institutions | Milestone reached |
How I work
I work as an extension of your team. I start with your data and your enrollment targets, tell you honestly what I find, and agree a plan with clear measures. I prefer to build your team’s skills rather than create dependence on me, and I report results in the language your leadership uses: students, revenue and cost per enrolled student.
Whether you need a higher education marketing consultant for strategy, a hands-on digital marketer, or an education marketing expert to train your team, the approach is the same: start from the enrollment target and work backwards.
Achievements and recognition
- Digital and social media strategist for universities, colleges and education brands
- Speaker on student recruitment, enrollment funnels and AI in higher education marketing
- Founder, HighEdInfo, a platform for education marketers
- Worked with institutions and programmes including the University of Madras, Periyar University, TNSDC and Naan Mudhalvan
Ventures
- Education Marketing ConsultancyStrategy, recruitment and marketing for universities, colleges and education brands.
- HighEdInfoInsights, trends and playbooks for education marketers (@highedinfo on Instagram).
- Agent and Channel NetworkVetted recruitment partners across key student markets.
- Speaking and Thought LeadershipKeynotes, workshops and articles on student recruitment. See Speaking.
Let’s plan your next intake together
Prefer WhatsApp? Message Abbas on WhatsApp