Is your educational institution struggling with admission challenges? Does your admissions team need extra support to identify the right fit and retain students effectively? 

It’s not difficult to invite applications for your institution, but filling the seats with the perfect class and retaining those students can be a challenge. Many students apply to multiple colleges, and even after getting accepted, they may choose to enroll elsewhere, or they might join one institution while waiting for their preferred college’s offer. This challenge is not only limited to colleges but is seen in schools as well. Often, students are unsure of what they want or which path suits them best. Imagine a solution that benefits both your institution and the students. 

That’s where Salesforce Education Cloud comes in. It provides a comprehensive solution for managing enrollments, allowing institutions to track leads, convert them into enrollments, and enhance student retention using data-driven strategies. By utilizing a single source of truth, Salesforce CRM helps educational organizations streamline administrative tasks related to recruitment, admissions, student engagement, and more. Let’s dive into the core services provided by Salesforce Education Cloud and how it can transform your admissions process. 

Salesforce Education Cloud Strategies 

1. Real-time Notifications – Integrate your Salesforce Student Information System (SIS) to send real-time updates to applicants about their admission status. Using Salesforce Service Cloud implementation, you can ensure that students receive prompt notifications about whether their applications have been accepted or rejected, keeping them informed and engaged throughout the process. 

2. Building a Sense of Community– By leveraging Salesforce Communities, you can create a personalized experience for students based on their application journey. This platform allows prospective students to connect with peers, ask questions, and receive timely responses, fostering a sense of belonging even before they enroll. 

3. Personalized Program Recommendations – Use Salesforce Marketing Cloud implementation to analyze a student’s profile, interests, and historical data to recommend programs that best align with their aspirations. This targeted approach helps avoid the disappointment of students being rejected from programs that may not be the right fit for them. 

4. Advising for Student Success– Enhance your advising capabilities with Salesforce Advisor Link (SAL). Institutions can set up various appointment types like walk-ins, advising pools, or career counseling sessions. This helps create a seamless advising experience, supporting students in making informed decisions about their academic journey. 

5. Social Media Listening and Engagement – Utilize Salesforce Social Studio to tap into social media conversations about your institution. Gain insights into what prospective students are saying and tailor your marketing strategies to address their concerns and interests, thus improving your outreach efforts. 

6. Knowledge Articles for Self-Service – Implement Salesforce Service Cloud to create knowledge articles that provide answers to common student queries. This self-service portal enables students to find solutions on their own, even at odd hours, thereby reducing the burden on your IT support team. 

7. Targeted Job and Internship Opportunities– Leverage Salesforce Marketing Cloud to send automated marketing emails or SMS updates about new job openings or internships from companies that align with students’ career preferences. This targeted communication can enhance student satisfaction and career success. 

8. Event Management and Engagement – Promote events, activities, fairs, and workshops through Salesforce Chatter within student communities. Boost student engagement by keeping them informed about exciting opportunities on campus, making college life more vibrant and interactive. 

9. Scaling Admissions Efforts – Use Salesforce Consulting Services to optimize your admissions process. With the right Salesforce consulting partners, institutions can process more applications, reach a wider audience, and achieve their enrollment targets efficiently, ensuring each academic year brings in the largest and most qualified class. 

10. Supporting Admissions Staff – SSalesforce Managed Services act as the perfect assistant for your admissions team, automating administrative tasks so they can focus on nurturing relationships with incoming students. This personalized touch can significantly enhance the admissions experience and increase student satisfaction. 

Enabling Technologies in Salesforce Education Cloud 

Salesforce Education Cloud combines the power of Salesforce EDA (Education Data Architecture), Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Community Cloud, Service Cloud, Einstein Analytics, and Advisor Link to deliver a 360-degree view of the student lifecycle. This integrated approach helps educational institutions achieve operational efficiency and improve student outcomes. 

Real-World Success Stories 

• Arizona State University leverages Salesforce Einstein Analytics to monitor student engagement and identify those who may need extra support, resulting in a 1.3 percentage point increase in first-year retention. 

• Florida International University benefits from the customization and user-friendly nature of Salesforce CRM, enabling staff to access and manage data without the need for technical intervention. 

• Columbia University uses a custom app on Salesforce App Cloud for efficient billing management, allowing students to make online payments and access their financial records effortlessly. 

• Georgetown University employs the Hoya360 platform, powered by Salesforce, to help students track their academic progress and ensure they stay on course for graduation. 

The world’s top universities are already leveraging Salesforce for Higher Education to enhance their student experiences and streamline administrative processes. What’s stopping your institution from joining them?