Shelton State Boosts Dual Enrollment by 68% with Mongoose

Overview

Shelton State Community College (SSCC), a two-year public institution in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, knew it needed to modernize its outreach strategy to meet today’s student expectations. With ambitious enrollment goals and limited resources, the admissions team set out to find a solution that could scale communication while staying personal.

By adopting Mongoose Text and Chat, SSCC achieved a 68% increase in dual enrollment, exceeded freshman enrollment goals, and transformed how staff engage with prospective students.

The Challenge: Scaling Outreach Without Losing the Personal Touch

With a goal of increasing freshman enrollment by 10%, SSCC needed to move beyond spreadsheets and email. Traditional communications weren’t reaching students effectively, especially digital-native high schoolers considering dual enrollment.

The admissions team required an easy-to-use platform that could:

• Automate outreach
• Integrate with TargetX CRM
• Enable real conversations at scale

The Solution: Mongoose Text + Chat for Targeted, Personal Engagement

SSCC selected Mongoose based on peer recommendations and the platform’s reputation for exceptional client support.

The team implemented Mongoose Text and Mongoose Chat with full integration into their existing TargetX CRM. Within just three months, the impact was clear.

The Results: Major Enrollment Gains in Just Months

• 68% increase in dual enrollment
• 7.5% increase in freshman enrollment
• 8.6% increase in transient enrollment
• 60% increase in event attendance

By automating key communications and using texting to reach students where they are, SSCC saw significant improvements across the board.

Pro Tip: Curious about how to have conversations that drive enrollment, improve retention, and grow giving? Learn more in The State of Higher Ed Messaging Benchmark Report for 2-Year Institutions.

The Mongoose Difference

• Seamless CRM Integration: Two-way sync with TargetX streamlined workflows and kept data clean.
• Automated Workflows: Staff shifted from manual spreadsheets to Mongoose’s Conversation Intelligence Platform.
• Authentic Conversations: Two-way texting built real connections with prospective students.
• Time Savings: Staff spent less time chasing down responses and more time building relationships.

What’s Next: Expanding Beyond Admissions

Following the success in admissions, Shelton State plans to expand its use of Mongoose into student services—further improving student support and retention through proactive communication.

Conclusion

Shelton State Community College set out to modernize its communications—and with Mongoose, they exceeded their enrollment goals, improved event attendance, and freed up staff time for higher-impact work.

By combining powerful automation with authentic connection, SSCC is proving that community colleges can lead the way in modern student engagement.

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Shelton State boosted dual enrollment by 68% with Mongoose.

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