Intelligent document processing (IDP) can streamline college admissions by converting unstructured and semi-structured data into usable information within an education document management system. Structured information then simplifies end-to-end process automation, allowing admissions professionals to focus on the best candidates for the school.
Possibly tens of thousands of applications come into a college every year. An education document management platform can compile redundant or less significant information. The ability to automate time-consuming tasks is invaluable.
The most significant benefits of IDP implementation include the following:
Automating a low-value task.
Document processing is a time-intensive task for any university. Using IDP, faculty and staff involved in structuring data can now focus on other more valuable tasks and processes. Prospective students provide a tremendous amount of data in their applications. Much of it is unstructured data that helps develop an idea of their personality, competencies, thinking skills, maturity, and work ethic. It’s often that data is in formats like spreadsheets or PDFs, and data formats can be as diverse as data presentation or conformity.
It’s all crucial to the admissions and selection process, but the data varies from applicant to applicant. The ability to structure that data with an education document management system saves tremendous time and money. At the same time, it makes the decision process much more efficient.
Centralized storage.
Data isn’t just structured with a document management system; it is stored for reference or to revisit throughout the process. Admissions is an incredibly tough process. There is vast variability, and both potential students and the institution have much on the line. The management and decision-making skills required put the exceptional contribution of the admissions team on display daily.
Many student applications are revisited throughout the process of comparing applicants, so having a centralized repository as part of an education document management system that can search by many variables makes the process easier. AI can analyze documentation and classify it effectively due to its ability to understand semantics. More time is available to focus on student qualities rather than just finding their information or information that fits specific metrics. Even better, Capacity’s Live DB allows communication in plain speech — no queries are needed.
Document classification.
Classifying documents is part of structuring data. Uploaded documents are analyzed by an education document management system that processes the documents by type. It doesn’t matter if the papers are all different in a batch upload; the system will sort them. Documents to be classified may include application forms, diplomas, certificates, IDs, transcripts, reference letters, or other documents. Everyday processes, like document uploads and classification, can be streamlined with support automation platforms like Capacity.
Analysis and decision-making.
AI has become truly intelligent and is always learning. It can recognize traits or data essential to the process to make preliminary decisions. Applicants can be automatically grouped by decision-making criteria for the admissions team members to drill down even further into information that indicates a match for the college.
The most straightforward criteria for an education document management system to evaluate are past grades and scores. Additionally, class subject mix, extracurricular activities, and volunteering can be analyzed and scored to help admissions employees focus on the suitable applicants first.
Employees have complete control of determining what happens when the education document management system hits specific decision points. Their task during implementation is to list the least valuable, rudimentary, and repetitive tasks to start automating away. It’s not uncommon for initial concern that an education document management system can adequately perform such actions.
Process flow management.
Certain documents might need validation from admissions employees before moving to subsequent phases of the decision process. The system can present categorized documents that need verification by employees after being scanned into the system. Those documents can then be verified or validated, and the system knows they move further into the process once checked off.
Cost savings.
Employees being able to focus on more high-value processes saves money. As menial tasks are automated and processes streamlined through an education document management system, the need to employ people for low-value activities disappears. Evaluating applicants becomes more efficient and simplified as applicant data is better sorted and presented.
End-to-end automation of the applicant admitting process can initially look complex and a little scary for those in admissions, but they soon come to see it as straightforward and highly effective. A less error-prone process through AI will have them questioning how they ever lived without it. The most suitable applicants will be found, and the process’s efficiency means that they benefit by receiving just one instance of communication if documents are incomplete.
How Capacity can help.
Admissions departments across the country use Capacity to automate their document processes using IDP. The efficiency gains delight employees and help them find the best applicants for admittance. Try it out in your admissions department.
Capacity is an AI-powered support automation platform for education that connects your entire tech stack to answer questions, automate repetitive support tasks, and build solutions to any student challenge.