Is your university prepared for incoming 2023 student enquiries and enrolments? With higher student numbers forecasted for the upcoming academic year, smart admissions teams are now exploring how they can streamline the admissions and enrolment process.
Previously, we discussed higher education marketing strategies, from defining your target audience and messaging, to enrolment marketing tactics and managing leads.
Now, let’s take a closer look at some ways you can streamline and manage student admissions and enrolment for smoother student journeys in 2023.
1. Prepare for an increase in international students
Following almost three years of disruption to travel and studies, 2023 may continue the upward trend of returning international students. Various trusted sources agree on this prediction, including Deloitte, AFR, and ICEF. And this is likely to continue with one firm anticipating global totals of 8 million international students by 2030 — up from 5 million in 2019.
Market recovery will vary between regions, but pent up demand may lead to substantial increases as early as 2023.
Any increase in numbers means greater demand for resources and services to support the needs of these students. This means that admissions teams must prepare for a larger number of international students.
Read more about International student recruitment in Australia: The post-pandemic challenges & opportunities.
2. Tap into predictive analytics
Some universities have found that the predictive analytics inside their SIS (Student Information System) can help them gain insights into their student population that support the student admissions and enrolment process. Potential applications include:
- Identifying peak enrolment times (so you can assign appropriate support resources)
- Understanding the types of prospective students most likely to enrol at your university
- Benchmarking recruitment campaign performance to set realistic goals
- Setting and tracking recruitment targets for specific cohorts (like international or marginalised students)
These insights can allow you to adjust your student marketing, admissions, and recruitment strategies so that you can reach targets and efficiently meet the needs of new and prospective students.
Read more about how predictive analytics is transforming higher education.
3. Be transparent
It’s not surprising that many prospective students find the admissions process confusing and overwhelming. There are more pathways to enter higher education than ever, and many admissions systems now also factor in applicant circumstances to help improve student equity and diversity. This means that admissions requirements are increasingly complex and hard to decipher.
In 2019, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) developed a 'Good Practice Note' that recommends universities make their admissions more transparent for prospective students. Specific recommendations included:
- Making admissions information accessible
- Ensuring admissions information is consistent
- Structuring admissions information so it's easier to compare
- Making it easier for students to understand how they will be assessed (with criteria, adjustment factors, and RPL explained)
4. Open communication lines across multiple channels
Even if you put together the most thorough descriptions and FAQs, it’s impossible to cover everything. Many prospective students will have questions as they go along. So, open the communication lines and get ready to provide timely answers and reassurance.
Ideally, you should provide multiple ways for students to contact the admissions team. This might include:
- Live chat
- Messenger
- Phone lines
- Face-to-face meetings
Make sure your admissions team has sufficient resources to provide support across your chosen channels from the initial campaign kick-off through to orientation. Following orientation, students will typically access support through your student support and well-being channels.
This kind of omnichannel communication and support is much easier to manage with an education-focused tool, like Tribal CRM, that’s designed to support enrolment. Popular recruiting features inside Tribal CRM include an overview of key activities and numbers, enquiry management, response times, conversions rates, and interview management.
5. Talk to current students
Talk to your current students to find out what they wished they knew before starting at your institution. This will help you identify gaps in your information you would otherwise miss — or ways to help new students feel more comfortable. For example, you might discover that students could benefit from knowing:
- What to bring to orientation week or the first day of class
- Insider insights into campus eating/studying spots
- The best places or events to meet like-minded people
6. Refine your admissions process
Most APAC universities use an enrolment management system to efficiently manage student applications and intakes. Getting this system right is key to eliminating friction and creating a consistent experience for students. If your students seem to get stuck somewhere between marketing and enrolment, it might be time to refine or upgrade your solution.
Features to look for include:
- Personalisation
- Chat
- Automation
- CRM integration
- SIS integration
- Modern UI
- Analytics
Looking for a solution? Tribal Admissions connects with Tribal Student Marketing & Recruitment, Tribal Engage, and Tribal Student Support & Wellbeing for a seamless student experience that takes the pressure off your admissions department.
7. Engage students
Consider how you can start to build student engagement and a sense of community that will help new students feel welcome at your university. For example, the Tribal Engage App offers secure social networking that can encourage social interactions between students. And once class kicks off, it becomes a way for students to engage with course content, support peers, and communicate with staff.
Learn more
Once you’ve streamlined your student admissions, keep the momentum going! To maximise student satisfaction and reduce dropouts, make sure your university continues to meet (and exceed) student expectations with engaging experiences, streamlined journeys, and world-class support.
Interested in exploring more information about university enrolment management and admissions? We’ve also written about:
- Turning your admissions process into an application experience
- Using student experience insights to inform improvements to international admissions strategy
- Top 5 student recruitment dashboard views our customers can’t live without
- Toi Ohomai transforms online admissions with ebs
Contact Tribal to discuss how we can help you upgrade your student experience. Or book a demo to explore our student marketing and recruitment solution.
Looking for a more effective student marketing and recruitment solution? Tribal can help you develop a seamless student experience, from the start.
