If you’re in higher education admissions or international student recruitment, you’re likely familiar with the rising pressure firsthand. It’s the daily push to boost numbers, streamline complex processes and prove that your efforts drive impact. What is the good news? You’re not alone in facing this challenge, and we hope to explore the ways of solving it at EAIE 2025 with the help of EAIE’s insights from 2024.
The EAIE Barometer 2024 offers direct insight into the strategies and common hurdles in admissions and internationalization, giving you a benchmark for your own operations. The barometer reveals a significant shift in how internationalization is managed: only 24% of institutions now rely on a single international office for internationalization, with 50% adopting coordinated central and decentralized teams. This evolution underscores a critical need for cohesive admissions management solutions that can bridge geographical and departmental divides, fostering unity across diverse teams.
This blog will unpack 5 pivotal trends unveiled by the barometer, exploring the nuances of each shift, and how DreamApply’s admissions management software empowers institutions like yours to not only adapt but to thrive and demonstrate tangible impact.
To help you navigate these shifts during EAIE 2025 in Gothenburg, the DreamApply team will be at booth P101, prepared to offer consultations tailored to your institution’s unique context.
To ensure you make the most of the EAIE 2025 occasion, we encourage you to pre-book your dedicated slot today via a complimentary smart admissions plan. By answering a few questions about your short-term and long-term goals and challenges beforehand, our experts can prepare tailored insights specifically for your institution, maximizing the value of your consultation. This personalized plan comes with no obligation.
Trend 1: Higher education professionals face intense pressure to prove internationalization Impact.
Beyond organizational structures, higher education admissions professionals face a demand to demonstrate the impact of internationalization efforts. This pressure is widely felt among your peers and isn’t abstract; it directly influences your institution’s vital reputation and rankings (the undeniable currency of academic standing in higher education enrollment).
At DreamApply, we are driven by our mission to make your institution’s hard-earned success story undeniable. Our platform is designed to turn your raw data into demonstrable impact you can see and show. For compelling results your leadership will appreciate, explore our case studies, like how the University of Pavia saw a 1000% increase in applications. With real-time dashboards (from submitted to accepted and paid applicants) and precision marketing performance tracking via referral links and UTM codes, you gain authoritative data to elevate your institution’s standing and truly prove your impact.
Trend 2: Marketing and admissions functions are converging, leading to new performance pressures.
Adding another layer of complexity, the lines between marketing and admissions are blurring, creating new intersections of pressure. Professionals at this nexus are acutely aware of the need for integrated strategies that not only attract but also convert. The EAIE Barometer indicates that pressure to demonstrate impact is particularly significant for those focusing on marketing and admissions, highlighting the critical need for efforts to translate directly into measurable enrollment growth.
DreamApply actively bridges this convergence through its many features. Our marketing add-on offers comprehensive marketing performance tracking via referral links and UTM codes, allowing you to connect campaigns directly to actual enrollments. This integrated approach ensures your marketing and admissions teams operate with unified goals, optimizing every touchpoint in the international student recruitment journey. Learn more about effective higher education marketing strategies on our blog:
Trend 3: Administrative workload in higher education admissions Is significantly increasing.
Beyond strategy and integration, the daily realities for higher education admissions professionals are becoming undeniably more demanding. The Barometer indicates that roles are requiring significantly more time and effort, or new skill sets, for a substantial majority of respondents. This unseen friction translates into a growing administrative burden, pulling valuable time away from strategic initiatives. It’s a classic case of ‘death by a thousand clicks’ (a problem that often goes unaddressed because it feels too fundamental to fix).
Imagine reclaiming a considerable portion of that valuable time. DreamApply automates the mundane, repetitive tasks that consume your team’s day, liberating your experts from the tyranny of the trivial. Through advanced admissions workflow automation, institutions using our software report an average 40% reduction in the time spent managing applications. From automated task assignments and reminders to dynamic invoice generation and document handling, we free your team to focus on meaningful applicant engagement and strategic planning. Read our blog on how automations save time and boost well-being.
Trend 4: Institutions urgently need more actionable data for effective international recruitment.
