How to reduce no-shows at admissions interviews

The agent calls every candidate 24 hours ahead, confirms the interview and, if they can't make it, finds a new slot on the same call. Everything flows back to your CRM.

What you'll achieve

  • An agent that confirms, reschedules and logs the outcome of every interview
  • A T‑24 h confirmation campaign with voice and WhatsApp retries
  • The status of every interview back in your CRM

Why confirm interviews

A candidate who doesn't show up to their admissions interview is a lost slot in the advisor's calendar and, often, a lost enrollment. Most no-shows aren't a "no": they're forgotten appointments, last-minute issues or doubts nobody cleared up in time.

A reminder with the option to reschedule turns many of those cases into an interview that happens, or into a slot you can fill again.

+11%

attendance with reminders, in a meta-analysis of 12 studies (Al-Turbag et al., 2026)

+4 to +7

enrollment points from messages to admitted students in the US (Castleman & Page, 2012)

≈ $7

cost per student in that same study

Study
Meta-analysis of reminders (Al-Turbag et al., 2026)
Setting
Hospital appointments · 12 studies, 8,236 participants
Result
Reminders increase attendance by 11% (RR 1.11). Phone reminders have a significant effect (RR 1.11). SMS shows a similar effect (RR 1.14), but not significant and highly variable across studies
Study
Text messages vs. "summer melt" (Castleman & Page, 2012)
Setting
College admissions · US
Result
Personalized messages to admitted students: +4 enrollment points in Dallas and +7 in Lawrence and Springfield. No effect in Boston

How it works in Reshape

The agent calls the candidate before the interview, reminds them of the date, time and format, and records their answer. If they can't make it, it reschedules on the spot. Everything is logged and flows back to your CRM. These are the pieces you'll use:

Piece
Campaign (Manual or API)
Where
Campaigns
What it does here
Launches the confirmation calls with their retries
Piece
Dynamic variables
Where
API · initiate_conversation
What it does here
Pass the agent the name, program, date, time, format and advisor of each interview
Piece
Calendar (tool)
Where
Agent → Tools
What it does here
Lets the agent check open slots and reschedule on the same call. Syncs with Google Calendar or Outlook
Piece
Transfer Call
Where
Agent → Tools
What it does here
Hands the candidate over to admissions for questions the agent shouldn't answer
Piece
Email Tool
Where
Agent → Tools
What it does here
Sends an email with the confirmation or the new time during the call
Piece
Data Collection
Where
Agent → Data Collection
What it does here
Extracts fields from each call such as estado_entrevista, nueva_fecha or motivo_cancelacion (up to 25)
Piece
Calendar (menu)
Where
Sidebar → Calendar
What it does here
Shows the appointments booked by your agents
Piece
Automations
Where
Integrations
What it does here
Send the outcome back to the CRM: confirmed, rescheduled, cancelled or not reached

Daily manual campaign

Simpler

Every day you upload the list of the next day's interviews. Easy to start, but it depends on someone doing it every day.

API campaign (recommended)

Automatic

Your CRM or Make, Zapier or n8n call the API 24 h before each interview with the appointment details. Every candidate gets the call at the right moment.

When and on which channel to remind

The core piece is a call 24 hours ahead: it leaves room to reschedule and to fill the slot again. It's backed by a WhatsApp fallback and a short reminder on the day. These are starting points: adjust them to the no-show rate of each intake.

When
At booking
Channel
Email or WhatsApp (CRM or the agent's email tool)
Content
Confirmation with date, time, format (in person or online), link or address and what to bring
If there's no answer
—
When
T‑24 h
Channel
Call from the agent
Content
Remind, confirm attendance and reschedule if needed
If there's no answer
Voice retry after 30 min
When
T‑24 h + 1 h
Channel
WhatsApp (retry)
Content
"We called to confirm your interview tomorrow. Reply YES or CHANGE"
If there's no answer
Call after 3 h, with No WhatsApp reply
When
T‑2 h (or that morning)
Channel
WhatsApp or email
Content
Short reminder with the video call link or the address
If there's no answer
—
When
T+15 min, if they don't join
Channel
Call (another campaign or automation)
Content
"Having trouble getting in?". Offer to reschedule on the spot
If there's no answer
WhatsApp to reschedule
Monday interviews
Call on Friday: a call on Sunday is intrusive.
Online interviews
The link goes in every reminder, and the T‑2 h one is a must.
Underage candidates
Confirm with the parent or guardian if your school requires it, and adapt the script.

