The Secret Student Experience: Transforming Enrollment with Higher Ed Consulting

Higher education institutions are constantly striving to improve enrollment and student retention, yet many still struggle with unseen barriers that prevent prospective students from successfully navigating the admissions process. From unclear program information to ineffective communication strategies, these challenges can lead to missed enrollment opportunities.

That’s where Higher Ed Consulting plays a critical role. With Swim Digital Group’s Secret Student Experience, institutions gain firsthand insights into the student journey, uncovering roadblocks that hinder student engagement and enrollment. This unique approach goes beyond traditional data analysis, offering an immersive, student-centered perspective that empowers institutions to make informed, impactful changes.

In this post, we’ll explore how the Secret Student Experience works, the common enrollment barriers it uncovers, and how institutions have leveraged these insights to increase student engagement, streamline processes, and ultimately boost enrollment.

How the Secret Student Experience Works

At its core, the Secret Student Experience is a mystery shopper approach designed specifically for higher education institutions. Unlike standard audits or student surveys, this process immerses industry professionals into the actual student experience, identifying friction points from a firsthand perspective.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Building the Student Persona

Swim Digital Group starts by reviewing institutional and external data to develop student personas that accurately represent the institution’s target student population. These personas help ensure that the secret students reflect real student demographics, including age, background, education level, and academic goals.

Step 2: Acting as a Prospective Student

The secret students—professionals with deep knowledge of enrollment processes—then interact with the institution just as a prospective student would, moving through the process with no prior institutional knowledge.

This includes:

Online Search & Program Discovery: Secret students begin by searching for their assigned program online, just as a real student would. This step evaluates SEO performance, program visibility, and website usability to determine how easy (or difficult) it is to find the institution’s programs.
Exploring the Website & Enrollment Steps: They assess how clear and accessible key information is—such as application deadlines, financial aid details, and course offerings.
Interacting with Staff & Support Services: They reach out via email, phone, and chat to test responsiveness, accuracy of information, and the overall student experience at various touchpoints.
Completing as Much of the Enrollment Process as Possible: The secret students attempt to apply, submit documents, and move through the admissions pipeline, noting any obstacles that slow or prevent them from enrolling.

Step 3: Aggregating & Analyzing Findings

Once the process is completed, all observations, interactions, and challenges are meticulously documented in a detailed report. The Swim team then compiles these insights into a comprehensive findings and recommendations report, which includes:

A breakdown of friction points that impact student engagement and retention.
Just-in-time communication strategies to help move students through the enrollment funnel.
Actionable recommendations that institutions can implement immediately.
Full secret student journals for key stakeholders to review firsthand experiences.

Common Barriers Identified Through the Secret Student Experience

One of the most valuable aspects of this Higher Ed Consulting approach is its ability to uncover hidden obstacles that institutions often don’t see from an internal perspective. Here are some of the most frequent challenges that secret students encounter:

1. Unclear or Hard-to-Find Program Information

Many prospective students start their journey online, searching for programs in their area. Students may never even consider enrolling if a college’s website isn’t optimized for search engines or program pages lack essential details.

Common issues include:

Poor SEO rankings, making it difficult for students to find programs.
Program pages missing key details like tuition costs, career outcomes, and prerequisites.
A confusing website structure that makes navigation difficult.

2. Confusing Enrollment Steps

The enrollment process is often assumed to be straightforward, but for many students—especially first-generation college-goers—it can be overwhelming.

Secret students frequently encounter:

Vague or missing instructions on application requirements.
Long gaps in communication after application submission, leaving students uncertain about their next steps.
Inconsistent messaging from different departments, leading to confusion.

3. Ineffective Communication & Follow-Up

Communication is critical in student engagement, yet many institutions lack a cohesive strategy. Secret students often report:

Delayed or no response from staff when inquiring about admissions or financial aid.
Overwhelming messaging, with too many emails, texts, or calls that lack a clear purpose.
Lack of personalization, making students feel like just another number rather than a valued applicant.

Turning Insights Into Action: The Institutional Impact

The power of the Secret Student Experience lies in its ability to turn observations into meaningful change. Institutions that have implemented the recommendations from this process have seen tangible improvements in student engagement and enrollment metrics.
Case Study: Howard Community College

Howard Community College (HCC) engaged in the Secret Student Experience and uncovered key weaknesses in their communication and enrollment processes. By implementing Swim’s recommendations, the institution achieved:

29% higher email open rates than the national average, significantly improving engagement.
4.6% increase in headcount, demonstrating a more substantial pipeline of enrolled students.
2.6% rise in full-time enrollment, reflecting improved conversion rates.

This success story highlights how Higher Ed Consulting can impact enrollment outcomes by enhancing communication strategies and streamlining student interactions.

Why Higher Ed Consulting Is Essential for Enrollment Growth

Many institutions have hunches about what might be causing enrollment challenges, but without concrete data, it’s difficult to know where to focus efforts. The Secret Student Experience provides definitive insights into the student journey, helping institutions:

Validate or challenge assumptions about enrollment barriers.
Identify quick wins that can be fixed immediately.
Uncover deeper systemic issues that require long-term strategic planning.

Colleges and universities can gain a clear, student-centered roadmap for improving enrollment and retention by working with a Higher Ed Consulting partner like Swim Digital Group.

Take the Next Step Toward Enrollment Success with The Secret Student Experience

The student journey shouldn’t be a mystery. With the Secret Student Experience, institutions can see their enrollment process through the eyes of prospective students, uncover hidden challenges, and implement data-driven solutions that drive real results.

If your institution is ready to transform the student experience, increase enrollment, and improve engagement, Swim Digital Group is here to help.

Get in touch today to schedule a consultation and learn how the Secret Student Experience can optimize your enrollment strategy.