Operating without comprehensive insights is like navigating blindly (a financially and strategically precarious position where you’re funding campaigns without truly knowing their return). Many institutions still grapple with a striking lack of actionable data, particularly when it comes to measuring the true effectiveness of their virtual internationalization activities. This data deficiency limits ROI in international recruitment.
DreamApply eliminates the guesswork and the hidden cost of uncertainty. Imagine seeing precisely what’s working and optimizing every international student recruitment dollar for maximum impact. You gain the power to not only see what’s working but to strategically optimize your outreach for maximum impact, ensuring every international student recruitment dollar is spent wisely.
Trend 5: Fragmented processes hinder applicant experience and institutional organization.
The Barometer notes that a significant number of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with how internationalization responsibilities are organized. This organizational friction often translates into a less consistent and engaging applicant journey for prospective student applicants.
DreamApply champions consistency and transparency, understanding that a smooth process reflects positively on your institution. Our admissions management platform centralizes and standardizes application processes across all departments and faculties. This creates a unified, user-friendly experience for applicants from the very first touchpoint, reducing confusion and boosting satisfaction. Hear directly from students themselves on the streamlined experience at Ca’Foscari University in our case studies. Plus, our built-in video interview system helps prevent AI-generated fraud, ensuring the quality and integrity of your applicant pool from day one.
Meet the DreamApply team at EAIE 2025
Booth P101, Gothenburg
At DreamApply, we believe meaningful change in admissions comes from people who understand both systems and strategy. At EAIE 2025, you’ll meet colleagues from across our teams who support institutions at every stage, from first contact to long-term growth. Come discuss your unique challenges with:
- Jelmer de Wolde, Head of Sales (based in Estonia): Gain insights into funnel visibility, operational clarity, and strategic efficiency for admissions and student recruitment, identifying where small changes unlock big improvements for your institution.
- Trang Nguyen, PhD, International Development Manager (based in Estonia): Benefit from her hands-on experience working with institutions in Vietnam and across Asia, as she helps localize international recruitment strategies and align them with operational realities.
- Märt Aro, Co-founder of DreamApply and the European EdTech Alliance (based in Estonia): A leading voice in education innovation, Märt has spoken at global forums including UNESCO and European Commission events, and delivered a TEDx talk titled “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Truth About Innovation in Education.” Benefit from his systems-level thinking on the future of education, admissions, digital infrastructure, and global student mobility.
- Veronika Kathi, Configuration Specialist (based in Hungary): As one of the leads guiding institutions through their crucial first year with DreamApply, she understands how to bridge national programs with institutional processes, drawing from her previous experience with DreamApply’s software through the Hungarian Stipendium Hungaricum program.
- Kristina Khodina, Head of Customer Success (based in Italy): Leverage her over 15 years of experience in international student recruitment and higher education marketing to understand how to get the most out of DreamApply far beyond implementation.
- Liza Nabatova, Customer Success Manager (based in Latvia): Work closely with Liza, who has supported partner universities for several years, helping them grow strategically with the platform once configured.
- Razmik Sargsyan, Marketing Manager and host of the EdTech & Pancakes podcast (based between Sweden and Armenia): Explore how AI, behavioral science, and strategic communications shape the future of EdTech marketing. He’ll be on-site capturing perspectives from institutional leaders, so stop by to share your insight and get featured in our podcast.
As a token of our appreciation and to support your well-being amidst busy conference days, we’ll also be distributing refreshing Vitamin C and other giveaways. For tangible takeaways, collect our tailored printed materials, packed with insights specifically for admissions and student recruitment experts.
About DreamApply
Founded in 2011 in Estonia, DreamApply is an innovation-driven EdTech organization that improves access to education around the globe. DreamApply’s admissions software helps more than 300 educational institutions across 40 countries improve admissions, marketing, financial and other internal processes.
DreamApply’s easy-to-use and customizable software increases student enrollment by 30% and reduces application processing time by 40%. With features designed with and for educational institutions, and integrations with commonly used systems, DreamApply empowers teams to get more done with less effort.
Pre-book your dedicated slot at EAIE 2025 today by ordering a complimentary smart admissions plan or fill in the form below.