Your October Admissions Playbook
As the fall semester unfolds, admissions teams everywhere are balancing recruitment efforts, spring forecasting, and daily operations. Today, we break down what you should be doing to stay ahead, work smarter, and support students more effectively.
Data and Insights
Track what matters and act on it. Use your CRM’s analytics tools to monitor:
- Engagement Metrics: Email open rates, click-through rates, and event attendance numbers can help you refine messaging and outreach, as well as provide insights into campaign ROI.
- Predictive Analytics: Forecast spring enrollment and flag at-risk students based on their behavior and engagement.
- AI-Flagged Themes: Use Slate’s Reader AI to surface common themes in essays and interactions, and give your admissions staff deeper insights into applicants.
- Real-Time Campaign Insights: With Element451’s Bolt Insights, see what’s working across channels and adjust on the fly.
Pro Tip: Bring AI-generated highlights from your CRM to your team huddles to inspire focused discussions.
Automation and AI
Let automation and AI handle the heavy lifting so your team can focus on strategy:
- Reader AI (Slate): Summarize essays, recommendation letters, and transcripts with speed.
- Campaign Agents (Element451): Build email campaigns by simply telling your digital assistant what you need.
- Chatbots: Use AI-powered bots to answer FAQs and reduce staff burden.
Task Automation: Schedule meetings, generate reports, and review documents automatically.
Pro Tip: Hey, Slate users: make sure to organize your documents! Slate’s Reader AI works best when transcripts, test scores, and recommendations are properly categorized.
Personalized Student Touchpoints
Whether it’s a campus visit or a decision letter, personalization makes a difference:
- Campus Visits: Promote through social and email using AI to tailor invites based on academic interests or extracurriculars.
- Bolt Discovery (Element451): Help students find answers on your website without navigating complex menus.
- Bolt Jobs (Element451): Autonomously contact students via AI agents to accomplish a goal, such as submitting their application or registering for a specific event.
By aligning your tools with your goals, you can create a more efficient, personalized, and data-driven admissions experience. Use the handy checklist below to help keep you on track:
This fall, don’t just work harder—work smarter! October is the perfect time to optimize your systems, support your students, and set the stage for a strong spring, so grab your coffee, open up your CRM, and get started. Need a hand? Reach out any time to talk through your needs and discuss how we can help set you up for success!Read more
2025 College-Bound Student & Parent Surveys: Download the Reports
Month: October 2025
|October 1, 2025We know that as a higher education professional, you are intimately familiar with the state of college and university admissions. However, we have a feeling you’ll probably still be surprised by some of the findings from Spark451’s 14th annual College-Bound Student Survey and our latest College-Bound Student Survey: Parent Edition.
This summer, Spark451’s Education Research Division gathered feedback from thousands of students and parents across the U.S. Download the reports to gain access to all of the valuable information for college admissions professionals, including:
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- The Class of 2029’s social media habits
- Which communication tactics resonated most with students and their parents
- How AI and technology were utilized in the college search process
- How regional and campus political and social attitudes influenced admissions decisions
- And much more!
Download the reports now. Then, reach out. We’ll be happy to help you determine if your upcoming admissions marketing and student search plans are fully in line with the latest data from students and their parents.
