Top FAQs About FirstLook for Enrollment Teams

In today’s competitive and fast-moving enrollment landscape, colleges and universities need smarter ways to engage students earlier, provide personalized experiences, and convert interest into action. FirstLook is designed to do just that.

FirstLook is a student-facing, embeddable tool that allows prospective students to upload their transcripts and instantly receive personalized feedback on academic fit—before they even apply. It enables institutions to accelerate engagement, improve lead quality, and lay the groundwork for faster admissions decisions.

Whether you're in admissions, marketing, or enrollment strategy, this guide answers the most common questions we hear from teams exploring FirstLook.

What is FirstLook?

FirstLook is a web-based transcript upload and evaluation tool that powers institutions to provide prospective students quick academic fit feedback, while giving admissions professionals early access to easy-to-read transcript summaries.

Institutions can embed FirstLook directly on their website, landing pages, or within any touch point in their marketing workflow to convert more qualified leads, shorten the application cycle, and support data-driven recruitment and marketing strategies. 

How does FirstLook work?

Here’s a quick overview of the process:

1. A prospective student visits a webpage with FirstLook.

2. They upload their transcript in any format (PDF or image).

3. MyDocs transforms the transcript into structured admissions-ready academic profiles in seconds.

4. Admissions or marketing teams instantly gain immediate visibility to academic strengths to qualify prospects faster and personalize communication.

5. Prospective students gain early insight into academic fit and merit-based scholarship estimates.

This creates an earlier feedback loop for students and a qualified lead source for institutions.

Who is FirstLook designed for?

FirstLook supports admissions and enrollment marketing teams, and is especially valuable for:

• Admissions offices looking to increase early engagement, pre-qualify students, and move faster on admissions decisions with a platform they control.

• Marketing teams focused on lead quality, segmentation, and ROI.

• Enrollment strategists aiming to improve funnel efficiency and reduce reliance on third-party lead generation or traditional direct admissions services.

How is FirstLook different from other lead forms or direct admissions tools?

Most lead forms collect only basic contact details. FirstLook goes further by capturing structured academic data in real time, allowing schools to:

• Provide personalized academic fit feedback instantly

• Qualify leads based on actual coursework and GPA, not just intent

• Enable faster follow-up with informed recommendations

• Offer early feedback on merit-based scholarship potential

• Reduce dependency on external third-party aggregators

Unlike other direct admissions platforms, FirstLook can be leveraged as an in-house direct admission alternative or pre-qualification solution that operates within your institution’s brand and workflow.

What data does FirstLook provide to institutions?

Once a student uploads their transcript, FirstLook uses AI to extract and standardize key academic data. This includes:

• GPA (including normalized GPA, if desired)

• Course history highlights, including advanced coursework and subject strengths, to support personalized outreach

• Rigor indicators (e.g. AP, honors, dual enrollment)

• Academic trends or patterns

• Graduation date and school details

Admissions and marketing teams can use this data to segment outreach, identify qualified leads, and follow up with greater speed and accuracy.

Can FirstLook integrate with our CRM or SIS?

Yes. FirstLook is designed to support secure integrations with leading higher ed systems, including: Slate (as an official Slate partner), Salesforce, Ellucian, TargetX, and more.

Data can also be exported manually, via SFTP, or through API-based automation, depending on your team’s preferences and needs.

How can FirstLook support our direct admissions or early offer strategies?

FirstLook enables your institution to explore in-house direct admissions models by giving you early access to structured academic data before the application. This supports:

• Pre-qualified outreach or conditional admits

• Automated triggers based on academic thresholds

• Scholarship pre-screening and merit award modeling

• Earlier, more personalized student communication

You control the logic, branding, and follow-up which allows more flexibility and ownership than traditional third-party models.

What kind of feedback does the student receive?

Integrated into your communication workflow, a student can receive personalized messages based on their academic background and interests. For example, a message might say:

“Based on your transcript, your academic background aligns well with programs at [Institution]. We’d love to tell you more about your next steps.”

Or it can direct them toward specific majors, scholarship opportunities, or fast-track application options. You decide the messaging and calls to action.

Does FirstLook support international students?

Yes. FirstLook can extract and structure transcript data from a wide range of formats, including international transcripts. 

Is FirstLook easy to implement?

Absolutely. FirstLook is:

• Embeddable: Add it to any webpage, landing page, or any communication touch point

• Configurable: Tailor it to your brand, voice, and academic criteria

• Secure: FERPA-compliant and designed with privacy in mind

• Fast: Most schools are up and running in just a few weeks

We provide onboarding, implementation support, and integration guidance every step of the way.

Where can FirstLook be used within our outreach and recruitment efforts?

FirstLook is designed to be flexible, lightweight, and embeddable—making it easy to deploy across a variety of digital and in-person recruitment touch points. Institutions can use FirstLook to engage students at every stage of the enrollment funnel.

Here are some of the most common and effective use cases:

• Admissions or financial aid website pages: Provide a way for students to explore fit and scholarship potential before they apply.

• Landing pages or microsites for specific audiences: Use FirstLook to engage target segments like honors prospects, high school juniors, or students in key geographic markets.

• Email campaigns and SMS outreach: Embed FirstLook as a call-to-action in follow-up messaging to re-engage inquiries with a more personalized, data-driven touchpoint.

• QR codes on print materials or viewbooks: Collect leads and transcripts directly from mailers, brochures, or campus visit materials with a scannable link.

• College fairs or high school visits: Enable on-the-spot transcript uploads using a tablet or shared link, giving students immediate feedback and your team qualified leads.

• Athletics recruiting or other on-the-road outreach: Coaches and recruiters can use FirstLook to quickly assess academic fit while traveling or meeting with prospects.

• Virtual events or webinars: Drive traffic from online programming directly to FirstLook as a next step in expressing interest.

• Scholarship or program-specific promotions: Identify and engage students who meet criteria for specific awards or competitive programs earlier in the funnel.

FirstLook can be deployed in any setting where early insight and fast feedback can help move a prospective student forward.

What outcomes can enrollment teams expect from using FirstLook?

Institutions using FirstLook typically see improvements in:

• Lead quality and conversion rates

• Time to decision through earlier data access

• Engagement rates due to personalized, timely feedback

• Marketing ROI through better segmentation and retargeting

• Staff efficiency by reducing manual transcript intake and screening

By bringing transcript evaluation earlier in the funnel, FirstLook empowers your team to move faster and act with more confidence.

Ready to See FirstLook in Action?

FirstLook is helping enrollment teams rethink the traditional recruitment funnel by giving them a clearer view of student readiness—before the application even begins.

To explore how FirstLook could support your institution’s goals, schedule a short demo with our team.