What are the advantages of online admission systems, and how can they help improve school enrollment rates?
One can’t help but picture long lines and even longer wait times when thinking about school admission. It’s true for universities, colleges, schools, and training centers alike. The process of being admitted to any learning institution has never been considered easy, and people have come to dread admission processes due to a long list of reasons.
Fortunately, digitalized school management systems have been getting more popular over the years. Manual school processes like timetabling, recordkeeping, and even financial management which used to require so much time and effort can now be done effortlessly within minutes or seconds. Many schools nowadays also make use of online admission systems.
What is Online Admission?
Admission periods are usually the busiest time for most universities. However, the global COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative effect on college admission rates in the past two years. Higher education management and administration have already witnessed and experienced the effect of this decline firsthand. But admission rates are still expected to worsen.
So how can school administrators entice would-be students to enroll amidst the pandemic? It’s by promoting virtual classes and allowing online admission.
The goal of online admission is to automate admission processes. This applies to every step of the admission process, from registration and payment, to document submission and enrollment confirmation. Online admission systems exist for the benefit of school administrators, employees, teachers, students, and even parents.
What are the Advantages of Online Admission Systems?
Since neither students nor their parents would want to expose themselves to the virus by being physically in schools for admissions, online admission systems are becoming more crucial to the success of schools and universities. Consistently low enrollment rates can eventually cause schools to close down, so administrators should consider making the admission process easier, safer, and more secure.
There are many benefits to switching to online admissions. Here are some of the most practical advantages of online admission systems:
Maximizes Availability
Online admission software can work around the clock and accept admissions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Candidates won’t need to stand in line for hours and potentially expose themselves to the deadly virus. They only need to have a computer or a mobile device, and a working internet connection.
Students and/or parents can submit documents, pay tuition fees, and even register to the school’s system any time of the day, any day of the week, and from anywhere in the world. This makes the admission more convenient for parents who may not have the time to enroll their children during workdays and office hours. Candidates from across the country may be able to apply without leaving the comforts of their homes.
Deadlines may be much stricter though, and admissions may close on the dot if the school wishes to do so. But, online admissions make it possible for those with ailments, logistic issues, and other problems to get admitted.
Requires Less Work and Fewer Workers
Keeping order and safety during admissions is the school’s responsibility so switching to online admissions could mean that the school will need fewer security personnel and order personnel compared to on-site admissions.
Automated admission systems are also more convenient for school employees responsible for processing requirements. Without the long queues, employees would feel less pressured to get everything done quickly, helping them perform their jobs much better. They won’t have to deal with incomplete applications as more comprehensive school management systems can automatically weed out ineligible candidates.
The monotony of the work involved plus mountains of paperwork can make for unproductive employees. By automating admission processes, employees can spend more time making more important business decisions and less time on repetitive and insignificant administrative tasks.
Uses Fewer Resources and Ensures Data Security
Online and automated school management systems and every subsequent system inside them generally require less paper, printing, and resources. Data is stored in secure servers, so there’s no need for bulky, heavy, and expensive filing cabinets. Employees will print only what they need to, and candidates will fill out online forms without the fear of making a mistake that they can’t erase.
An automated system is faster and more flexible. Schools won’t need to print forms, candidates won’t need to manually fill them out, and employees won’t need to file them. Student and employee records are digitized, and data can be better protected against loss and unauthorized access.
Provides Real-Time Reports and Updates
Changes to the system or application status can reach concerned parties in real-time. Parents won’t need to worry needlessly and wonder if the application was received or if there were requirements that weren’t met. Candidates can immediately be notified as soon as their applications are accepted or denied.
School management systems can provide real-time admission reports so school administrators can gauge enrollment rates and make critical budgeting decisions. In-depth and even day-to-day reports can prove very useful in making and implementing marketing strategies too. School administrators can make changes to the admission process and reports are a great way to see if the changes are working for the better or otherwise.
Are There Disadvantages to Online Admissions?
While there are some practical benefits to switching to online admissions, it isn’t a perfect system and you can run into some problems while trying to set them up too.
The success of online admissions depends on internet connectivity, so issues on a candidate’s ISP or issues on the school’s web servers can halt admission processes. It also depends on how well a school’s prospective students understand computers.
Before switching completely to online admissions, school administrators might want to survey their would-be candidates. Online admission systems won’t help enrollment rates if a big number of students don’t have access to stable internet connections, don’t use computers much, or if the school itself can’t properly host the site on a stable server.
Data security is another growing concern. With more and more companies and even learning institutions falling victim to data theft and other cybercrimes, school administrators need to ensure that student, employee, and all school data is secure and inaccessible to unauthorized parties.
The solution? Choose a reliable, comprehensive, and cloud-based admission or school management system like GoSchooler.
FAQs
Why is online admission popular?
Is online admission easy?
Why Should Schools Use Online Admission Systems?
Virtual and modular classes were introduced and even made mandatory in many parts of the world, so why shouldn’t admissions be made virtual too? Online admissions provide a safer, more convenient way of ensuring continuing education even amidst the pandemic.
The advantages of online admission systems do outweigh the disadvantages and by a great margin. By ensuring and solving the issues of connectivity, computer literacy, and data security, schools can make admissions more widely available to more people. These automated systems will use fewer resources while providing faster, more accurate, and more efficient results.
Schools can also benefit from online admission from the following features of online admission systems:
- Online fee payments
- SMS and email notification systems
- Student registration
- Admission inquiry
- New student tracking
- Admission reports
Putting together an online admission system benefits school administrators, employees, teachers, students, and parents. The ease and convenience of having an online enrollment option should help with the low enrollment rates during this pandemic as well. While there may be some challenges associated with switching to any digitalized system, many schools in India and other parts of the world have seen great results and return of investments in school management systems.