Building the bridge to campus: The first stage of student satisfaction begins long before admission

The following article is adapted from the 2026 edition of ICEF Insights magazine, which is freely available to download now.

The international student experience begins long before students arrive in a new country and walk on to campus. It takes shape when the student is still far away and considering a shortlist of schools. Institutions that provide stellar encouragement and support during this period are building trust and satisfaction even before students are enrolled.

Brand image is built over multiple touchpoints

If you have ever bought a pair of jeans, a digital device, or any other product online, you know how rewarding it is when a brand creates anticipation and excitement before your purchase. You know the satisfaction of getting an immediate response to your questions and reassurance that should you need to make a return, there is a fair process for doing so.

Once you’ve made your purchase, you look for email updates on your order, estimated delivery dates, tracking information, and notifications about any delays. You grow more eager when you go to your inbox and there’s a message with an anticipatory subject line, e.g., “Your stunning new jeans are on their way!”

When the package arrives, you are delighted to see your purchase wrapped beautifully in tissue paper, contained in a sleek, branded box, or accompanied by a personalised note. In fact, “unboxing” videos – where purchasers ooh and ahh as they open their packages – are so popular that they often go viral on social channels. They are also perfect examples of the power of word-of-mouth marketing.

Clearly, a great deal of brand engagement happens before consumers ever try on or try out their purchase. Online brands that provide great service and communications before and directly after a purchase encourage a positive consumer mindset that inspires satisfaction right from the get-go.

Jeans and headsets are one thing. Study abroad is another – and it is much, much more
of an investment. Yet many schools miss the opportunity to deliver gold-standard service to prospects still deciding where to go and to keep inspiring confidence after students have applied.

Study abroad begins at home

When designing pre-enrolment student support, imagine a prospect sitting in a living room chatting with family and friends about institutions on their shortlist. Parents are naturally worried and determined to make a good choice. After all, they care deeply about their children’s happiness and safety and often make the financial investment in study abroad. Friends may also be considering foreign schools or universities, and so there is vigorous debate about the pros and cons of various options.

That living-room discussion touches on all the typical considerations: rankings, affordability, quality, location, visas, programmes, work opportunities, possible scholarships, etc. But also: Which institutions have great websites? Which institutions make it easy for students to contact them?

You can imagine parents poring over emails from institutions to compare pros and cons. And they aren’t just looking for information. They notice if the tone is professional and friendly, and they notice when an admissions staff member offers to talk personally to them about a programme. They like impressive percentages about post-graduation employment rates. If parents aren’t proficient in English or another language of study, they appreciate an o‰ er to have information and answers translated into their first language – which is becoming much easier to do with AI tools, and which is just beginning to happen at some institutions.

Students, meanwhile, look for prompts to speak with student ambassadors, offers to connect with the career services team, and housing assistance. They like links leading to virtual tours of campus facilities and “day-in-the-life” videos of students having fun at orientation and graduation ceremonies, attending lectures, enjoying meals with friends, and interacting with industry professionals as part of their programme.

If those students and parents were looking at communications from your school or university, would they be impressed? Would your email and website strategies truly represent what it is like to study on your campus? If not, it’s time for a review and rethink.

Keep it going

Congratulations! The prospect you’ve been handling with great care has decided to apply! Ahh, all that effort was worth it. But that’s not where it ends.

Kasper Baars, head of university partnerships at Uni-Life, notes: “For many institutions, the post-application phase is where things go quiet. Students go dark. Engagement drops. And teams shift their focus to the next cycle. But this silent stretch is actually one of the most critical moments in the entire journey.”

Mr Baars continues: “The admissions process isn’t just about checking boxes and verifying documents; it’s about sustaining momentum, building trust, and reassuring students that they’ve made the right choice.”

As students wait for a visa decision, your institution could:

• Provide one-on-one guidance about accommodation, academic expectations, study tips, course structure, reading lists, etc.;
• Guarantee late admission in the event of visa decision delays;
• Deliver virtual tutorials for students who may need language support;
• Create virtual meet-ups with other international student applicants to start creating community.

Roll out that welcome mat

When new students arrive on campus, arrange for airport greetings and transportation to ensure their first impression of your country and school is incredible. When students tuck in for bed on their first night, you can be sure they are messaging with family and friends at home and posting photos and videos before they go to sleep.

For additional background, please see:

• "Five key steps to driving ROI from your student ambassador programme"
• "ICEF Podcast: Beyond the offer letter: The services that drive international student success"
• "How likely are students to recommend your institution?"