7 Must-have features for education appointment scheduling software

1. Customizable booking forms 

Our Higher Education online scheduling survey for 2022 showed that being able to customize the booking forms is the clear favorite of all features available in scheduling software for higher education. 

Flexibility is the key to its success since it can provide solutions for different needs.

• Provides information so advisors can prepare in advance and have answers, forms, and options ready to go. 
• Help ensure students are meeting with the right person
• Send only the information a student needs about their specific booking.
• Collect data to measure the impact of student initiatives

2. A choice of appointment options on one page

Your students don’t all have the same needs, so choose college scheduling software that lets you offer them a choice of meeting types. 

Being able to offer more than one kind of appointment on the same booking page is a huge efficiency boost. 

• Use the same link for all students but let them decide the kind of meeting they need. 
• See at-a-glance which meetings you have upcoming
• Automatically ensure the meeting is the right length for the type of support needed
• Offer 1-1 or group sessions on different pages 

3. Customizable notifications

Having tailored, automated email and SMS messages is a game-changer for universities. They let faculty and staff

• Send relevant, timely information when students need it most
• Dramatically reduce no-shows with automated reminders
• Offer consistent messaging based on the individual student’s needs 
• Reach students wherever they are with text messaging options
• Easily follow up with students when the meeting is over

4. Easy cancel & reschedule options

“I can’t make my advising appointment. I’ll just wait until tomorrow. I’m sure I’ll remember. And I’m happy to hang on hold until they can answer the phone”. 

Said no student ever! 

A primary reason why universities love using online scheduling software is that it empowers students to manage their time and their meetings. One-click canceling and rescheduling is a big part of that.

• Students can change an appointment directly from their phone
• Friction-free options to cancel or reschedule
• No need to call in to find a new time
• Collect cancellation data to better understand student needs

5. Mobile-friendly, customizable booking pages 

Our research shows that the majority of bookings made through YouCanBook.me are created on mobile. So it’s critical that your scheduling software works flawlessly when students view it on their phones. 

And booking pages are an extension of your department and your brand, so you should be able to customize them with images and logos.

• Create multiple booking pages to offer consistent service to every student
• Embed booking pages in department web pages and your LMS
• Ensure equity for every student with WCAG 2.0-compliant accessibility and the highest standards of data protection.

6. Easy-to-manage availability  

Schedules can change often and at short notice. So being able to easily adjust the availability that shows on your booking page is key to preventing double bookings. 

• Simply drag and drop in your calendar to update your online booking page.
• Easily manage hybrid or frequently changing schedules without leaving your calendar.
• Individual team members can manage their availability directly in their own work calendar. No need to log in to the main account to make an update.  

7. Integration with video conferencing tools

In our hybrid world, being able to offer both in-person and virtual appointments is a new requirement.

• Automatically create unique video links on Zoom, Google Meet, or MS Teams
• Team members can integrate their own video conferencing account
• Give students a choice of in-person or remote meetings
• Trigger links to send in emails, reminders, and calendar events for you and your students

Has your higher education scheduling software got what it takes?

If outstanding scheduling software is already one of your educational apps for teachers, we’ve got a bonus for you!

Kick your scheduling up a notch with Zapier & webhooks 

If you’re already the campus expert for your college’s scheduling software, try these slightly more advanced features that will put a rocket under your productivity and give you oodles of impact evidence for your team.  

• Automatically send booking data into your CRM, project management tool, marketing automation software, or any other database you use  
• Eliminate manual tasks and human error; update data across multiple systems at the same time
• Easily analyze booking trends and data
• Use booking data to trigger automated workflows

The real must-have is scheduling software for higher education

So there you have it. The 7 most valued, must-have features when you’re looking for higher education appointment scheduling software. 

Start with these and you can’t go wrong. You’ll soon be on your way to friction-free scheduling that saves you time and creates an awesome student experience.