What to do depending on the answer

Reminding isn't enough: the agent has to turn "I can't make it" into a new date before hanging up. Whatever happens is saved in estado_entrevista and sent to the CRM.

Answer
Confirms
What the agent does
Repeats date, time and format. Asks if they have any questions. If online, offers to send the link
estado_entrevista
confirmada
What happens next
T‑2 h reminder
Answer
Can't make it
What the agent does
Asks which day suits them, checks slots with the Calendar tool and books the new one. Without a connected calendar, collects 2 preferences
estado_entrevista
reprogramada + nueva_fecha
What happens next
The CRM moves the appointment and frees the original slot
Answer
Not sure
What the agent does
Suggests keeping the appointment and confirming again by WhatsApp that afternoon
estado_entrevista
pendiente
What happens next
Follow-up WhatsApp
Answer
No longer interested or chose another school
What the agent does
Thanks them, briefly asks why and doesn't push
estado_entrevista
cancelada + motivo_cancelacion
What happens next
Slot freed. If there's a waiting list, it's offered to another candidate
Answer
Has questions (scholarships, price, requirements)
What the agent does
Answers from its knowledge base. If it can't, transfers to admissions or books a call with an advisor
estado_entrevista
confirmada or pendiente
What happens next
Task for the advisor in the CRM
Answer
No answer / voicemail
What the agent does
—
estado_entrevista
sin_contacto
What happens next
Retries (voice, WhatsApp, voice). Still no contact: alert the advisor
Answer
Asks not to be called
What the agent does
Respects it and ends the call
estado_entrevista
baja
What happens next
Retries stop (stop_campaign_leads)
1

Step 1 of 8

Turn on the agent's tools

Go to Voice agents, open the agent that will make the calls, then Configure settings and scroll down to its tools.

Calendar
Turn it on and connect it to Google Calendar or Outlook. That way the agent can check open slots and reschedule on the same call.
Email Tool (optional)
Lets the agent email the confirmation or the new time when the call ends.
Email Tool and Calendar, at the end of the tools list.
Transfer Call
Add the admissions number for questions about scholarships, prices or requirements.
Voicemail Detection
Turn it on so the agent doesn't leave half-finished messages.
2

Step 2 of 8

Create the fields in Data Collection

In Data Collection, create the fields your CRM needs (up to 25). At a minimum:

estado_entrevista
confirmada, reprogramada, cancelada, pendiente, sin_contacto or baja (confirmed, rescheduled, cancelled, pending, not reached, opted out).
nueva_fecha
The new date and time, if the candidate reschedules.
motivo_cancelacion
Why they no longer want the interview, in a few words.
Each field has a type, an identifier and a description.

Save your changes and make a test call with the agent.

3

Step 3 of 8

Create the confirmation campaign

Go to Campaigns → New campaign and leave the channel on Voice call.

Name
For example, Admissions interview confirmation (T‑24 h).
Campaign Type
API Campaign if your CRM triggers the calls, or Manual campaign if you upload the list every day.
Voice agent
The one you set up in steps 1 and 2.
API campaigns don't complete on their own: you end them manually with the «Finish» button.
4

Step 4 of 8

Set concurrent calls and retries

Phone number
Required. If you don't have one, add it in My numbers.
Concurrent calls
3, and adjust it to your daily interview volume.
Retries
3, so you can create the three strategies in step 6.
5

Step 5 of 8

Set the schedule

Turn on Enable scheduling and set Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 20:00, with Respect the lead's time zone turned on. This matters if you have international candidates.

6

Step 6 of 8

Set up advanced retries

Turn on Enable advanced retries with a limit of 1 day: there's no point retrying after the interview. Then create these three strategies:

Attempt
First call
Channel
Voice
If the outcome is…
—
When
T‑24 h
Attempt
Retry 1
Channel
Voice
If the outcome is…
No answer · Busy · Failed call
When
30 minutes
Attempt
Retry 2
Channel
WhatsApp
If the outcome is…
No answer · Voicemail
When
1 hour
Attempt
Retry 3
Channel
Voice
If the outcome is…
No answer · Voicemail · No WhatsApp reply
When
3 hours
Retry 1: another call after 30 minutes, within the campaign's schedule.
Retry 2: needs WhatsApp connected and the confirmation template approved.
Retry 3: «No WhatsApp reply» fires when the message gets no reply.

Click Save.

