Thomas More Boosts Event Signups by 30% and Scales Global Enrollment with Mongoose

Thomas More University boosted event signups by 30% and enhanced global enrollment by integrating Mongoose Conversation Intelligence into its student engagement strategy. By centralizing communication for international students and streamlining event outreach, Thomas More scaled service delivery while maintaining personalized support.

• 30% increase in event signups via Mongoose Text
• 100+ signups for Fall Preview Day, 30 ahead of previous year
• WhatsApp used to support global enrollment, including India, Latin America, and Nepal
• Centralized, responsive communication via WhatsApp inbox
• Reduced summer melt with ongoing pre-arrival campaigns
• End-to-end student lifecycle engagement through Mongoose
• Automated outreach templates save time and reduce friction
• Supports retention efforts and CPT (work visa) communications

In higher ed admissions, speed and personalization matter, especially when serving international students and keeping event pipelines full. Thomas More University is proving how powerful communication can be with the right tools in place.

A Small Team with Big Goals

At Thomas More University, a private Catholic institution in Kentucky, enrollment operations are handled by a lean team wearing many hats. For Tony Otten, Associate Director of Admission, this means juggling everything from application workflows to reporting, to all outbound communications, including Mongoose.

With a 12–14 month rolling admissions cycle and a growing global student population, the team needed a solution that could not only scale communications, but also make students feel seen, heard, and supported. That’s where the Mongoose Conversation Intelligence Platform, and particularly its WhatsApp integration, came in.

Mongoose makes our communications scalable. I do all the mass messaging, segmentation, and reporting myself.

Tony OTTEN, Associate Director of Admission, Thomas More University

Using WhatsApp to Power Global Enrollment

Thomas More’s international population has grown consistently over the past six years, fueled by interest from Latin America, Europe, Africa, and South Asia. The university recruits heavily for athletics (especially rugby and soccer) and partners with graduate programs in India, Nepal, and Pakistan.

For these students, WhatsApp is the go-to channel for communication. After adding the Mongoose WhatsApp Inbox, Thomas More saw a rapid increase in engagement, especially around critical documentation and visa support. International students now use WhatsApp throughout the full student lifecycle, including:

• Asking for help uploading documents
• Navigating the visa process
• Connecting with a designated school official (DSO) even after arrival
• Coordinating CPT (Curricular Practical Training) after graduation

The instant responsiveness matters. They have so many questions about forms, their I-20s, CPT, travel, and more. WhatsApp lets us help them faster and better.

Tony Otten

Event Signups Soar with Smart Messaging

Thomas More also uses Mongoose Text campaigns to drive attendance for events like fall preview days and major-specific sessions. Text messages sent through the platform include auto-replies with sign-up links, enabling quick registration.

From one mass text, we might get 25 students asking for the event link. For a school our size, that’s huge. We’re already 30 students ahead for fall preview day compared to last year, and texting has been a big part of that.

tony otten

These results underscore a critical point: personalized, mobile-first communication drives measurable action.

One Inbox, Many Hands

A key part of Mongoose’s success at Thomas More is its shared inbox functionality. Whether it’s the admissions office, international services, or the global education team, everyone can access, triage, and respond to messages, without duplicating efforts or losing track of conversations.

The WhatsApp integration also includes Meta-approved templates, so Thomas More can now proactively initiate outreach, something they couldn’t do before.

Before, we had to wait for the student to message us first. Now we can initiate contact. And we don’t have to go through Meta Business Manager to create the templates; it’s all inside Mongoose.

Tony Otten

Retention and ROI: A Full Lifecycle Approach

The Mongoose Conversation Intelligence Platform doesn’t stop at recruitment. Thomas More uses it for post-enrollment retention, texting students about registration holds, advising appointments, and orientation updates.

And the ROI? Crystal clear:

Costing one-fifth the revenue we receive from a traditional student, WhatsApp pays for itself if it helps us enroll even one more international student. And we know we’re doing more than that.

Tony Otten

Looking Ahead

Thomas More University’s use of Mongoose is not only delivering strong results today, but it’s also shaping how the institution plans to grow in the future. As their international enrollment expands, the team is preparing to scale its outreach in smarter, more segmented ways.

We have good problems; we’re swamped with interest. But as we grow, I can see us using segments and templates in WhatsApp to do more proactive recruitment.

TONY OTTEN

With centralized communication channels and automation in place, the Thomas More team is well-positioned to continue delivering fast, personalized service to both prospective and current students, regardless of geography or device. Tony added,

Good service generates more engagement. And Mongoose helps us deliver that service at scale. Whether it’s a student trying to enroll or someone already on campus, we’re there, and they know it.

Download the Full Case Study

Thomas More University uses Mongoose WhatsApp and Text to reduce melt, streamline international communication, and fill campus events, while supporting a growing global student population.