The Admissions Process and Paperwork
Our school has gone to online paperwork with all the details covered that an Admissions officer needs to be completely compliant. This helps make me better and my job easier.
How do the students view this process - are they receptive to it or are there any technology barriers that come to light?
it is very nice that the paper work has become easier for you. I'm guessing that this helps to eliminate human error that mahy come into play in the long run. No matter how professional you are and how long you have been in the business it is easy to become lax and mis-state something as the student sometimes hears what they want to hear. When things are in writing with definitions it is hard to dispute the clarity.
I have found as long as you are know what each admission paperwork means and represents to the student they do not have any problems-- You must set their expectations up to what is about to transpire.
I found that as the Admissions Person, you should always be in control of the interview process, and paperwork. Most students who are interested in applying are compliant, but occassionally you will have a student who can be a bit of a challenge during the interview. He/she is often impatient, sometimes middle aged and may want the answers to "only" two questions..."What's the costs?" and "How quickly can he/she can get a "bachelors degree in two years." This type of student will come off as one who is demanding and he tends to tell you that "he knows" the process already and he doesn't have time for the details. You have to tactfully show him that he needs to answer some questions to see if attending school is a good fit for him. If he complains about the process and paperwork, you can explain to him that this is a necessary process along with the expectations set to attend school or that school may not be a good fit for him at this time.
We need to move forward with things online and no mre paerwork...mostly
We do not do the enrollment process online and still use paper for all paperwork related to the student and the application process. It is vital to always make copies of each document and make sure the student has it in hand before they leave the appointment.
You will have a few students that are not computer literate but all programs offer computer courses and this eases them of any concerns.
I really like the idea of online documents, I feel this can expedite some of the time spent completing paperwork.
Our school is moving in the direction of scanning all our documents into our database. I can see this as a positive practice until the Internet goes down or the computer crashes at the very moment I need to retrieve a document. I prefer hard copies, but I'm willing to work with the database, too.
