How Conversation Intelligence Addresses the Enrollment Cliff

The pool of high school graduates is expected to shrink by 13% through 2041, leaving higher education institutions competing for a much smaller population of traditional college students. When every conversation matters, using the right Conversation Intelligence solutions and strategies allows your institution to turn prospects into enrolled students.

Below, we’ll take a closer look at the enrollment cliff, the challenges admissions and enrollment professionals have to face, and how Mongoose can help your institution develop effective student communication strategies for long-term success. 

Understanding the Enrollment Cliff and How it Impacts Higher Ed Institutions

On top of the decline in college-bound high school graduates, discouragingly high tuition costs and mounting skepticism towards the ROI of higher education are driving many potential students to forgo the traditional college experience in favor of entering the workforce. 

What’s more concerning is that the decline in enrollment has far-reaching effects on higher education institutions, from reduced campus diversity, low funding, and program eliminations to staff cuts and even closures for some colleges. 

Tuition-dependent private institutions have been hit the hardest so far, with one university or college announcing their closure or merger each week in 2024. And experts predict this trend will only accelerate.

Why Conversation Intelligence is Essential in Mitigating Enrollment Challenges

As predictions of a looming enrollment cliff have U.S. universities and colleges on their guard, conversation intelligence stands out as a viable solution for meeting the changing expectations of prospective students. 

Conversation Intelligence (CI) makes personalized communication for admissions easier by transforming unstructured conversation data into valuable insights about the needs, interests, and concerns of each prospective student.

A Conversation Intelligence Platform like Mongoose can help your institution build meaningful connections with students across communication channels, leveraging both automation and human input.

5 Higher Ed Communication Strategies to Boost Student Enrollment 

1. Offer 24/7 Support to Prospective Students Browsing Your Website

More often than not, your institution’s website is the first stop for prospective students looking for information on application deadlines and financial aid. The easier it is for them to find what they need – either on their own or with help from your faculty advisors – the more likely they are to move forward in their enrollment process. 

During enrollment season, however, the high volume of inquiries pouring in from interested students and their families on different channels can easily overwhelm your admissions team. This often leads to delayed responses and missed opportunities to connect, impacting enrollment numbers.

With Mongoose Chat, your website becomes more interactive, providing students with real-time assistance 24/7 while capturing critical contact information. If there are any questions the chatbot can’t help with, enrollment advisors can use the live chat feature to take over the conversation and offer personalized support.

2. Keep Applicants Engaged with Personalized Text Messaging Campaigns

Email used to be the primary communication channel for universities, but not anymore. Today’s prospective students prefer quick, one-on-one interactions like those offered by instant messaging apps, forcing higher ed institutions to change their approach. 

Integrating text messaging into your student communication strategies can help your enrollment team mitigate summer melt, have personalized interactions with prospective students, and increase the number of completed applications. That’s where Mongoose’s Conversation Intelligence Platform comes in.

Group prospects by specific interests and create tailored SMS campaigns to encourage students to join your campus. Maximize your team’s efforts with AI-generated customizable texting templates and send friendly nudges and reminders, provide student welcome and financial aid information, and track down missing documents. 

3. Target Non-Traditional Student Segments with Data-Driven Conversations

Non-traditional students are individuals over the age of 25 who choose to continue their education after a gap. One of the largest non-traditional segments, stopouts — students who earned some credits but left before getting their degree — reached a staggering 40 million in 2023, according to the Some College, No Credentials (SNSC) report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

Given the shrinking pool of high school graduates, tailoring your institution’s recruitment strategies to re-engage non-traditional students like stopouts can help increase enrollment numbers. Mongoose makes it easier for admission counselors and academic advisors to connect with these students, some of them balancing work and family responsibilities on top of their education, via text, live chat, or WhatsApp messages.

Using AI-enabled Insights, your institution can identify the needs and interests of non-traditional audiences from the very first interactions. Based on that data, enrollment teams can send tailored messages that move them through the application process, showcasing available opportunities such as accelerated degree programs, flexible scheduling (online, weekend, and evening classes), financial aid programs, and dedicated support services.  

4. Expand International Student Outreach Using WhatsApp 

International students account for 6% of the total higher education population in the U.S., representing a key asset not only for cultural exchange and strengthening the global reputation of U.S. institutions but also for ensuring financial stability. As domestic student numbers decline and competition for applicants intensifies, colleges and universities can expand their recruitment pool by building meaningful relations with international students through targeted outreach strategies.

Mongoose seamlessly integrates with WhatsApp, empowering your staff to connect with international students in real time, answer their questions, and guide them through each stage of the application process using an app they’re already familiar with. 

Push notifications and WhatsApp templates enable admission and enrollment teams to stay on top of incoming messages from prospective students. Instead of sorting through a flooded email inbox, they can focus on providing international applicants with relevant, instant information about programs, tuition costs, application deadlines, and scholarship opportunities.

5. Improve Student Retention with Proactive, Multi-Channel Messaging

As skepticism over the value of higher education grows and the decline in high school graduates continues, higher education institutions must prioritize retention to avoid losing the students they already have. 

Based on a 2024 survey from Higher Ed Dive, higher ed leaders in the U.S. and Canada listed financial issues (86%), emotional or mental stress (80%), job or family responsibilities (73%), and misalignment between courses and career goals (65%) as the top reasons for students dropping out. These findings highlight the urgent need for institutions to offer proactive support to help enrolled students stay on track with their studies and graduate. 

Mongoose brings together real-time audience analytics and effortless multi-channel communication to help your institution create a campus environment where students feel valued and supported throughout their academic journey. Whether providing financial aid guidance, mental health services, flexible learning options, or career counseling, your teams can leverage this platform to reach at-risk students on time. 

Implement Effective Enrollment Cliff Solutions with Mongoose

AI-powered Conversation Intelligence platforms can help your institution cut through the noise and engage prospective students through tailored meaningful conversations. Leveraging data-driven communication strategies, your counselors can provide timely support from the first inquiry all the way through enrollment. 

Want to learn more about the value of Conversation Intelligence for higher ed? Book a demo today to see how Mongoose can transform your enrollment strategies.

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