Enhancing Student Support Through IoT: A Case Study on ScholarMatch's Use of Airtable and Zapier

ScholarMatch is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco that is dedicated to helping low-income and first-generation students apply to, pay for, and succeed in college. The organization believes in the power of education and works tirelessly to ensure that financial constraints do not hinder deserving students from pursuing higher education. ScholarMatch provides a range of services, from college application assistance to financial aid guidance, and relies heavily on feedback from students to continually improve their services. The organization's commitment to their mission is evident in their impressive track record, with 698 students sent to college in 2016 and 97% of those students on track to graduate.

ScholarMatch, a San Francisco-based nonprofit, is dedicated to assisting low-income and first-generation students in their journey to college. The organization's mission is to help these students apply for, afford, and succeed in college. In 2016, their efforts resulted in 698 students attending college, with 97% of them on track to graduate. However, the organization faced a challenge in efficiently managing and responding to student feedback. They used an online feedback form via Gravity Forms to stay in touch with students' needs and gauge how well ScholarMatch was meeting their expectations. However, the process of sorting, viewing, and responding to this feedback was time-consuming and inefficient. The team needed a solution that would allow them to quickly and effectively process student feedback, enabling them to improve their services and support more students.

ScholarMatch turned to IoT solutions to streamline their feedback management process. They implemented an automated workflow, or 'Zap', using Zapier, a tool that connects different apps and automates workflows. When a student submits feedback, the Zap automatically sends it to an online database tool called Airtable. This allows the ScholarMatch team to sort and view the feedback easily and respond promptly. The team also set up multiple Zaps to notify each advisor differently, based on the best way to reach them. This customization was made possible by the flexibility of Zapier, which allows notifications to be tailored to the advisor's choice of delivery method, be it an email or a Slack message. The team also used Zapier for Teams to share and edit Zaps, enabling them to send additional information to the same Airtable base without sharing Airtable login details unsafely.

• The implementation of Airtable and Zapier has significantly improved ScholarMatch's operational efficiency. The automated workflow has streamlined the feedback management process, freeing up team members to focus on improving their services and supporting more students. The ability to customize notifications for each advisor has also enhanced communication within the team, ensuring that advisors are promptly informed of new feedback and can respond quickly. Furthermore, the use of Zapier for Teams has facilitated collaboration, allowing the team to share and edit Zaps without compromising security. Overall, the use of IoT solutions has empowered ScholarMatch to better serve their students and work towards their mission of sending more students to college.

• Automated feedback management process, saving time and resources

• Enabled quick response to student feedback, improving service quality

• Customized notifications for each advisor, enhancing communication efficiency