How Olivet Nazarene University Enrolled Its Largest Freshman Class Ever

Download the Full Case Study

At Olivet Nazarene University, a single admissions counselor can have more than 4,200 students assigned. Alli Carpenter, Associate Director of Recruitment & Communications, says Mongoose is how ONU makes sure none of them get overlooked. In 2023, ONU enrolled the largest freshman class in its history.

ONU is a private Christian university in Bourbonnais, Illinois, that has integrated faith and learning for more than a century and serves more than 3,700 students. It adopted Mongoose in 2019 to make admissions communication more personal and help prospective students feel they belong.

“Mongoose allows us to meet students where they are and communicate in a way that’s approachable and friendly. It helps students feel like they belong here.”

Alli Carpenter, Associate Director of Recruitment & Communications, Olivet Nazarene University

Why Personal Cell Phones Weren’t Working

Before Mongoose, ONU’s counselors texted students from their personal cell phones. That raised privacy concerns and left conversations untracked. Email and phone calls didn’t consistently reach students either, especially first-generation applicants new to the college admissions process.

ONU needed one platform that could simplify outreach, handle large pools of students, and keep its recruitment experience personal and approachable.

How ONU Centralized Admissions Texting

ONU chose Mongoose for centralized texting, connected to Ellucian Recruit so communication records stay up to date. Counselors manage large pools of students, send tailored messages at scale with Smart Messages and templates, and every interaction is tracked in one place.

Counselors use emoji, photos, and personal details to make admissions feel human.

“Students realize they’re talking to a real person, not a robot.”

Alli Carpenter

Results: A Record Class and Top-Ten Growth

Largest Freshman Class in ONU History

In 2023, ONU enrolled the largest freshman class in its history and ranked among the top ten for enrollment growth among schools in the North American Coalition for Christian Admissions Professionals (NACCAP). ONU credits personal, timely communication through Mongoose as a key part of that.

Counseling at Scale

Smart Messages, templates, and the Ellucian Recruit connector let counselors manage thousands of students without losing the personal touch.

“With over 4,200 students assigned to one counselor, Mongoose ensures no one is overlooked while making communication feel personal.”

Alli Carpenter

Campaigns That Get Replies

Targeted texts about scholarship opportunities and event invitations earn consistently high response rates.

Web Chat for Routine Questions

Web Chat answers 80 percent of routine questions from prospective students and parents and hands complex issues to staff. In one case, it helped resolve a campus visit registration issue, which improved both the experience for visitors and ONU’s internal process.

Data for Better Coaching

Mongoose gives ONU’s leadership insight into activity they can control, like how many texts each counselor sends, and those numbers help shape team strategy.

“Mongoose makes it easy to track activities and have data-driven conversations with counselors to improve strategies and outcomes.”

Alli Carpenter

What Other Admissions Teams Can Take From ONU

Get counselors off personal phones and onto one tracked platform, connected to your CRM. Then use Smart Messages and templates for the volume and save counselors’ time for the conversations that need them. Here’s why Smart Messages earn more replies, and if you’re not sure your process is working, check these five signs your enrollment follow-up is broken. To see how your reply rates compare, start with these admissions texting benchmarks and FAQs.

Other admissions teams have seen similar results. Kettering University increased deposits 60 percent with personal outreach, and Belmont keeps reply rates above 10 percent while forecasting yield.

Looking Ahead

ONU plans to add drip text campaigns that walk students through next steps across the admissions cycle, and to use WhatsApp to reach international students.

“Mongoose has been a game-changer for us. It’s efficient, approachable, and helps us connect with students in meaningful ways.”

Alli Carpenter

Download the Full Case Study

For a two-page summary of ONU’s results to share with your admissions team, download the Olivet Nazarene University case study (PDF).

Want to see what personal texting could do for your admissions team? Book a demo.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Olivet Nazarene University grow freshman enrollment?

ONU moved counselors from personal cell phones to centralized Mongoose texting connected to Ellucian Recruit, with personal, timely messages. In 2023, it enrolled the largest freshman class in its history and ranked among the top ten for enrollment growth among NACCAP schools.

Can one admissions counselor manage 4,200 students by text?

At ONU, one counselor can have more than 4,200 students assigned. Alli Carpenter says Mongoose ensures no one is overlooked while keeping communication personal, with Smart Messages and templates handling the volume.

How much of ONU’s routine question volume does Web Chat handle?

Web Chat answers 80 percent of routine questions from prospective students and parents and hands complex issues to staff.

Does Mongoose work with Ellucian Recruit?

Yes. ONU connects Mongoose to Ellucian Recruit, so communication records stay up to date and counselors can send targeted messages.

Why shouldn’t admissions counselors text from personal phones?

At ONU, personal-phone texting raised privacy concerns and left conversations untracked. Centralized admissions texting keeps every interaction in one place and gives leaders data to coach counselors.