7

Step 7 of 8

Trigger the calls 24 h ahead from your CRM

For an API campaign, set up your CRM or Make, Zapier or n8n to call initiate_conversation 24 h before each interview, with the campaign_id, the crm_lead_id and the appointment variables:

POST https://api.reshapeos.com/functions/v1/initiate_conversation
{
  "api_key": "your_api_key",
  "agent_id": "agent_id",
  "phone_number": "+34600123456",
  "agent_phone_number_id": "phone_number_id",
  "campaign_id": "campaign_id",
  "crm_lead_id": "lead_id_in_your_crm",
  "dynamic_variables": {
    "first_name": "Emma",
    "programa": "Grado en ADE",
    "fecha_entrevista": "jueves 15 de octubre",
    "hora_entrevista": "10:30",
    "formato": "online",
    "asesor": "Sophie"
  }
}

For a Manual campaign, upload the list of the next day's interviews every day, with those same columns.

8

Step 8 of 8

Close the loop with your CRM

  • In Integrations → Automations, create a Conversation completed automation filtered by this campaign, with a webhook to your CRM.
  • Send estado_entrevista and nueva_fecha so the CRM updates the appointment.
  • Check the interviews the agent has rescheduled in Calendar.
The Calendar shows the appointments booked by your agents.

Agent script and WhatsApp templates

A confirmation call should last under 2 minutes. The agent doesn't sell: it confirms, handles the basics and reschedules if needed. Write the script in your candidates' language; here's the structure:

Greeting
"Hi {{first_name}}, this is LidIA from the {{centro}} admissions team. I'm calling about your interview for {{programa}}."
Reminder
"It's tomorrow, {{fecha_entrevista}}, at {{hora_entrevista}}, {{formato}}, with {{asesor}}."
Closed question
"Can you confirm you'll be there?"
If yes
"Perfect! I'll email you the link (or the address). Have your ID and your latest school report handy." Adapt what to bring to each school.
If they can't
"No problem, let's change it now. Which day works better, this week or next?" Check slots and confirm the new one.
If they're unsure
Answer from the knowledge base or transfer to admissions.
If they're not interested
"Understood, thanks for letting us know. Could you briefly tell me why? It helps us improve." Don't push.
Wrap-up
Sum up the outcome ("See you Thursday at 10:30") and say goodbye.
WhatsApp template for the retry (Meta, Utility category)
Hi {{1}}, we called you from {{2}} admissions to confirm your interview tomorrow, {{3}}, at {{4}}. Reply YES to confirm or CHANGE if you need another date.
Same-day reminder (T‑2 h)
Hi {{1}}, your admissions interview is in 2 hours. Link: {{2}}. If something comes up, reply to this message and we'll find you another slot.

Before going live

  • Agent with the Calendar tool connected (Google or Outlook)
  • Transfer to admissions set up and voicemail detection on
  • Fields in Data Collection: estado_entrevista, nueva_fecha, motivo_cancelacion
  • Script reviewed by the admissions team (tone, what can and can't be said)
  • Confirmation campaign created (API or manual), with retries and a 1-day limit
  • WhatsApp templates approved (retry and T‑2 h reminder)
  • CRM or automation triggering the calls at T‑24 h, with the appointment variables
  • Automation sending each interview's status back to the CRM
  • Consent to contact collected in the admissions application (GDPR)
  • End-to-end test with a mock interview of your own

What to measure

Metric
No-show rate
How to calculate it
Interviews not attended / interviews booked
Why
The main goal: compare it with the weeks before Reshape
Metric
Confirmation rate
How to calculate it
confirmada / candidates called
Why
See whether the script works
Metric
Reschedules
How to calculate it
reprogramada / candidates called
Why
Interviews that used to be lost and are now recovered
Metric
Slots refilled
How to calculate it
Freed slots that were filled again
Why
The real value of calling 24 h ahead
Metric
Not reached
How to calculate it
sin_contacto after all retries
Why
If it's high, review the schedule or add another channel
Metric
Attendance of confirmed candidates
How to calculate it
Confirmed candidates who actually show up
Why
How reliable the "yes" is. If it drops, strengthen the T‑2 h reminder

Sources: "A systematic review and meta-analysis of appointment reminders for enhancing hospital attendance", Journal of Hospital Management and Health Policy (Al-Turbag et al., 2026), and "Can Text Messages Mitigate Summer Melt?", NEBHE's summary of the Castleman and Page study (2012).

Losing interviews to no-shows?

We'll help you set up the confirmation campaign and connect it to your CRM.

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