Streamlining education admissions with automation

Managing the admissions process is one of the most resource-intensive tasks for education institutions to undertake. Admissions teams are faced with high volumes of applications, documentation, and inquiries, often resulting in bottlenecks that affect both staff efficiency and the student experience.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how universities can alleviate these challenges by adopting automation technologies that streamline the admissions process.

Common challenges in manual admissions

The manual admissions process is time-consuming and prone to errors, especially when institutions face large volumes of applications. Some of the most common challenges include:

• Delayed responses to inquiries: Prospective students often face long wait times for answers to questions regarding admissions criteria, application deadlines, and other essential information.
• Multiple systems: Often relying on multiple systems not connected, processes that are broken, admissions are delayed further.
• Data errors: With no systems fully connected, reliable and trustworthy data is often missing and causes frustration within the institution.
• Paperwork and documentation overload: Manually verifying documents and processing applications can lead to delays, misplaced files, and significant pressure on administrative staff.
• Backlogs in application review: Without streamlined workflows, applications can pile up, delaying decision-making and slowing down the entire enrollment process.
• Increased staff stress: Admissions teams working long hours to manage the workload may become overburdened, leading to reduced productivity and burnout.

These challenges not only impact internal efficiency but also negatively affect student satisfaction. In today’s competitive environment, students expect prompt responses and a seamless application experience.

The benefits of automating the admissions process

Institutions that adopt admissions automation can expect a range of benefits, including:

• Time savings: By reducing manual intervention in routine tasks, automation saves hundreds of hours per admissions cycle.
• Better offer making: By automating the admissions process, offers can be made more effectively and support growth to the institution.
• Improved student engagement: With faster responses and a streamlined application process, institutions can provide a better experience to prospective students.
• Cost reductions: Automation minimises the need for additional staff during peak admissions periods, leading to cost savings.
• Increased staff productivity: Free from repetitive tasks, admissions teams can focus on higher-priority activities, such as improving the admissions strategy or enhancing the student journey.

How automation transforms admissions

Automation offers a solution to these challenges by digitising and streamlining key tasks in the admissions workflow. Universities that implement automation can benefit from:

This (and more) is being automated right now at universities using Niico’s admission and enrollment bot.

Real results from automation

Here’s what universities using Niico’s admissions bot have seen:

• 300+ hours saved per admission cycle
• Response times cut from days to minutes
• Happier staff who can focus on helping students, not pushing papers

University of East London is a living success story of admissions automation

The University of East London (UEL) were manually processing 2,000 submissions to UCAS per year, with each submission taking approximately 20 minutes. The need to manage this process under intense time pressure often required hiring temporary staff, resulting in both financial and operational burdens.

Niico partnered with UEL to automate their internal clearing process, working closely with the admissions and IT teams to ensure a smooth implementation. This included mapping out all automation scenarios and setting up the required infrastructure to support automation. The project followed a clear User Acceptance Testing (UAT) process with ongoing communication to ensure success.

The results were transformative:

• 90% average reduction in handling time
• 10 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) saving
• £60,000 saved in the first year
• 525 hours saved in processing time
• 15,754 records processed to date
• 1,291 hours saved on manual intervention cases

“Working with Niico meant we were up and running within 3 weeks and able to automate critical tasks without changing any of our systems.”

Transform your admissions process

In today’s competitive education landscape, response time can significantly impact student recruitment. Institutions that streamline their processes are better positioned to attract top candidates. By implementing automation, you can transform your admissions workflow from a labour-intensive task into an efficient, seamless process.

Consider the possibilities when your admissions team has hundreds of extra hours available:

• How many more prospective students could you engage with?
• How much more efficient could your enrollment process become?

If you’re interested in exploring how automation can optimise your admissions process, we invite you to:

1. Visit Niico’s admissions automation page to learn more
2. Book a demo to see the bot in action and ask questions
3. Start planning for your smoothest admission season ever