The challenge
An independent, college-preparatory school in New England faced a problem familiar to many mission-driven organizations: disconnected systems that slowed down their admissions process. Their website ran on a proprietary learning platform with limited flexibility. Email communication was managed through a separate tool, and there was no native integration with HubSpot.
This meant the admissions team had to rely on a long, clunky inquiry form and manual processes to capture and manage prospective student data. With an admissions funnel that stretched from initial inquiry through events, day visits, and applications, the process was too complex to run without automation.
To make matters more challenging, the staff had only recently begun working in HubSpot. They needed help with foundational tasks like setting up subdomains, building landing pages, and generating reports. Without a clear system or the confidence to use it, their marketing and admissions efforts lacked the efficiency and insight they needed.
The solution
Instead of jumping straight into big technical projects, our approach focused on solving immediate pain points while building confidence in HubSpot. We designed the onboarding around three key areas:
Strategic integration & setup
Since their existing platform couldn’t integrate natively with HubSpot, we worked around the roadblocks. We replaced their outdated inquiry form with a HubSpot form and helped the team connect their subdomains, creating a cleaner, more modern experience for families exploring the school.
Project-based training
Rather than abstract tutorials, the team learned by doing. Together, we built a live campaign tied to an actual admissions event. This included setting up landing pages, automating responses, and creating workflows that nurtured leads. By working on a real project, the team saw immediate value and gained a playbook they could replicate for future initiatives.
Foundational HubSpot skills
We provided hands-on guidance for the essentials—campaign management, reporting, dashboards, and automation. The team learned how to create and share reports, automate follow-ups, and gain visibility into admissions activities. These small wins helped them feel empowered to manage their own system and reduced their reliance on manual tracking.
The results
- Streamlined inquiry process: Families could now submit interest forms through HubSpot, triggering immediate, automated responses instead of waiting for manual follow-ups.
- Improved data visibility: Admissions staff gained access to real-time dashboards and reporting, giving them insight into which events, campaigns, and channels were driving the most inquiries.
- Empowered team: With practical, project-based training, the staff gained confidence using HubSpot. They left with not only a functional system but also a roadmap for scaling their admissions marketing in the future.
Why it matters
For an institution built on personalized learning and community, a fractured admissions process was out of step with their mission. By streamlining technology and empowering staff, they were able to deliver a smoother, more supportive experience for families at one of the most critical touchpoints: the decision to apply.
This case study underscores the impact of pairing strategic HubSpot onboarding with hands-on, real-world application. The result wasn’t just a better funnel—it was a team that felt equipped to keep improving, one campaign at a time.
