The research has consistently shown that a higher education institution’s student retention rate is directly affected by the quantity and quality of communication from their advising staff and teaching faculty. Admissions and advising offices that engage students early and regularly can have a significant impact on enrollment rates as well as a student’s probability of matriculating.
Admissions and advising offices that are proactive in enrolling and engaging new students are succeeding to do so with the assistance of technology. These are a few technologies that support and facilitate student engagement.
Self-Scheduling
There can be an endless amount of back and forth emails and phone calls for admissions counselors or advisors trying to schedule a meeting with a prospective or existing student. Providing online self-scheduling links on a webpage for key departments, in emails or text messages allows for meetings to be scheduled at a student’s convenience.
Appointments can be scheduled after office hours and booked into a staff member’s calendar based on their specific area of expertise. Advisors and admissions staff save time by not having to do all the work of setting an appointment with traditional tools. Self-scheduling software also employs automated appointment reminders which help with no-shows rates.
Text Messaging
This form of communication is by far the most popular among students and has higher interaction rates versus phone and email. Its effectiveness as a communication channel is simply put with over 90% of text messages being read within three minutes.
Text messaging with prospective students can help to remind them to complete any enrollment paperwork or other tasks they have forgotten to do. Text reminders can keep future students informed and focused, making sure the students are ready for the start of term and reducing student melt. For advisors, text messaging is a strong tool for advisors to build relationships and maintain connections with existing students. Consistent interactions with advisors can improve an institution’s graduation rates.
Video Conferencing
Sometimes a trip to a university campus is not convenient for a prospective student before applying. Providing prospective students with the ability to have a face-to-face meeting with an admissions counselor can be invaluable to a student. Besides getting assistance from a staff member who understands the application process, it can also have a positive effect on the student’s impression of the school.
Video conferencing or chat tools are very useful for virtual advising or coaching. Students get a more personalized advising experience from advisors that offer video chat. Students can have many obligations that occupy their time while attending school. The option of a video meeting can be valuable for students that cannot fit an in-person visit into their busy schedules.
Technology for Academic Success
Engaging and personalizing the student journey throughout the process of applications, course selection and management to the ultimate goal of matriculation can be positively enhanced by technology. Admissions and advisor offices have a multitude of demands to meet usually with a limited amount of resources. The right technologies can help better support their daily work, their students’ personal needs and their institution’s goals.
