5 Scalable Strategies to Improve Student Admissions

Student admissions is changing fast. HubSpot CRM helps teams keep up. Use it to attract the right prospects, personalise outreach, and move applicants from interest to enrolment with less effort and more insight.

Covered in this article

1. Attract through Informed Content Creation
2. Convert with Customised Engagement
3. Nurture with Strategic Campaigns
4. Close with Analytics-Driven Insights
5. System Processes and Awareness
Case Study: Athabasca University Achieves 75% Lead Growth
Finding a Trusted HubSpot Partner
FAQs About HubSpot in Higher Education

1. Attract through Informed Content Creation

Grow traffic with content that answers real questions. Keep it simple. Keep it useful. HubSpot tools help you spot topics and measure impact.

• Start with search intent. Build pages for “programme fit”, “fees”, “requirements”, and “career outcomes”.
• Use a content hub. Group blogs, guides, and videos around each programme or campus.
• Publish consistently. Short articles, student stories, and quick explainer videos work well.
• Track what wins. Use HubSpot analytics to find top converters. Double down on them.

2. Convert with Customised Engagement

Personalised content converts better. Show the right message to the right student at the right time.

• Smart CTAs. Swap headlines and offers by region, programme, or stage.
• Progressive forms. Ask only for what you need now. Learn more as trust grows.
• Live chat and chatflows. Answer common questions instantly. Escalate complex ones to an advisor.
• Event prompts. Promote open days and webinars on pages students already visit.

3. Nurture with Strategic Campaigns

Nurture builds confidence. Use short, focused sequences that reduce friction to apply.

• Topic tracks. Send emails based on interests (e.g., “Nursing at [Campus]”).
• Proof first. Share outcomes, placement rates, and alumni stories early.
• Webinars and Q&A. Invite prospects to programme briefings. Follow up with summaries and next steps.
• Action nudges. Add “Book a call”, “Start application”, or “Calculate fees” in every message.

4. Close with Analytics-Driven Insights

Close the loop. See which channels and messages lead to enrolments, not just clicks.

• Attribution. Use HubSpot’s models to credit campaigns that drive applications.
• Deal/ticket pipelines. Track each applicant from enquiry to offer to acceptance.
• Exit reasons. Capture why students drop off. Fix the biggest blockers first.
• Advisor performance. Measure response times and outcomes. Share best-practice templates.

5. System Processes and Awareness

Make the system work for the team. Set rules. Reduce manual work. Keep data clean.

• Single CRM record. Marketing, admissions, and support use one truth.
• Workflow automation. Route leads, assign tasks, and send checklists automatically.
• Consent and privacy. Manage subscriptions by region. Respect POPIA and GDPR.
• Dashboards. Share clear views for leadership: enquiries, application starts, offers, acceptances.

Do this well and the journey feels seamless—from first visit to enrolment. Students get answers faster. Teams save time. Results improve.

Case Study: Athabasca University Achieves 75% Lead Growth

Athabasca University moved from many tools to one platform—HubSpot Marketing Hub. That shift unlocked a full view of the student journey and made decisions easier.

The Challenge: Disparate Tools and Low Visibility

• Multiple systems (Mailchimp, Unbounce, custom APIs).
• Gaps in tracking and reporting.
• Hard to prove which campaigns worked.

The Solution: One Platform, Shared Insight

• Consolidated to HubSpot for content, forms, email, and reporting.
• Created consistent journeys across programmes.
• Aligned teams on shared metrics.

Impact: From Leads to Enrolment Momentum

• +75% overall lead growth in three years.
• +100% YoY growth in marketing-influenced leads.
• 2× higher conversion rates.

What Made the Difference?

• Targeted programme campaigns. Focus by course (arts, science, business).
• Better analytics. Clear, real-time views of channel impact.
• Faster iteration. Quick changes to content, offers, and CTAs.

Finding a Trusted HubSpot Partner

A certified partner speeds results. Velocity helps higher-ed teams set up the right CRM model, automate key steps, and prove ROI.

• Education expertise. We understand admissions cycles and student needs.
• Custom HubSpot builds. Properties, pipelines, and workflows that match your process.
• Analytics that matter. Dashboards that show enquiries, applications, offers, and acceptances.
• Training and support. Onboard teams and keep improving after launch.

Choose Velocity as your HubSpot partner and turn admissions into a clear, trackable journey from first click to day one on campus.

FAQs About HubSpot in Higher Education

1. How does HubSpot CRM improve admissions?

It centralises data, automates hand-offs, and personalises outreach. Teams move faster and students get clearer answers.

2. Will HubSpot work with our existing systems?

Yes. HubSpot connects to common SIS, payment, and event tools. Use native integrations or APIs for custom needs.

3. Is HubSpot suited to small and large institutions?

It scales. Start with core CRM and email. Add automation, chat, and analytics as you grow.

4. How do we measure campaign success?

Use attribution, pipelines, and dashboards. Track application starts, offer rates, and acceptances—not just clicks.

5. What support does a partner like Velocity provide?

Strategy, setup, data migration, training, and ongoing optimisation. We focus on outcomes and adoption.

6. Can we deliver a personalised experience at scale?

Yes. Segment by programme, region, and stage. Use smart CTAs, dynamic content, and workflows.

7. Can we nurture long-term prospects?

Absolutely. Build sequences that educate, invite, and nudge—until they are ready to apply.