Transforming Prospective Student Experiences

In today’s competitive, crowded — and even contentious — higher education environment, institutions face increasing pressure in guiding prospective students through their decision-making journeys.

In this session, hosted by Shana Holman, VP of Customer Success at Pathify, Ann Aubry from Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) and Eric Hazen from Ferris State University shared how their institutions leverage Pathify to transform their engagement with prospective students.

Simplifying the Chaos

At IWU, Pathify replaced outdated (and unregulated) engagement methods, such as Facebook groups, helping incoming students connect earlier with campus resources. “Pathify’s Prospect portal gives incoming students a taste of campus life but where they aren’t overexposed — instead, it helps them understand and get excited about IWU,” Aubry shared.

Hazen shed light on the challenges faced when using various, disconnected systems throughout the prospective student journey. “We had over 30 different systems involved in getting students admitted through enrolling,” Hazen explained. With Pathify, incoming students easily access everything they need in one place. “Bringing students into a single platform where they find everything and connect with our community impacts yield.” Prospective students now experience a smoother transition, with critical information delivered at the right time. “Pathify gives us a way to point everyone to one place. Instead of sending random emails, we point everything through Pathify,” Aubry said. 

Personalized Engagement

Both Aubry and Hazen emphasized the importance of personalized experiences. Hazen highlighted the effortless integration of data from systems like Slate and Ellucian Banner into Pathify, allowing incoming students to see specific content and resources like advisor information. “Bringing data over from other systems and pushing it right into Pathify is a game-changer,” Hazen added. 

At IWU, personalization includes creating dedicated Groups for first-generation and transfer students as well as tailoring content based on demographics and preferences for more impactful experiences. This approach drives engagement among under-represented groups, with some of IWU’s most active communities comprising these students.

Building a Brand, Building Trust

The focus on providing personalized, timely information using Pathify boosts engagement and retains students, reflecting positively on institutional branding. Hazen reflected, “Our brand is not just our colors or our logo. It’s the experience students have when they interact with our campus.” By embracing digital tools to centralize communication and support, both institutions continue setting new standards in enhancing the student lifecycle — helping prospective students feel seen, supported and excited about their future on campus.

Curious to hear more from Eric and Ann? Watch the full session for a deeper dive into transforming prospective student journeys here!