Salesforce is a widely used general-purpose CRM designed for organizations across many industries. It can be used in higher education, but institutions may need additional configuration, customization, and integrations.
Jetstream takes a different approach, specifically for the needs of higher education. Built in partnership with the University of Louisiana System, Jetstream is designed around the way admissions and enrollment teams recruit students, manage relationships, and move prospective students toward enrollment.
For an institution evaluating a higher education CRM, the choice often comes down to two different approaches: adapting a general-purpose CRM to fit higher education, or choosing a CRM built around student recruitment from the beginning. If you’re new to the category, our guide to student CRM software explains how colleges and universities use CRM software throughout the enrollment journey.
The Difference in Practice
The distinction between the two approaches becomes most apparent when an institution needs to change how it recruits.
With Salesforce, institutions need to:
- Configure the CRM around their recruitment processes.
- Build or customize workflows for higher education.
- Add functionality for specialized recruitment activities.
- Manage & maintain additional integrations and configuration.
With Jetstream, institutions can:
- Start with functionality designed for student recruitment and enrollment.
- Manage recruitment events alongside student information.
- Adapt the system as institutional needs change.
- Work directly with the team developing the software.
That focus can mean less time adapting the software and more time using it to manage recruitment.
Student Recruitment
Student recruitment involves much more than storing contact information. Enrollment teams need to understand where prospective students came from, what interactions they’ve had with the institution, and where they are in the recruitment process.
Jetstream is designed around this process, with student recruitment tools and workflows built specifically for higher education. Teams manage the complete enrollment pipeline through our student recruitment CRM, from initial inquiry through application and enrollment, while coordinating the communications and follow-up that keep those students engaged.
Salesforce can be configured to support similar recruitment workflows, but institutions may need to create and maintain custom processes to support their particular recruitment model.
Recruitment Events and Promotional Items
Colleges and universities invest significant resources in high school visits, college fairs, campus events, and other recruitment activities. Jetstream keeps track of not only who attended, but also what connections were made, what promotional items were distributed, and how many follow-ups occurred.
Salesforce can be configured to support these workflows, but event management and promotional-item tracking are not part of a general-purpose Salesforce CRM out of the box. Institutions may need to build or add functionality to support these specific recruitment activities.
Reporting
Enrollment teams need to understand which recruitment activities are producing results and where prospective students are progressing or falling out of the enrollment funnel.
Salesforce provides reporting and analytics that can be configured around an institution’s needs. Jetstream’s reporting tools are designed around higher education recruitment, with metrics including conversion rates, recruitment source effectiveness, event performance, and counselor activity.
CRM data can also help enrollment teams identify opportunities to improve enrollment yield by connecting recruitment activity with enrollment outcomes.
Which CRM Is Right for Your Institution?
Salesforce may be a suitable choice for institutions that need a general-purpose enterprise CRM and have the resources to configure, integrate, and administer it.
Jetstream is designed for institutions that want a CRM focused specifically on student recruitment and enrollment. Its recruitment workflows, event management, promotional-item tracking, communications, and enrollment-focused reporting are built around the way admissions teams work.
The right choice depends on your institution’s needs, resources, and priorities. If your goal is to manage the student recruitment process with a CRM designed specifically for higher education, Jetstream offers an alternative to adapting a general-purpose CRM to fit that purpose.
Learn more about how Jetstream works or explore Jetstream’s features.