Managing school admissions involves more than attracting prospective families. Schools must also respond promptly to enquiries, coordinate communication, and guide parents through every stage of the application process. At the Maharashtra Educators’ Summit and Awards 2026, Ms. Varsha Jayashankar, Senior Project Manager at Ether, presented a technology-driven approach to making admissions more organised, responsive and measurable.
During her presentation, Ms. Jayashankar introduced Enroll, Ether’s admissions customer relationship management (CRM) solution designed primarily for K-12 schools. She encouraged school leaders to look beyond the number of enquiries they receive and consider a more important question: how many prospective families never progress to admission, and do schools understand why?
When Delayed Responses Mean Missed Opportunities
Ms. Jayashankar highlighted how parents often compare four or five schools before making a decision. With enquiries sent through calls, WhatsApp messages and online platforms, a prompt response can influence whether a family proceeds with a campus visit. If a school takes too long to reply, parents may engage with another institution instead.
Such missed opportunities can occur even when schools have strong teams and invest considerably in marketing. Enquiries arrive through websites, Google advertisements, Meta campaigns, telephone calls, walk-ins and referrals. However, when these are managed across different departments, inboxes and spreadsheets, keeping track of every prospective family becomes difficult.
She also drew attention to the gaps that can emerge during the admissions journey, from initial enquiries to entrance tests and document verification. While schools generally know their final admission numbers, missed calls, delayed follow-ups and stalled applications can remain unnoticed. Understanding where prospective families drop out is therefore essential to improving the process, a concern that also features in wider discussions on school management covered by EducationToday.
Bringing Admissions Activities into One System
To address these concerns, Ms. Jayashankar explained how Enroll brings enquiries from multiple sources into a single admissions pipeline. The platform is designed to reduce manual data entry and connect with existing systems, including school enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms, telephone systems and marketing tools.
Enquiries can be assigned automatically according to factors such as campus, grade or the school’s chosen allocation rules. Parents can receive immediate responses through WhatsApp, email or SMS, while counsellors receive reminders for follow-ups. Overdue tasks can be escalated, helping teams maintain communication throughout the admissions process.
Shared communication templates also help ensure consistency across calls, emails and messages. For schools operating multiple campuses, a consolidated view allows leadership teams to assess performance and identify practices that could be replicated elsewhere. Mobile access further enables staff to manage enquiries while away from their desks.
Simplifying Applications and Improving Visibility
Ms. Jayashankar also outlined how Enroll supports the application process through branded online forms, digital document submissions and application fee collection. If a parent uploads an unclear document, the system can request a replacement through WhatsApp or email, reducing the need for staff to follow up manually. Information relating to booking fees, merit lists and entrance test schedules can also be managed within the platform.
Recognising the sensitivity of student and family information, she noted that the solution was developed with India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act in mind.
The platform’s dashboard provides counsellors, principals and management teams with information relevant to their roles. Schools can review campaign performance, monitor pending follow-ups and identify areas where counsellors may need additional support. Ms. Jaishankar also cited an example of a school group that moved from Salesforce to Enroll and went live within seven days.
In the end, she invited school representatives to visit Ether’s stall for a demonstration using a real admissions enquiry. Her central message was clear: improving admissions is not simply about generating more leads, but about managing existing enquiries effectively and ensuring that no prospective family is overlooked.
Ms. Varsha Jayashankar is featured in a discussion on the role of technology in converting school enquiries into admissions.
Technology can help schools centralise enquiries, track prospective parents, automate follow-ups, and organise admission information efficiently.
Schools can improve conversions through timely communication, personalised follow-ups, transparent information, campus visits, and a streamlined application process.
A customer relationship management (CRM) system helps schools track parent interactions, monitor enquiry status, schedule follow-ups, and manage the admission pipeline.
Technology can make the process more convenient through online applications, quick responses, digital document submission, automated updates, and easier communication with school teams.
