International admissions is at a tipping point. A surge in applications, higher enrolment targets, and tighter compliance requirements are colliding with operational systems and staffing models that haven’t kept pace.
Admissions and recruitment teams are under pressure to deliver more, faster – but many feel they are being asked to meet strategic goals without strategic investment.
To explore this tension, Flywire, Tribal and Edified convened two roundtable events with senior leaders from 18 UK institutions, including Directors of International Recruitment and Heads of Admissions.
Our goal was to take stock of current challenges, surface shared pain points and shape a more forward-looking conversation about international admissions and recruitment capability.
Here’s what we heard, and what’s coming next.
1. The pressure is real - and growing
Financial pressures are pushing international enrolment targets higher than ever. But many participants said those targets are unrealistic – often set by senior leaders without a clear grasp of what’s happening on the ground or the team’s actual capacity.
The result? Disengagement and burnout. Some admissions teams are stressed to breaking point. Others have switched off from strategic conversations altogether, feeling they’re being asked to deliver the impossible. A few shared concerns that, under pressure to meet numbers, some institutions may be making riskier admissions decisions.
2. A challenging environment getting harder
Across both roundtables, the pressures were clear:
- Rapid policy shifts – particularly around BCA metrics and post-study work rights – are creating uncertainty and increasing scrutiny.
- International recruitment targets are climbing even as student demand softens in some key source markets and competition intensifies globally.
- Operational complexity is rising, especially with managing education agents, meeting changing student expectations for fast and seamless service, and keeping up with risks such as fraud and cybersecurity.
- Technology is evolving fast, but many institutions feel held back by legacy systems, siloed data, and disconnected processes.
The result is mounting pressure on admissions and recruitment teams to perform in an environment that demands agility and innovation, but progress often remains incremental and reactive.
A participant from one university shared:
"Turnaround expectations keep getting shorter, but we’re dealing with more complex cases and tighter document checks, and the pressure just keeps building."
3. Technology is advancing – but the model isn’t
There’s widespread awareness that AI, automation, and data-driven approaches could transform international admissions. Yet many teams see predictive analytics, live forecasting and dynamic prioritisation as distant ideas rather than realities.
Legacy systems and manual processes continue to consume resources, while teams stretch their people rather than rethink workflows. Meanwhile, investment in operational technology lags behind funding for physical infrastructure, creating a disconnect between institutional ambitions and the tools available to deliver on them.
Roundtable participants commented:
“We’ve poured millions into buildings and branding. Now we need to invest in the systems and processes that make it all work.”
“We’ve ended up with a Frankenstein of different systems, sometimes clunky, inconsistent, and full of outdated processes. Students face wildly different turnaround times, while staff are stuck navigating manual tasks and chasing SLAs they can’t realistically meet.”
4. The conversation nobody is having
When universities look at the various levers to meet recruitment targets, critical questions remain – whether it’s adjusting entry requirements, launching scholarships, increasing agent commissions, improving applicant engagement through channels like WhatsApp, speeding up turnaround times, or balancing quantity versus quality of applications – critical questions remain unanswered:
- Where does this discussion take place?
- Who decides the best course of action?
- What is the RACI structure for these decisions?
- Who weighs the trade-offs between risk, reputational impact and long-term growth?
- Who decides who bears the operational load or approves investment in capacity increases?
This strategic conversation is often missing or disconnected from day-to-day operational realities. Without senior leadership buy-in and clear accountability, institutions struggle to align ambition with capability.
What’s next: Admissions Navigator
In response to these challenges, Flywire, Tribal, and Edified are co-developing the Admissions Navigator – a self-assessment tool designed to help universities evaluate their international admissions capability and identify priorities for investment and improvement.
Informed by the roundtable collaboration with 18 UK institutions, the tool will provide:
- A structured assessment across eight capability themes
- Insights to support internal conversations and strategic planning
- A practical framework to foster collaboration across admissions, international recruitment and senior leadership teams
Admissions Navigator aims to bridge the gap between aspiration and reality, helping universities take proactive steps toward sustainable, data-informed growth.
Get involved
All UK universities will be invited to participate. The self-assessment takes around 15 minutes to complete and offers a personalised capability report alongside access to sector insights.
📅 Register for a virtual information session on 29 July to find out more.
Thank you to our contributors
We thank the university leaders who shared their insights and experiences. Your input has shaped Admissions Navigator to reflect the real challenges and opportunities facing the sector.
Anglia Ruskin University
Birmingham City University
Brunel Pathway College - Navitas
Canterbury Christ Church University
Cranfield University
Kaplan International
Kingston University
Liverpool Hope University
London Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University
Navitas UK Holdings
Royal Veterinary College
University of Exeter
University of Huddersfield
University of London
University of the Arts London
University of Warwick
UWE Bristol
Now is the time to lead the conversation
International admissions is no longer a back-office function. It is a strategic growth enabler and a vital touchpoint for international students. Meeting these demands requires more than effort – it requires leadership, investment and a clear plan for capability development.
Admissions Navigator is a step toward that future.
Let’s start the conversation.