Messaging Mismatch: Why Gen Z Isn’t Reading Your Emails — and What Admissions Teams Can Do

Why This (mini) Report? Today’s applicants are digital natives. They text before they talk, skim before they read, and swipe before they scroll. And when it comes to university admissions, they expect personalized, instant communication across the same channels they use with friends and family.

Yet many admissions offices are still stuck in email-first workflows that no longer align with how students prefer to engage. This report shares what Gen Z actually wants from institutional messaging, how expectations are shifting, and how leading universities are adapting—before applicants tune them out.

1. Gen Z Doesn't Do Email (the Way You Think)
87% of students still use email—but they treat it like paperwork. Slow, formal, and best saved for confirmations and attachments. For updates, questions, and decisions? They turn to messaging apps.

• 46% of prospective students say they prefer using WhatsApp to reach universities.
• In Latin America and the Middle East, WhatsApp outperforms phone calls for admissions communication.
• Students expect messaging to be two-way, responsive, and frictionless—not formal letters dressed up in a digital format.

If your outreach strategy is still email-only, you’re not just outdated. You’re invisible.

2. Response Time Expectations Are Brutal
The "next business day" rule doesn’t cut it anymore. Gen Z has grown up on services that reply within minutes. When your admissions office takes days to reply, they assume you're not interested.

• 36% expect a response within three days of making contact.
• 88% expect a complete and personalized reply within a week.

And it’s not just about speed—it’s about tone and quality. Replies need to feel human, tailored, and helpful.

A generic autoresponder won’t keep them engaged. It might drive them away.

3. Unstructured Messaging = Lost Applicants
Many admissions teams are experimenting with WhatsApp—but without proper tools, it quickly becomes overwhelming:

• Numbers without names
• No way to assign chats or follow up
• Repeated questions that waste staff time
• No central record of applicant communication

Without CRM integration, WhatsApp becomes a black hole for critical conversations.

Smart teams are solving this by:

• Connecting WhatsApp to a CRM like Salesforce, Hubspot, or Polser
• Using shared inboxes and chat assignment for team coordination
• Tracking message status (e.g. “New Lead,” “Awaiting Docs,” “Ready to Offer”)
• Automating reminders and templates for FAQs

4. Institutions Are Already Making the Shift
Forward-thinking admissions teams across Europe are:

• Replacing cold email outreach with warm messaging sequences
• Using templates for efficiency while keeping messages personal
• Tagging and tracking applicant stages inside WhatsApp-connected CRMs
• Empowering regional teams to use WhatsApp natively with local leads

In the next 12 months, adoption is expected to accelerate. Teams that invest now will not only improve yield but also enhance applicant satisfaction.

The shift isn’t coming. It’s already here. Students haven’t stopped communicating—they’ve just moved on from your inbox. Institutions that adapt to Gen Z’s messaging preferences will stand out, engage faster, and convert more leads.