At GradComm, we believe the best way to improve the student journey is to experience it firsthand. That’s exactly what our secret shopping service is designed to do. By simulating the real paths that prospective students take, from first inquiry to enrollment, we provide actionable insights into where a community college shines, and where they’re leaving students in the dark.
Seeing College Through the Student’s Eyes
Each project starts with custom student personas that reflect the actual demographics of today’s community college population, including working parents, adult ESL learners, and recent high school graduates. These personas serve as the “point of view” for our secret shoppers, who move through the entire enrollment journey: exploring a college’s website, reaching out via phone and email, applying, and even attempting to register for classes.
At every step, we document the experience from a student’s lens, flagging roadblocks, missed opportunities, and friction points that may not be visible from the inside.
When Data Meets Empathy
What makes secret shopping different from traditional reviews? It’s not just about auditing systems or counting clicks. Our approach is human-centered and holistic. We track not only what happened, but how it felt to the student. That emotional data often reveals the biggest insights.
Small missteps, like a confusing webpage or a voicemail that never gets returned, can discourage already overwhelmed students from following through. On the flip side, timely help and thoughtful communication can make all the difference.
Case Study: Southwestern College Shines a Light on Enrollment Barriers
Southwestern College partnered with GradComm to better understand the enrollment experience for two key audiences: adult ESL learners and first-time students. Our secret shoppers uncovered critical issues, including confusing navigation, a lack of Spanish-language resources, and delays in communication that disrupted the student journey.
“The results of our Secret Shopper experience were enlightening and at times a bit uncomfortable, but provided us with essential feedback that will help guide us to improving our services for students. GradComm was our catalyst for improved student success.”
— Jennifer Lewis, Dean, Continuing Education and Workforce Development, Southwestern College
Case Study: MiraCosta College Maps the Student Journey
MiraCosta College’s Continuing Education Division also used GradComm’s secret shopping service to evaluate its application and enrollment experience. Our team uncovered friction points like complex phone trees, inconsistent messaging, and broken links, but also surfaced wins, such as responsive staff and clear email replies.
“The secret shopper project gave us powerful, real-time insights into how students experience our systems. It confirmed what was working, and, more importantly, helped us pinpoint where we were unintentionally creating barriers.”
— John Makevich, Dean, Continuing and Community Education, MiraCosta College
Student-Centered Starts with Walking in Their Shoes
Secret shopping is not about pointing fingers. It is about uncovering blind spots and building empathy into decision-making. It is a tool for colleges that are serious about equity, retention, and real student success.
If you want to help students get where they want to go, sometimes the best place to start is where they’re already stuck.
Want to hear more secret shopping case studies?
Tune into our podcast.
Ready to improve your student journey?
Send us a message at gradcomm.com/contact. We’re happy to walk the walk with you.
