Sabrina founded California Design College in 1991 and sold it to Education Management Corporation in 2003. She received her MBA at the University of Southern California and Master of Science in Education at the University of Pennsylvania. She is a doctoral candidate in Work-Based Learning Leadership at the Wharton School of Business and the Graduate School of Education at UPenn.

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Are there characteristics that your students all share?
They have careers that they want to change. In the process, they're looking for a better life. They all own or lease cars. They tend to be renters. Many of them could be characterized as lower middle class. Most are bi-lingual, English/Spanish, or come from a household that's bi-lingual. They are surprisingly healthy. Over 15 months, they very rarely miss classes, even if classes are held every night following a full day of work. About 60 percent of them are married, and they believe their families will benefit from this particular student experience.

What future are they most concerned with, short-term or long-term?

They are investing in the future for themselves or their loved ones. They're not purchasing anything from us for immediate gratification. My observation is that they expect a payoff in the job market within a few months after graduation. But they expect dividends over a lifetime.

What have you learned about admissions for young adults?

First, a little background. My first job after college was as an admissions representative. I quickly learned that particular job is not necessarily a sales job. In fact, I consider myself possibly the world's worst salesman. Admissions is about understanding another person's needs and being willing and able to help meet those needs. A talented admissions representative displays empathy and patience while building a relationship with each student.

So what tools and techniques do you use to attract prospects?

I'm still fine-tuning our web marketing programs at Fremont. I hope that a year from now our word-of-mouth recommendations will exceed our use of the web. Events create word-of-mouth leads. Successful graduates produce infectious exuberance. In this instant-messaging and Facebook-driven world, our actions and results are more evident than ever. Our students and graduates are our ultimate ambasadors.

What recruiting techniques do you use that might surprise a Gazette reader?

When an incoming lead is received by web, a hallelujah chorus plays on a computer in the admissions department that is heard throughout the office. That music throughout the day keeps everyone in a distinctly right frame of mind. It also reminds the admissions team to communicate with the prospective student within five minutes.

What admissions closing techniques work well?

We conduct two interviews within a three-step process. I'll tell you about step one. During the first interview, our admissions representative solicits the students' objectives, hopes, dreams, fears and possible areas of excitement. The objective of that first interview is to find a good fit. Interestingly, much of that time is spent 'clearing the fog' during which we actually help our prospects know themselves better. Once they know themselves better, they can see their future more clearly. And we can decide jointly whether Fremont is likely to help them get there.