EdTech and Pancakes, brought to you by DreamApply, is a podcast about paradigm shifts in education.
Together with leading experts from around the world, we explore the ever-evolving landscape of EdTech.
Whether you’re facing challenges in student enrollment or marketing, looking to get more done with less effort or just passionate about education, you’re in the right place.
Dive deeper at https://www.dreamapply.com
How to streamline admissions and have fun doing it | Marko Delić | EAIE 2026 | DreamApply
The best admissions signal is often found at the front desk, and Marko Delić learned that from his own staff.Recorded live at EAIE 2026 in Glasgow, this EdTech & Pancakes Mini features Marko Delić, Head of Marketing at DreamApply.
Before joining DreamApply, Marko led admissions in the United States and Cambodia, at university and K-12 level.
Marko shares what admissions officers, directors and senior international officers told him they want from admissions management, the mistake he sees institutions make most often, and the feedback from a former colleague at Kellogg Community College that shaped how he leads.
Then comes an unusual question: how do you have more fun while you streamline? "If you're always buried in the office in the paperwork and trying to prove the numbers and so on, you miss a lot of signals."It's likely your next intake feels harder to predict than the last one. The way your admissions run is the part you still get to shape.
👉 Would it be a bad idea to find out where your own process is losing time before the next cycle starts? Request a free Smart Admissions Plan, built on what has already worked across more than 300 educational institutions: https://www.dreamapply.com/smart-admissions-plan?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=eaie2026-podcast (https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.dreamapply.com/smart-admissions-plan%3Futm_source%3Dspotify%26utm_medium%3Dpodcast%26utm_campaign%3Deaie2026-podcast)
👉 Prefer to see it running on your own admissions setup? Book a free demo of DreamApply: https://www.dreamapply.com/request-a-demo?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=eaie2026-podcast (https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.dreamapply.com/request-a-demo%3Futm_source%3Dspotify%26utm_medium%3Dpodcast%26utm_campaign%3Deaie2026-podcast)
👉 Listen to every EdTech & Pancakes episode: https://www.dreamapply.com/podcast?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=eaie2026-podcast (https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.dreamapply.com/podcast%3Futm_source%3Dspotify%26utm_medium%3Dpodcast%26utm_campaign%3Deaie2026-podcast)
👉 Explore case studies, guides and more ways to streamline admissions: https://www.dreamapply.com/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=eaie2026-podcast (https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.dreamapply.com/%3Futm_source%3Dspotify%26utm_medium%3Dpodcast%26utm_campaign%3Deaie2026-podcast)
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀
00:00 Live from EAIE 2026 with Marko Delić
00:23 First impressions as a first-timer (and a nearly lost suitcase)
01:04 Is now the right time to streamline admissions?
02:15 Policy sits beyond your control, admissions architecture sits within it
02:42 The most common mistake: no intentional time to question the process
04:40 An uncommon insight: get out of the office and onto the front desk
06:20 Streamlining without losing the human side
06:45 How to have more fun as you streamline admissions
08:13 Final words for the international community
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆
Founded in 2011 in Estonia, DreamApply seeks to simplify the admissions process for educational institutions and millions of applicants globally. More than 300 educational institutions in more than 40 countries have benefited from DreamApply's application management software to improve admissions and related processes. DreamApply's easy-to-use and customizable software is known to increase international student enrollment by 50% and reduce application processing time by 40% on average. With features designed with and for educational institutions, and integrations with commonly used systems, DreamApply empowers teams to get more done with less effort.
#DreamApply #EAIE2026 #Admissions #HigherEducation #InternationalEducation #EdTechAndPancakes
15 Jun 2026
The payment impact on educational institutions and families | What Flywire learned from 1600 international students | Javier Fontoba, Flywire
In this episode of EdTech and Pancakes, host Razmik Sargsyan speaks with Javier Fontoba, Strategic Partner Manager for Europe at Flywire, a global provider in the fintech space processing cross-border transactions across more than 100 countries. Before moving to fintech, Javier ran international admissions himself at ESIC Business and Marketing School in Valencia, which gives him a rare view from both sides of the student payment journey.
The conversation covers what international students and their families actually experience when paying tuition fees abroad, what the data from 1,600 students across top European business schools reveals about payment friction and enrollment conversion, and how institutions can turn a moment of high anxiety into a competitive advantage. Javier also shares his contrarian take on international student recruitment, and why chasing volume without looking at fit is costing universities more than they realise.
