Live Chat Emerges as Students’ Preferred Communication Channel in Comm100 Higher Ed Admissions Survey

Comm100 survey reveals the need for higher education admissions to prioritize digital communication, with live chat and chatbots taking center stage.

March 7, 2023, Vancouver, B.C. – Comm100 today announced the results of a new survey, polling North American higher education students on their communication preferences during the enrollment and admissions processes. The results of the survey provide valuable information for schools looking to increase admissions and meet the expectations of today’s students.

A key finding of the survey revealed that communicating with schools digitally is the most important support factor for prospective students. These results once again stress the need for admissions departments to adopt digital channels to meet students’ support expectations. Of the core communication channels, live chat ranked first, followed by email and then phone. The popularity of live chat is primarily due to its real-time nature, allowing students to receive immediate assistance.

The results of the survey also suggest schools should implement chatbots within their admissions department. The survey revealed prospective students’ overwhelming openness to using chatbots, with 95% of students at least somewhat open to receiving support from a chatbot.

The survey also asked students their opinions on speed of support, the importance of personalization, and channel choice. Pertinent findings from these questions include:

• 98% of students agree or somewhat agree that the quality of support is an important factor when choosing which school to join
• 88% of students want the option of using different channels when they need support from their school.
• 59% of students are less likely to engage with a school if it takes more than 30 minutes to get a response to their query.

“The findings in this survey are a wakeup call to many schools who are still relying on traditional communication channels and tools”, explained Chris Bechtel, VP of Marketing at Comm100. “The results reinforce the need for admissions to embrace digital and provide valuable insights into how schools can increase engagement and enrolment with the right communication strategy. We hope that this survey will help schools better meet their students’ digital expectations and boost admissions.”

For the full survey and its findings, download the report here: Higher Education Admissions Report – Prospective Student Survey