How University at Buffalo SPPS Achieved a 49% Enrollment Conversion Rate Using Unibuddy’s Full Platform

Challenge 

University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SPPS) were struggling to engage with international students due to time constraints during working hours. The admissions inbox was receiving a high volume of questions, putting pressure on staff and making it difficult to provide timely, personalized responses. SPPS wanted a more efficient way to support prospects, and they also saw strong value in a peer-to-peer engagement tool. 

“Students from all backgrounds, whether domestic or international, want to learn and hear from other students about their experiences,” notes Tyler Bingham, Assistant Director for Recruitment & Advisement at University at Buffalo SPPS. “They might want to talk to students from their own state or country, and it takes a lot of coordination to make that happen, unless you have a tool to create those moments of synergy.”

Solution

With other areas of University at Buffalo already exploring Unibuddy, SPPS saw an opportunity to adopt the platform, and implemented all three Unibuddy products: Chat, Assistant and Community.

“One of the biggest things that Unibuddy offers is that they are very forward-facing in how they work with customers,” says Tyler. “It goes beyond day-to-day or product maintenance. You are able to build a strong rapport with your Customer Success Manager, who takes time to understand your individual needs and becomes a truly effective partner.”

Across all three products, Unibuddy Assistant quickly stood out. “A lot of chatbots are quite abrupt in their messaging, trying to answer and end the conversation,” Tyler explains. “What I’ve admired about Assistant is that once it has answered a question, it directs students to speak with a Student Ambassador (or Peer Mentor). It really acts as a vehicle for peer-to-peer interaction. An Ambassador can’t answer a question at 1am, but a chatbot can.”

Tyler also highlights the flexibility Unibuddy offers partner schools. SPPS has the freedom to use the platform in a way that best fits its needs, building on existing recruitment strategies and creating as many Communities as they see fit, without additional cost.

Impact

In a competitive admissions environment, engagement and conversion are critical for SPPS. In 2025, Unibuddy supported 213 applicants, contributing to 130 offers and 105 enrolled students. Unibuddy has also played a role in reducing summer melt, helping SPPS from early interest through to enrollment, with a 49% enrollment conversion rate. “We have seen a pretty steady growth in the number of students that use the app and ultimately convert and join our school,” says Tyler.

For Tyler and his team, the impact goes beyond outcomes. “Because we are a small school, we can be really direct and communicative with students, and Unibuddy is a great compliment to that.” The platform enables more conversational, peer-led engagement that helps prospective students feel confident and supported as they make important decisions.

Tyler shares that Unibuddy Assistant saves him 3.25 hours per week, giving him more flexibility in his calendar and time to support his students, and this is something that the whole team benefits from, “I am the only staff member using Unibuddy, so 3.25 hours may not sound like a lot at first, but it certainly makes an impact on my working week.”

This impact is being felt beyond SPPS, with other departments across University at Buffalo, including the Graduate School of Education, the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the School of Management also seeing success with Unibuddy.