2026 data

State of student enquiries: when and what applicants write

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. Programmes and admissions account for more than half of these conversations.

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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 · November 5, 2026

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.

When prospective students write

Hour by hour, across the whole week

Office hoursFewerMore

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

34%of conversations are about programmes: content, specialisations.
22%of conversations are about admissions: application file, tests, calendar.

8%of conversations are about open days and appointments.
6%of conversations are about tuition fees and funding.
4%of conversations ask to speak to someone on the team.
3%of conversations are about apprenticeships and placements alongside study.
3%of conversations are about international applications.
21%of conversations are about less frequent topics, are off-topic or contain no question.

View the data as a table

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 %.

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 programmes and admissions are also the ones an agent can handle from the school’s content.

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?

Programmes 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.

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.

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