Business is increasingly data-driven, and institutions that leverage analytics gain a serious competitive edge. As Forbes put it: “Data-driven companies are 23 times more likely to top their competitors in customer acquisition.”
Higher education is no exception, as data plays a vital role in boosting enrollments and improving student outcomes.
Apollidon Learning empowers universities by managing their data needs with advanced tools and expert analysis, allowing them to focus on their core mission: education. We spoke with Saurabh Jain, our director of business intelligence, to explore how we transform data into practical strategies for our university partners.
Turning Data Into Actionable Insights
Every day, Saurabh uses cutting-edge tools like Tableau, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Salesforce to process raw data into clear metrics displayed on user-friendly dashboards. These dashboards help university partners notice trends and patterns without being overwhelmed by complexity.
“By combining the application, admission, and enrollment numbers, we simplify the process for stakeholders to track trends and make informed decisions,” Saurabh explains. “Metrics like persistence rate, attrition rate, and retention rate serve as valuable tools for understanding student behavior and evaluating program effectiveness.”
Our goal is simple: help universities attract and retain students. The data we analyze offers valuable insight that informs our strategies and drives measurable results.
How Analytics Informs Our Strategy
At Apollidon, strategic and marketing decisions are shaped by weekly analytics meetings attended by key members from top management, marketing and content leadership, project management, and, crucially, the entire student success team: often the first point of human contact for prospects.
Saurabh notes: “We go over these KPIs [key performance indicators] that we’ve defined, which start from RMIs [request for more information forms]. Every term, our goal is to go in and see if the marketing efforts are bringing more visitors into the university’s website and if those leads are converting into students.”
Addressing Enrollment Challenges
When numbers fall short of expectations, we ask critical questions:
- Are our leads valid or inflated by spam?
- How can these programs be made more competitive?
- Can we use website tools or widgets to reduce bounce rates?
These discussions lead to strategic adjustments in marketing efforts or recommendations for program improvements. Over time, we refine marketing strategies, messages, and/or mixes. We also consult with our university partners to see what adjustments might be made on their end.
“We develop new dashboards to provide valuable insights,” Saurabh explains. “For example, the cycle time dashboard helps both us and the university understand how long it takes to process an application. It also highlights opportunities to reduce processing time, ensuring that we don’t risk losing a student who might think they’ve been rejected due to delays.”
Adapting to Evolving Challenges
Student acquisition is an ever-evolving process requiring constant testing and adaptation. Apollidon’s approach combines expert analysis with flexible strategies to meet changing needs. By leveraging data effectively, we help universities achieve sustainable enrollment growth.
Let Apollidon put your data to work! Contact us for a personalized consultation.