On this episode of In Your Element, we sit down with Emily Banks, an admissions representative from Faith Baptist Bible College, to discuss the game-changing improvements they made to their online degree application process. Emily shares how her team streamlined course selection, automated key communications, and integrated workflows to enhance the student experience. By leveraging Element’s automation tools, Faith Baptist simplified enrollment for students while reducing administrative burdens on staff. If you’re looking for actionable insights on optimizing the admissions journey, this episode is packed with quick wins and best practices. Guest Name: Emily Banks, Admissions Representative, Faith Baptist Bible College Guest Social: http://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-banks-66b906348 Guest Bio: Emily Banks joined the Admissions team at Faith Baptist Bible College in 2022 and has been dedicated to growing and learning in her role ever since. She began as an Admissions Counselor before transitioning to a full-time traveling representative. She later returned to the office to take on the lead counselor position, where she now manages the communication and counselor team. Emily finds great joy in guiding students through the college decision process and helping them discover their place at Faith. Originally from Wyoming, Emily cherishes her love for the mountains, hiking, and fly-fishing but is grateful to be in Iowa and part of the work happening at Faith. In addition to her role in Admissions, she serves as an assistant cross country coach. In her free time, she enjoys training for her first ultra-marathon. Key TakeawaysSimplifying enrollment increases engagement – Faith Baptist reduced student frustration by integrating course selection into the application process.Automation saves time and improves communication – Workflows and automated emails ensure students receive timely updates and next steps without requiring manual follow-ups.Internal collaboration is key – Aligning admissions, the registrar’s office, and financial aid through Element improved interdepartmental communication.Tracking student behavior leads to better retention – Monitoring how many students return for additional courses helps refine recruitment strategies.Improving the student experience drives enrollment growth – By removing friction in the admissions process, Faith Baptist has seen steady enrollment increases over the past eight years.How Faith Baptist Overhauled Its Online Application ProcessFaith Baptist Bible College noticed a major gap in its online enrollment process: after students submitted their applications, they were left to navigate course registration on their own. Many students struggled to find the right classes, register in Populi, and understand their next steps—leading to frustration and an influx of support calls. To address these issues, Emily and her team introduced a supplemental form within Element, allowing students to select their courses immediately after submitting their application. Instead of requiring students to manually register, the registrar’s office now processes course enrollments seamlessly in the background. This simple but powerful change has made the transition from applicant to enrolled student much smoother. Using Automation to Improve the Student ExperienceOne of the biggest improvements Faith Baptist made was automating key communications. Previously, students were often left wondering whether they had successfully registered for classes. Now, automated workflows send confirmation emails, course details, and book lists as soon as the registrar enrolls a student. Faith Baptist also leveraged Element’s tags and labels to further personalize these emails. By assigning students to workflows based on the courses they enroll in, they receive customized information specific to their program—eliminating the need for manual follow-ups. Beyond student-facing communications, automation also enhanced internal operations. Admissions staff and the registrar’s office now use status changes and task assignments to keep everyone on the same page. When a student is accepted, the registrar receives a notification, ensuring they don’t enroll students who haven’t been officially admitted. Measuring Success: How These Changes Impact EnrollmentFaith Baptist is tracking multiple metrics to measure the impact of these changes, including: Decrease in student complaints – Fewer students are calling with questions about enrollment.Higher re-enrollment rates – More students are taking additional online courses after their first experience.Faster completion of application steps – With clearer communication, students are submitting transcripts and completing financial aid forms more quickly.While it’s still early, Faith Baptist is optimistic that these improvements will lead to higher conversion rates from online students to full-time degree-seeking students. Their admissions team is also seeing a major benefit: staff now have more time for proactive recruitment efforts instead of troubleshooting registration issues. Final ThoughtsFaith Baptist Bible College’s success story proves that small but strategic changes can have a huge impact on both student satisfaction and enrollment growth. By focusing on automation, internal collaboration, and student experience, they’ve created a more efficient and welcoming admissions process. - - - -Connect With Our Co-Hosts:Daniella Nordinhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellanordin/Brendan Henkelhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/bkhenkel/ About The Enrollify Podcast Network:In Your Element is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.
