How to Measure the Success of Your University Admissions Event

Putting on an admissions event takes a huge amount of effort — from the first brainstorm to the final thank-you email. But once the last visitor leaves and the stands are packed away, one question remains: how do you know if it worked?

Measuring the success of an admissions event is just as important as planning and delivering it. Not only does it help you improve future events, it gives your wider team clarity on what’s working, where to invest, and how to align your strategy with institutional goals.

Let’s explore how to set the right KPIs, track performance and get the most value from your post-event analysis.

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Start With the End in Mind

Measuring success shouldn’t be an afterthought. In fact, your evaluation strategy should be built into your event planning process from day one.

Just like an academic outlining learning outcomes before a seminar, your admissions team should map out clear KPIs early on. These will give focus to your efforts, guide your decisions in real time, and help you identify what really moved the needle.

Set KPIs That Align With Your Goals

KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are your benchmarks for success — but they need to be meaningful, not just easy to measure.

Of course, you’ll want to track things like the number of attendees. But your KPIs should also reflect broader objectives, such as improving international engagement or attracting more postgraduate applicants. Sometimes a lower turnout might still be a win if it includes a higher proportion of your target cohort.

A good KPI should be:

• Specific and well-defined.
• Quantifiable and easy to track.
• Communicable across teams.
• Tied to a clear, strategic goal.

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Don’t Just Measure Attendance — Track the Journey

The number of students who show up on the day is important — but it’s not the whole story.

By tracking the full attendee journey, you’ll get deeper insight into what’s working and what’s not. Here’s what to consider:

• Invites sent vs. opened.
• Clicks and registrations.
• No-shows vs. actual attendees.
• Post-event follow-ups and conversion rates.

You can also break this down by channel. For example, when promoting on LinkedIn, use a custom URL to track exactly how many registrations came from that post. That way, you’re not just seeing likes and shares — you’re measuring impact.

For email invites, monitor open rates and click-throughs. You could A/B test subject lines or follow up with non-openers. Small tweaks like these can make a big difference.

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Visualise the Results

Spreadsheets are helpful, but data tells a clearer story when it’s visual.

Using a funnel approach can help you see, at a glance, how prospects moved from invite to attendance to application — and where drop-offs occurred. Sharing these visual insights makes it easier for other teams to engage with the data and get involved in planning improvements.

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Use the Right Tech for the Job

Evaluating an event is a whole lot easier when you’re working with the right tools.

A purpose-built admissions CRM — like Full Fabric — allows you to track metrics automatically, with built-in visual dashboards and historical comparisons. No more jumping between spreadsheets, email platforms and attendance lists.

From open rates to enrolment conversions, everything lives in one place — making evaluation fast, easy and accurate.

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Learn and Improve for Next Time

Gathering the data is only half the job — now it’s time to turn those insights into action.

Here are a few questions to help steer your next event strategy:

• Which channel delivered the most registrations — and how can you optimise it?
• Did any channel underperform? What will you do differently next time?
• Was attendance from a key audience segment (e.g. international applicants) lower than expected?
• Was there a significant drop-off between registration and attendance?
• How many attendees went on to apply or enrol?

Even the most successful event has room to grow. The key is to use what you’ve learned to do even better next time.

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Final Thoughts

Running an admissions event can feel like a whirlwind — but with a clear measurement strategy, you’ll finish each one with a wealth of insight.

Evaluate what mattered, share your wins, and keep improving. Because when you measure what matters, you create events that truly move the needle.

Looking for a smarter way to track and evaluate your recruitment events? Book a demo to see how Full Fabric can support your admissions strategy.