Admissions leaders at Tulane and the University of Chicago have drawn attention for seven‑figure compensation packages after steering surges in early applications. The reporting shows senior enrollment officers can earn outsized pay tied to aggressive recruitment strategies. Universities are increasingly treating enrollment management as a high-stakes executive function, linking compensation to application volume and yield. That model raises questions for trustees and faculty governance about priorities, budget tradeoffs and the ethics of incentive structures. Provosts, boards and audit committees should reassess pay structures and metrics used to measure admissions performance, as campuses balance enrollment goals against admissions standards and institutional mission.