Modern technology, new needs for virtual alternatives, changes in demographics and growing competition have pushed today’s student experience to new heights. Students expect digital education processes—in fact, 81% believe that their school should be a leader in the digital experience. As a result, 79% of admissions departments have invested heavily to digitize their recruitment processes by leveraging digital marketing, CRM, virtual tours and other tools to attract students and meet enrollment goals.
However, this technological evolution has not yet expanded as quickly to other areas, particularly when the application and financial aid process kicks off. The existing application portal is often
a place where applicants submit documents and wait. It’s not interactive. There aren’t updates
on progress. It’s a one-way flow of information with a lot of unknowns and no benefit for the
eager students. This ultimately has a great impact on how students view the school: 67% would reconsider attending a school after having gone through a poor application experience and 79% believe that a school’s application process is a reflection of what their student experience will look like if they decide to attend.