New Student Retention and Admissions Strategies Focus on Tech

AI in College Admissions Streamlines the Process

Software developers are implementing artificial intelligence–based tools promising students a better and more successful academic experience. For example, Salesforce has updated an AI-powered cloud-based tool, Education Cloud, to help guide students through their degree programs and offer additional support such as mentor matching.

“Predictive analytics, AI-driven applicant management systems and even chatbots are allowing admissions offices to not only streamline the process but also personalize interactions with prospective students in ways that were unimaginable a few years ago,” says John Morganelli Jr., founder of Ivy League Admissions LLC, an admissions consultancy based in Pennsylvania.

“These tools help schools identify key trends in applications and tailor their outreach to align with what students are looking for, which ultimately drives greater engagement and enrollment,” he adds.

Universities are also using tech more directly as a selling point, Morganelli notes. “Things like drone demonstrations at college fairs or offering virtual reality campus tours appeal directly to the tech-savvy generation. These kinds of experiences can set a school apart in the minds of potential students who are drawn to innovative and future-forward environments,” he says.

RELATED: How student lifecycle management contributes to institutional success.

Technology That Elevates the Student Experience in Higher Education

These tech attractions can also mean lifestyle perks for students on campus, not just in the classroom. After all, who wouldn’t want to unlock their dorm room with their eyeballs or fingerprints instead of digging for a lanyard and key? Or show their student ID, make purchases at the cafeteria or bookstore, and even pay their tuition all from their smartphone?

Creating that kind of seamless experience can also pay big dividends in students’ minds.

A report from Transact Campus, which provides mobile credentials for students, shows that 72% of college students believe “payment convenience directly impacts their overall campus experience,” says Laura Newell-McLaughlin, the company’s executive vice president of integrated payments and campus commerce. Gone are the days of making the trek to the bursar’s office with a check — and better alternatives are now an “expectation” for digital natives, she adds. 

“These conveniences reduce friction, which makes their overall experience more satisfying and stress-free. As finances are one of the biggest stressors for college students, offering tech-centered solutions helps them manage their money more effectively, contributing to better academic and personal outcomes,” Newell-McLaughlin says.

Laura Ipsen, president and CEO of Ellucian, a Software as a Service platform, points to data showing the need for improved advising, financial aid support and planning tools to stay on track to graduate. In Ellucian’s 2024 Student Voice Report, 76% of the 1,500 U.S. college students surveyed said that the financial aid amount and process affected their school choice more than any other factor. 

“In terms of retention, nearly 60% of surveyed students considered dropping out due to financial stress, and 19% actually dropped out, primarily citing financial uncertainty,” Ipsen says.

Academic Tools: Personalized Learning and Accessibility

Many students expect colleges to have ready-made, high-quality distance and hybrid learning experiences, and universities have had to respond to these expectations with their wallets. Public colleges and universities have spent more than $1 billion on distance learning technology, meeting the rising demand for connectivity and flexible learning environments. Tech advances for students with hearing or vision loss and other accessibility accommodations have also become more widely expected, and more doable with tech advances.

Improved interaction with historical figures, among other uses, is also a key feature in AI-based higher ed tech. Lynn Rogoff, an adjunct associate professor of digital art and design and English at the New York Institute of Technology, is working on a grant-funded project investigating the use of chatbots in teaching social studies curricula and how the technology can improve student engagement and retention.

“We found that interactivity helps students retain knowledge and helps engage them with the material,” keeping them “engrossed” in the lessons in a novel way, she says.

Karl Kerns, an assistant professor of animal science at Iowa State University, says that even though the university has free tutoring, it doesn’t apply to niche courses such as his. So, he’s part of a team developing an AI-based chatbot tutor. Kerns says that students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who can’t afford tutoring for niche courses, or those who need help at 3 a.m. (as college kids sometimes do), stand to benefit the most.

The tech will also help instructors, he notes. “It gives us real-time insights into what students are understanding,” Kerns says, which can inform when to intervene or what to focus on next semester. “I think we need to not be afraid of implementing technology in the classroom. Students are using it whether you want to have your head in the sand or not.”

Nate Meeker, director of esports at the University of Akron in Ohio, runs one of the first NCAA Division I programs to offer varsity esports scholarships. Its numbers speak to the program’s ability to draw positive attention from prospective students.

About 600 students apply to the program each year, Meeker says, and the university hosts hundreds of students for on-campus visits, exposing them to the esports environment and everything else the university offers. In addition, Meeker’s program visits more than 40 high schools annually and hosts an esports summer camp that includes recent high school graduates among its 150 or so attendees.

Those numbers are encouraging, but Meeker also suggests that making tech investments worthwhile is about more than just buying the technology.

“The two biggest pieces of advice that I can give to colleges starting up or looking to expand tech-based programs are to invest in their personnel alongside the technology,” Meeker says, “and also spend time building relationships with academic partners to help your program grow and succeed.”