How Montcalm Community College Uses Texting to Support Students from Day One

Montcalm Community College (MCC), a rural two-year college in Michigan, improved student success and engagement by implementing Mongoose as a core part of its success coaching strategy. Through consistent, coach-led texting and smart automation, MCC built stronger relationships with students from enrollment to graduation—resulting in high reply rates, low opt-out rates, and a more connected student experience.

📈 High reply rates and minimal opt-outs
📬 Weekly “Monday Messages” from success coaches
📅 Automated academic and financial aid reminders
💬 Personalized check-ins with Smart Messages
👥 Consistent communication even with staff turnover
🕒 Saved time with templates, segmentation, and scheduling tools
🎯 Increased student engagement across academics and campus life

For Montcalm Community College (MCC), student success isn’t just about academics—it’s about relationships. As a rural two-year institution in Michigan, MCC knows its students face a variety of challenges, and meaningful communication is key to helping them succeed. That’s why Mongoose has become a central part of the college’s success coaching strategy.

From the first text to graduation day, MCC uses Mongoose to stay connected with students, provide timely support, and help them feel seen and supported every step of the way.

“We focus on the relationship. Texting through Mongoose feels personal and consistent—students know there’s a real person on the other end.”

Lisa Gardner, Director of Student Success and Advising

Texting as a Tool for Human Connection

Before Mongoose, MCC relied on emails and phone calls—and often heard nothing back. Once they introduced Mongoose’s centralized Conversation Intelligence Platform, everything changed.

Students are now assigned a dedicated success coach who introduces themselves with a personal message and follows up with weekly “Monday Messages,” deadline reminders, and event updates. It’s not just transactional communication—it’s an ongoing dialogue that builds trust.

Supporting the Whole Student

Mongoose helps MCC connect with students in a way that’s timely and actionable. From placement questions to financial aid support and academic reminders, coaches can send check-ins that feel conversational but still get things done. Tools like Smart Messages allow students to respond with simple numbers to get tailored help—keeping things easy and accessible.

“We were hesitant about automation at first, but we’ve learned how to keep it personal.”

Lisa Gardner

And it goes beyond academics: MCC promotes Welcome Week, campus events, and student life activities using visuals and MMS, creating a more connected student experience.

Why Conversation Intelligence Works for MCC

Consistent, Coach-Led Communication

Weekly themes and Mongoose’s Shared Inboxes allow coaches to deliver aligned, meaningful support—even when roles change or students return after time away.

Time-Saving for Busy Teams

With Mongoose’s Scheduled Messages, Segmentation, and Templates, MCC’s part-time staff can engage at scale without losing the personal touch.

Students Stay Engaged

MCC consistently sees high reply rates and very few opt-outs—proof that students value the connection.

Hands-On Support

MCC’s team benefits from responsive guidance and ideas from their Mongoose Client Success Manager, Mary.

“Mary helps us problem-solve quickly and shows us things we didn’t even know we could do.”
— Lisa Gardner

Looking Ahead

MCC plans to keep building on this strong foundation, expanding Smart Messaging, integrating more visuals, and empowering new departments to use Mongoose while preserving a coach-led, relationship-first approach.

“Mongoose makes communication feel personal. That’s what makes it so effective.”

Lisa Gardner

Download the Full Case Study

MCC isn’t just sending texts—they’re building connections that make a real difference with Mongoose. By aligning technology with care, they’re helping more students feel supported, stay enrolled, and succeed.

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