Many admissions counselors default to measuring school visit success by the number of student contacts or "leads" gathered. While these metrics are easy to track, they’re inherently limited. They focus on short-term data collection rather than capturing the broader, more meaningful reach of the engagement efforts that a school visit contains.

The truth is, collecting contact info doesn’t reveal how deeply you’re connecting with students, how many diverse backgrounds were reached, or the real influence you’re having on their awareness and decisions. To truly understand and improve impact, we need to shift our focus from simple lead counts to more comprehensive measures that reflect genuine engagement and inclusion.

Moving Toward a Broader View of Impact

Instead of just gathering leads, consider how you can quantify your outreach. For instance:

• Are you engaging the right students based on your current enrollment data?
• Are you accessing schools in varied geographic and socioeconomic areas?
• What conversations or connections are happening beyond a simple contact exchange?

This shift requires a more nuanced approach to data collection—looking beyond just the number of contacts to include measures of genuine engagement and relationship-building.

Better Data, Better Decision-Making

To truly understand your impact, start capturing data that reflects meaningful interactions. Some strategies include:

• Tracking how many meaningful conversations or workshops you conduct with students, counselors, or groups.
• Collecting qualitative feedback from counselors on how your visits helped inform or inspire their students.
• Monitoring the diversity of schools and students you are engaging with—geographic, demographic, and socioeconomic diversity counts.
• Recording participation in virtual sessions, outreach programs, or collaborative events that extend your reach beyond initial contacts.
• Setting a territory with goals and monitor how you achieve reaching it.

Strengthening Counselor Relationships

Beyond data collection, invest in building genuine relationships with counselors. Think of them as essential partners in your outreach—relationships that can open doors in ways that simple contact lists cannot. A few ways to do this:

• Offer ongoing support and resources, not just one-time visits.
• Co-design outreach activities that align with the needs of their student populations.
• Follow up with personalized messages or check-ins that demonstrate your commitment to their school community.
• Ask what else you can do to contribute to the “college readiness” supports that they offer.

Accountability to Broader Goals

Ultimately, accountability shouldn’t just mean the number of visits or contacts made. Instead, it should focus on how many students from diverse backgrounds you are reaching, engaging with, and inspiring. Metrics should reflect the expanded scope of your efforts and the lasting relationships you are building.

SchooLinks has just released new features for admissions counselors to set territories, monitor impact, and see real time data on the reach to different school communities. Check out the free training today!