---
title: "State of student enquiries 2026: when and what applicants write | Skolbot"
description: "67% of applicant messages arrive outside office hours, and 34% of the 6,783 conversations analysed are about programs. Anonymised website chat data from European private schools, 2026."
url: "https://www.skolbot.ai/en-AU/resources/state-of-student-enquiries"
language: "en"
dateModified: "2026-11-09"
---

# State of student enquiries: when and what applicants write

Updated on November 9, 2026

67% of applicant messages arrive outside office hours: in the evening, at lunchtime, early in the morning or at the weekend. The data comes from 6,783 anonymised conversations, or 50,000+ messages, held on the website chat of European private schools of business, communication and applied arts, from 13 March to 3 September 2026. Programs and admissions account for more than half of these conversations.

**67%** of applicant messages arrive outside office hours, across 50,000+ messages sent to the website chat of European private schools in 2026.

## At a glance

- **For whom**: Admissions and marketing teams at private higher-education schools.
- **What was measured**: When applicants write to a school, and about which topics.
- **Main result**: 67% of applicant messages arrive outside office hours. Programmes and admissions account for more than half of conversations.
- **Limits**: The hour map and the topics come from one channel, the website chat, over one period. Results can vary by school and season.

## The 67% figure in detail

- **Date**: March 13, 2026 to September 3, 2026, published November 5, 2026
- **Unit**: Applicant messages
- **Base**: 50,000+ messages in 6,783 conversations
- **Definition**: Message sent outside office hours: on weekdays before 9 am, between 12 pm and 2 pm, after 6 pm, or at the weekend
- **Scope**: Website chat of European private schools of business, communication and applied arts
- **Source**: Skolbot conversation data, anonymised and aggregated
- **Method**: Share of applicant messages sent outside office hours (Monday to Friday, 9 am to 12 pm and 2 pm to 6 pm), local time. Measured value: 66.6%, rounded to 67%.
- **Limits**: One channel, the website chat, and one period. The share can vary by school, channel and season.

## The hour map in detail

- **Date**: March 13, 2026 to September 3, 2026
- **Unit**: Share of applicant messages by day and hour, local time
- **Base**: 50,000+ messages in 6,783 conversations
- **Scope**: Website chat of European private schools of business, communication and applied arts
- **Source**: Skolbot conversation data, anonymised and aggregated
- **Method**: Each applicant message is placed by the day and hour it was sent. Office hours: Monday to Friday, 9 am to 12 pm and 2 pm to 6 pm.
- **Limits**: One channel and one period. The 67% figure is computed from this map.

## What prospective students ask about

Share of conversations by main topic (6,783 conversations, March 13, 2026 to September 3, 2026)

| Main topic | Share of conversations |
| --- | --- |
| Programmes | 34% |
| Admissions | 22% |
| Open days and appointments | 8% |
| Fees and funding | 6% |
| Request to talk to the team | 4% |
| Work-study | 3% |
| International applications | 3% |
| Other (topics under 2 %, off-topic, no question) | 21% |

## The topics in detail

- **Date**: March 13, 2026 to September 3, 2026
- **Unit**: Share of conversations
- **Base**: 6,783 conversations
- **Scope**: Website chat of European private schools of business, communication and applied arts
- **Source**: Skolbot conversation data, anonymised and aggregated
- **Method**: Each conversation is classified under one main topic, out of 16. Shares are exclusive: they add up to 100 % before rounding.
- **Limits**: Only the main topic counts: a conversation that covers several subjects counts once. Rounded to whole numbers, the displayed shares can add up to more than 100 %.

## Method

The headline figure and the hour map (50,000+ messages), like the topic shares (6,783 conversations), come from conversations held on the websites of European private schools of business, communication and applied arts, from 13 March to 3 September 2026, in local time. The data is aggregated and anonymised: no school, group or applicant can be identified. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number. Each conversation is classed under one main topic, out of 16. The shares are therefore exclusive, and the Other line holds the rest. With rounding, they can add up to more than 100.

## What it means for an admissions team

If most messages arrive when the team is away, the first answer depends on what is online at that moment: a form, an FAQ or an agent that replies. Questions about programs and admissions are also the ones an agent can handle from the school’s content.

## Citing this data

You may cite these figures by mentioning “Skolbot, State of student enquiries 2026” with a link to this page.

## Frequently asked questions

### When do prospective students write to schools?

67% of applicant messages arrive outside office hours, that is on weekdays before 9 am, between 12 pm and 2 pm, after 6 pm, or at the weekend. Measured on 50,000+ messages sent to the website chat of European private schools, from 13 March to 3 September 2026.

### What do prospective students ask about most?

Programs first (34% of conversations), then admissions (22%), open days and appointments (8%), and fees and funding (6%).

### What data is the analysis based on?

On anonymised, aggregated conversations held on the website chat of European private schools from 13 March to 3 September 2026. The headline figure and the hour map cover 50,000+ messages, and the topics 6,783 conversations. No school can be identified.

## Related pages

- [Solutions](https://www.skolbot.ai/en-AU/solutions)
- [Best AI agents (2026)](https://www.skolbot.ai/en-AU/resources/best-ai-agents-student-recruitment)
- [Website agent](https://www.skolbot.ai/en-AU/solutions/web-agent)