Mike Cooley
Born: Mitchell, South Dakota. Home of the world’s only Corn Palace.
Grew up in: Rapid City, South Dakota, home of Mount Rushmore
Graduated: University of Wyoming, B.S. Marketing
Tell us about your past experience and how it helps you in your current position with Rally Cap?
Right after college, I started working for the Northern Arizona University Athletic Department, which led me to Colorado State University Department of Athletics, where I served as the Director of Marketing and Sales. I really enjoyed this period because it gave me the opportunity to combine my love of sports with my passion for marketing and sales. I made the move to proprietary education in 2002 when I became Regional VP of Admissions for one of the largest transportation maintenance schools. I was hired to help grow the school from a single location to seven campuses nationwide over a five-year period. The highlight for me was opening the first branch campus and building an admissions team that grew the student population to more than 1,500 in three years. This experience also opened my eyes to the fact that there are great opportunities for students to succeed in a variety of educational settings. Spending more than 15 years in higher education led me to where I am today with Rally Cap. This varied knowledge is what really helps us to connect with our clients and provide proven results.
What is unique about Rally Cap?
Unique is what we are all about. To be able to work with a firm that brings over 60 years of varied experience in admissions, marketing, and school operations within the higher education field is very unique. Our approach is unique. I don’t ever want to boast that we’ve worked with thousands of schools across the country. We want the services we deliver to be best in class and customized for each of our clients. They deserve that. We take the time to listen, implement the proper solutions, and stay with the process to make sure we’re achieving the desired results.
What’s you favorite thing about the education industry?
Whether I’m on the campus of a four-year college in Colorado or a proprietary school in El Paso, Texas, I absolutely love the feeling I get when I walk halls of these institutions. I see staff members are putting everything they have into their work and students who are excited about their futures, knowing they are going to have the foundation of an education. The opportunity for Rally Cap to work with these institutions is truly an honor.
Favorite movie?
Shawshank Redemption. Andy Dufresne knew he was innocent and he persevered to come out ahead at the end.
Favorite band or musician
I have been a Parrot Head for a long time—Jimmy Buffett
Favorite thing to do?
Spend time with my wife and three daughters, coaching youth basketball, and playing a little golf when I can.
Favorite food?
Gotta go with a nice filet with some blue cheese on top.
Dogs or cats?
Definitely dogs. My golden retriever, Charlie, is a good boy. Plus, I am allergic to most cats.
What’s the secret to success in admissions and recruiting?
Being active rather than passive when recruiting students to your campuses. We are seeing great results with our clients who are being proactive in their admissions efforts. Best analogy that I can give is acting like a college coach. When I was recruited for college as a student-athlete (I attended school on a track and field scholarship), the schools came to me “selling” me on their institutions and why I should come there. I wish schools of all shapes and sizes would take this same approach.
Why the name Rally Cap?
I’m a huge sports fan. Naming the company was a very scientific process. I found a sports slang website on Google and the rest is history. Honestly, I wanted a name that people would remember. More important, I wanted a name that would represent who we are and what we would represent for our clients. Some might think that you only put on a rally cap when you’re getting beat up in a game. For us it’s about recognizing when to take things in a new direction. It’s refreshing to us to work with schools that are very successful yet still realize that there is room for improvement, because improvement means making an impact on the lives of more students.
One thing people would think is funny about you?
I sing whatever song I hear last on the radio for a good portion of the day. Problem is that I’m not a good singer.