Today’s students don’t just expect personalization. They’re conditioned by it.
They open Spotify and see a playlist built for their mood. They log into Netflix and get five eerily accurate recommendations before they even search. Amazon knows what they’ll need next week, sometimes before they do.
And then… they inquire at your college. They get a generic “Thanks for your interest” email. A day later: “Apply now.” No attempt to build a relationship, and no chance they remember you.
Here’s the reality: If you’re not meeting the bar set by today’s digital experiences, you’re not just being ignored—you’re being forgotten.
According to a recent study, nearly all students (94%) will open emails from colleges and universities, but only 20% remember an email from a specific university or college.
Let’s break down what these tech giants do with personalization, and how you can apply the same principles to your campaigns, portals, and beyond in Slate.
1. Lead with Relevance, Not Volume
Netflix doesn’t promote every show. Spotify doesn’t push every artist.
They curate. Based on what you want.
A study by Niche in 2024 found students want “more relevance, less spam, and more control over their college search.” Only 15% of students said colleges were sending them information they cared about.
That means you need to ditch the one-size-fits-all campaigns.
Personalize emails based on:
- Academic interest
- Student type
- Geography
- Stage in funnel (inquiry vs. app vs. admit)
You don’t need to build 40 versions of an email—you can use liquid markup and content blocks in Slate to show the right content to the right student.
2. They Remember Everything You Do—and Use It to Make the Next Experience Better
When you buy diapers every month, Amazon doesn’t ask if you have a baby. It just knows to offer you bottles, burp clothes, and onsies next.
Your Slate instance should work the same way. You don’t have to track every click, but respond to what students tell you, and tee up the next action you want them to take.
Your application portal is a key example. It’s one of the most important touchpoints of a student’s enrollment journey, and in some cases, the first time they’re truly engaging with your content.
- Highlight content based on student interests
- Show relevant upcoming visits and let students manage their events
- Prominently display information like merit awards or aid packages
Personalization can come off as creepy, but in this case, it’s considerate. You’re putting all the information students need to take the next step or make a decision in one place.
Which brings me to my next point…
3. They Make It Easy to Say “Yes”
Personalization isn’t just about messaging. It’s also about reducing friction.
Netflix cues up the next episode automatically. Amazon’s “Buy It Again” button skips the cart.
Bring that same user experience thinking to the way students interact with your institution, so it’s easier to take that final step—especially in portals.
Here’s how:
- Dynamic-CTAs based on student status
- Opportunities to connect with other students and ask their professors questions
- Yield intent forms to gauge who is still on the fence
- Mini-CTAs like “File Your FAFSA” that appear only when relevant
These things sound small—but they stack up. And they can mean the difference between a submitted app or deposit and a bounced session.
A small-scale study by Penn State University found that higher levels of portal customization increased students’ sense of involvement and positive attitude, and also visibly altered browsing behavior.
4. They Never Stop Learning (or Testing)
The personalization engines behind these platforms are constantly optimizing. Your Slate campaigns can—and should—do the same.
Routinely test and optimize:
- Subject lines
- Timing windows (weekday vs. weekend, morning vs. evening)
- Button language (“Apply Now” vs. “Take the Next Step”)
- Low engagement messages
5. They Deliver Fast
Tech companies know that a decent, fast launch beats a perfect, delayed one.
That’s a big part of the Waybetter mentality, and why you’ll hear us tout: “Do something now. Then make it better.”
Don’t get stuck in discovery meetings and an endless loop of feedback. Personalization doesn’t have to be complicated. Start with the data points you have now, and improve them over time.
Students Are Telling You What They Want. Are You Listening?
Students are fluent in personalization—even if they don’t call it that.
They know what a good digital experience feels like. And they make decisions accordingly.
You already have the data. You already have the tools (Slate). Now here’s an action list to get you started:
- Personalize one email by academic interest
- Define an academic segment for each of your majors with translation codes, use content blocks to serve content for each academic segment, and liquid markup for the subject line
- Add a FAFSA CTA to your portal
- Use conditional logic if the FAFSA flag is incomplete
- Show which scholarships students are eligible for in their applicant portal
- Based on student type, location, and other academic factors
Need help with personalizing your Slate instance? Let’s talk.
We’ll show you what’s possible with Waybetter.