The Clarity Lounge
When Your Research Travels: Admissions Usability Across Borders
In this Polish research paper, the author noted that, “Scientific literature relatively rarely analyses the usability of academic institutions’ admissions services; most studies focus on academic websites in general. The rare exceptions include research on recruitment webpages and application forms, which indicate problems with navigation and communication (Huang & Bilal, 2019; Stark, 2017), as well…
👩🏾💻Tiana: The Student Who Completed the Wrong Application — A Story from Before They Even Apply
Numbers can tell us what happened. Stories help us understand why it matters. Tiana navigated to her local community college’s website and clicked “Admissions”. She found three different links that looked like the application. One said, “Apply Here.” Another said, “Start Your Journey.” Another said, “Enrollment Services.” She chose the first one and filled it…
👱🏻♂️Ryan: The Rural Student With Limited Internet — A Story from Before They Even Apply
Numbers can tell us what happened. Stories help us understand why it matters. Ryan lived in a rural area with a slow, sometimes unpredictable internet connection. He started the application early in the evening. After he finished page four and pressed Continue, the screen timed out. The system logged him out with a message stating…
👩🏼Denise: The Student Who Felt Invisible — A Story from Before They Even Apply
Numbers can tell us what happened. Stories help us understand why it matters. Denise was a caregiver for her mother. She applied to the community college, hoping to enroll in a program that would eventually allow her to work from home. When asked whether she planned to attend full-time or part-time, she hesitated. Her caregiving…
👩🏾🦱Alisha: The Adult Returner Who Felt Talked Down To — A Story from Before They Even Apply
Numbers can tell us what happened. Stories help us understand why it matters. Alisha was returning to college after fifteen years. She was determined to complete her degree this time. She clicked on “Apply Now” and landed on a page filled with terms she did not recognize: matriculation status, residency verification, dependency override. She read…
👨🏼🦰Derek: The Student Who Lost Everything with One Click — A Story from Before They Even Apply
Numbers can tell us what happened. Stories help us understand why it matters. Derek filled out nearly an hour’s worth of information on a multi-page application. He had entered his high school history, emergency contacts, and demographic information. At the bottom of the page was a link that said, “Review before submitting.” When he clicked…
👩🏻 Lucia: The Student Who Submitted Her Application Twice — A Story from Before They Even Apply
Numbers can tell us what happened. Stories help us understand why it matters. Lucia submitted her application and waited. After two weeks, she had not heard anything. She wondered if the submission went through. The confirmation screen had disappeared quickly, and she did not remember seeing an email. She checked her spam folder. Nothing. She…
👨🏻Carl: The Student Who Was Told to Call an Office That Was Closed — A Story from Before They Even Apply
Numbers can tell us what happened. Stories help us understand why it matters. Carl reached a section asking for his Social Security Number. He did not have one. He was legally allowed to attend college and had an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), but the form did not give him that option. Below the field,…
👨🏽🦱Miguel: The Mobile-Only Applicant — A Story from Before They Even Apply
Numbers can tell us what happened. Stories help us understand why it matters. Miguel relied entirely on his smartphone. He did not own a computer, and the one at his local library had a one-hour time limit and a weeks-long reservation queue. He opened the admissions application during his lunch break at his landscaping job.…
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Dr. Treca Bourne 