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Depending on the organization of your Department within your university, your role as Program Director, Chair, and/or Graduate Coordinator likely includes oversight of the AuD and MA/MS Graduate Applications process. You probably oversee the work of the admissions team. Regardless of your role, the goal of admissions is not simply to manage applications. It is to make your applicants feel informed, valued, and confident throughout the admissions process. A positive applicant experience can significantly improve yield rates, the reputation of your graduate education program, and future student success.

It goes without saying that communication with applicants is important. Applicants become frustrated when they do not know the status of their applications or the next steps. At the same time, we all know that lack of time and resources are obvious barriers to regular communication, but resources are available. It is not always practical to acknowledge receipt of applications immediately, but a good practice is to send out regular updates when application reviews are underway. WebAdMIT—the program-facing platform for CSDCAS—can help you send and track emails to applicants on a schedule that works for your program between the start of your admissions and your deadline. When applicants know what to expect, their anxiety decreases and their confidence in the process increases.

If you have been involved in admissions for multiple cycles, you think regularly about ways to simplify your application process. Every unnecessary obstacle increases the likelihood that an applicant will abandon the process. We can ensure online systems are easy to navigate by providing step-by-step application instructions, creating application checklists, and clearly explaining required documents and deadlines. A streamlined process demonstrates respect for applicants’ time and effort. Tools to support this streamlining are available in WebAdMIT.

Personal attention often becomes a deciding factor when applicants are choosing among multiple institutions. Applicants are evaluating not only whether they belong in your specific program, but also whether your program is the right fit for them if they have a choice among more than one. The applicants who can envision themselves succeeding in your program are more likely to enroll. Here are some engagement ideas to consider as part of your admissions and enrollment strategies:

  • Arrange meetings with faculty and current students
  • Host virtual information sessions and open houses
  • Share graduate student success stories
  • Highlight career outcomes and alumni achievements
  • Introduce campus resources and support services
  • Communicate admission decisions as quickly as possible
  • Explain next steps for admitted students
  • Be honest about funding opportunities, assistantships, and expectations
  • Treat every applicant professionally and courteously

The admissions experience is often an applicant’s first impression of our programs. A transparent and respectful process builds trust and strengthens our institution’s reputation. Even applicants who are not admitted should leave with a positive impression of the process.

Realistically, all these strategies depend on the person-power within your program to carry them out. Higher education is in a difficult place and we in CSD spaces are feeling it. The CAPCSD Admissions Committee hopes that the rest of your Fall 2026 semester goes well. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

As always, if you need help with the admissions processes for your AuD and/or MA/MS graduate education programs, or WebAdMIT and/or CSDCAS, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Admissions Committee and CAPCSD’s Director of Centralized Admissions.

Douglas F. Parham, PhD, CCC-SLP

CAPCSD Vice President of Admissions

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