Johanna Alonso
October 28, 2026
With about 50 percent of TV viewership coming from streaming, colleges are turning to platforms like Netflix in hopes of getting prospective students’ attention.
History doesn’t happen quietly.”
So began a commercial for Sweet Briar College, a small women’s institution in Virginia, that aired on TV and video streaming services during the 2024–25 admission cycle. The 30-second ad featured shots of students dancing onstage, working in labs and riding horses, as well as a sweeping vista of the campus. It encouraged students to apply, emphasizing that only 225 first-year spots were available.
That rallying call seemed to work; the ad, which was targeted at Virginia households with 16- to 18-year-olds—as well as those with an interest in horses, given the college’s storied equestrian program—preceded a robust recruitment season. After it aired, applications increased 14 percent and deposits rose 22 percent, according to AmbioEdu, the marketing firm behind the campaign.