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀
00:00 Introduction
01:04 Javier's journey from admissions to fintech
03:01 The pain of paying tuition fees abroad
06:05 How Flywire works and what it solves
09:00 The DreamApply and Flywire integration
11:48 What 1,600 students told Flywire about payment security
14:33 Why only 59% of students go to the university when they have doubts
17:11 How to communicate with students and parents separately
20:41 Removing friction by simplifying information
21:42 Administrative bottlenecks: acceptance letters and visa timelines
23:05 How automation turns a negative into a conversion lever
27:28 DreamApply citizenship-based portal personalisation
29:22 AI and the future of admissions in 5 to 10 years
33:37 DreamApply AI Highlighter and governed use of AI
35:27 Communicating the ROI of higher education
40:02 Contrarian take: quality over quantity in international recruitment
43:33 The experience of the rejected applicant
44:27 Refunds and the student who did not make it
𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲
Request a free Smart Admissions Plan: https://www.dreamapply.com/personalized-admissions-plan?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=flywire (https://www.dreamapply.com/personalized-admissions-plan?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=flywire)
Book a free demo of DreamApply: https://www.dreamapply.com/request-a-demo?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=flywire (https://www.dreamapply.com/request-a-demo?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=flywire)
Explore case studies: https://www.dreamapply.com/case-studies?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=flywire (https://www.dreamapply.com/case-studies?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=flywire)
Learn more about FlyWire: https://www.flywire.com/
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆
Founded in 2011 in Estonia, DreamApply seeks to simplify the admissions process for educational institutions and millions of applicants globally. More than 300 educational institutions in more than 40 countries have benefited from DreamApply's application management software to improve admissions and related processes.
DreamApply's easy-to-use and customizable software is known to increase international student enrollment by 50% and reduce application processing time by 40% on average.
With features designed with and for educational institutions, and integrations with commonly used systems, DreamApply empowers teams to get more done with less effort.
#EdTech #HigherEducation #StudentRecruitment #Admissions #InternationalStudents #EnrollmentManagement #Flywire #DreamApply #TuitionPayments #HigherEdFinance #StudentExperience #AdmissionsManagement #intled
27 Apr 2026
Why some applicants enroll while others scroll | The generation that changed faster than admissions | Akos Kiraly, SRH Higher Education
Every admissions team is working hard. But somewhere between the first inquiry and enrollment, students disappear. This conversation is about why that happens, and what the institutions getting it right are doing differently.
EdTech and Pancakes is a podcast by DreamApply about admissions, student recruitment, and the trends reshaping higher education. In this episode, Razmik Sargsyan sits down with Akos Kiraly, Prokurist at SRH Higher Education, one of the leading providers of private higher education in Germany and the Netherlands, serving over 23,000 students across five universities and more than 100 study programs.
Akos has spent 15 years on both sides of international student recruitment. He came to Germany as an international student himself and now leads international growth strategy for one of Germany's largest private university groups. SRH has been a DreamApply partner for several years, and in this conversation Akos speaks from direct experience about what works, what doesn't, and what most institutions are still getting wrong.
TOPICS COVERED
00:00 A glimpse of the episode02:11 Welcome and introduction04:37 The SRH merger: what changed overnight for admissions07:08 How DreamApply supported the merger through co-creation11:18 Every intake is almost a new generation14:43 How global instability is reshaping student psychology15:44 From the Big 4 to the Big 14: Germany's moment19:14 What today's applicants actually want as proof of ROI25:30 Domestic vs international students: different recruitment principles27:21 When marketing brings the lead and admissions closes it28:44 Education has the value of a car — and should be treated like it31:09 The 3 KPIs admissions and marketing teams must align on33:09 Focus groups: the most underused tool in higher education34:12 How SRH uses DreamApply and what co-creation really means36:32 How to get the most out of your admissions system39:40 What takes most time in admissions and how technology helps42:06 AI in admissions: putting handcuffs on the right decisions42:36 Why consistency across 12 to 15 months matters more than most think44:06 The applicant launching 5 to 7 applications simultaneously45:06 Word of mouth starts at the application stage47:45 What most admissions leaders won't admit about their role in sales52:02 Automation vs personalization: how to combine both57:00 What Akos wishes he had known 10 years ago59:16 Exporting German higher education: a new way to think about growth01:00:22 Closing reflections
RESOURCES
Request your free Smart Admissions Plan:https://www.dreamapply.com/personalized-admissions-plan?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=akos_kiraly (https://www.dreamapply.com/personalized-admissions-plan?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=akos_kiraly)
Book a demo:https://www.dreamapply.com/request-a-demo?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=akos_kiraly (https://www.dreamapply.com/request-a-demo?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=akos_kiraly)
Explore case studies:https://www.dreamapply.com/case-studies?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=akos_kiraly (https://www.dreamapply.com/case-studies?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=akos_kiraly)
Read the blog:https://www.dreamapply.com/blog?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=akos_kiraly (https://www.dreamapply.com/blog?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=akos_kiraly)
ABOUT DREAMAPPLY
Founded in 2011 in Estonia, DreamApply seeks to simplify the admissions process for educational institutions and millions of applicants globally. More than 300 educational institutions in more than 40 countries have benefited from DreamApply's application management software to improve admissions and related processes. DreamApply's easy-to-use and customizable software is known to increase international student enrollment by 50% and reduce application processing time by 40% on average. With features designed with and for educational institutions, and integrations with commonly used systems, DreamApply empowers teams to get more done with less effort.
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