Optimize Your Admissions Process: 4 Best Practices for Higher Education Institutions
*This post was originally published here.
In higher education, few things can cause more significant headaches for administrators than the admissions process. According to research from Common App, the number of college applications has grown by 21.3% between 2019-2020 and 2021-2022 alone, overwhelming admissions departments with an ever-growing number of applications.
All too often, this leads to admissions officials spending little time analyzing applications. In other circumstances, poor alignment between campus recruiters and admissions officials can create misconceptions about the admissions process that unfairly challenge students.
Then, of course, there are factors expected to impact admissions in the long term, such as the declining number of high school graduates, a shift away from the humanities toward "practical" degrees, and increased scrutiny of the true value proposition offered by educational institutions.
With so many challenges, higher-ed admissions procedures must adapt and improve to better serve students and administrators alike. Here are four essential tips higher education institutions can use to create more streamlined admissions procedures.
Tip 1: Provide straightforward and streamlined applications
In an article for The Atlantic, author and Arizona State University professor Jeffrey Selingo denounces the practice of colleges advertising the use of "holistic" admissions when most schools still primarily base decisions on grades, high school courses and tests.
He also notes that asking for extra essays, recommendations, and more can "place a particularly unfair burden on students without access to resources such as college counsellors, supportive parents or teachers and even a computer with reliable internet access.
Two solutions are possible to address this. One is a more streamlined system that eliminates the need for essays, information on extracurricular activities and so on. Another is what Selingo describes as an "iterative" approach, where students initially submit high school transcripts. If the transcripts are good, the next "phase" of applications could entail submitting essays, then collecting references until an admissions decision is made.
A more transparent (and potentially less demanding) application process can be especially beneficial for less privileged students while easing the burden on administrators.
Tip 2: Stick with test-optional and test-blind policies
The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in many schools removing SAT and ACT testing requirements for admissions due to many of these exams being cancelled. Even with a return to "normal," however, many schools are continuing to use these policies in an effort to eliminate barriers for disadvantaged students.
Schools that adopt or maintain test-optional policies are better positioned to obtain more applications from low-income and historically disadvantaged groups. As CEO of Command Education, Christopher Rim, explained in an interview with U.S. News, "If you have time outside of school to prepare for these exams, you can do that. But if you are low income, you may not have time to study because you might need to get a part-time job in order to support your family on paying rent or with the groceries and things like that."
Essentially, test-optional policies remove a potential barrier for prospective students. Indeed, a report from EAB found that 15% of college applicants chose a college because of its test-optional policy, with even higher percentages among Black and Hispanic students (24 and 21%, respectively).
Tip 3: Track data with a centralized system
Just like with business organizations, properly tracking and organizing data — in this case, student applications — is crucial for getting the results a higher education institution desires. Without the right software tools, a college admissions office could experience slow response times, miscommunications or delayed communications with prospective students, and potentially even the loss of documentation.
This will only do so much to build confidence among prospective students. With enrollment declines and underfunding putting many schools in financial jeopardy, these are mistakes no institution can afford to make. Such mishaps could make all the difference in a student choosing to attend another school, further undercutting tuition earnings.
Because of this, higher-ed admissions departments should use quality customer relationship management software (CRMs) to store, track and update admissions data. Using such software can ensure no student slips through the cracks and that all admissions decisions are handled promptly and professionally.
Tip 4: Coordinate efforts with all stakeholders
While each of the previous points may seem to fall within the exclusive domain of admissions officials, such efforts should also be communicated to and coordinated with campus recruitment, advisers, the financial aid office and more.
For example, campus recruiters must be able to provide accurate information to prospective students regarding the admissions process. Their ability to explain steps in the admission process and potential outcomes can eliminate misconceptions and increase the odds of student success.
In addition, communicating your end goal for application management — be it collecting admissions from as many incoming first-year students as possible or focusing on students who meet specific academic criteria — is crucial for campus recruitment's marketing efforts. Admissions goals can and should influence everything from events to print materials.
By coordinating efforts with other involved stakeholders in college administration, such as registration and financial aid, you can ensure a smooth hand-off that will make students more likely to choose your school.
Conclusion
Higher education institutions should be at the forefront of innovation — yet for too long, they've remained bound by outdated and inefficient admissions processes that deter students and create unfair barriers to entry.
A more efficient, fair and streamlined system, fully coordinated between admissions and recruitment and powered by technology, may prove key to providing necessary steps forward.
Who We Are
Noetic Marketer is a higher education digital marketing agency that supports universities and colleges in many aspects. At the heart of Noetic Marketer are a team of strategists, designers, and analytic minds focused on achieving your school's enrollment and student and alums engagement goals.
Over the past few years, our team has created and implemented complete digital marketing solutions for higher education institutions across North America. Our services include digital strategy consultations, search engine optimization, pay-per-click advertising, social media advertising, content marketing, website design, email marketing, CRM implementation, and conversion rate optimization.
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About the Author
A client-focused, trend-sensitive, and metrics-oriented individual, Andres Tovar is the Founder, Lead Consultant and Managing Partner for Noetic Marketer. He has designed entire digital funnels for his clients and has helped triple many of his clients’ lead conversion rates. Andres has devised fully optimized campaigns for clients ranging from SaaS, real estate, and educational institutions to e-commerce sites and local businesses.
