Evidence of Impact
Research-backed outcomes for student success
Mainstay helps institutions turn timely conversations into measurable gains across enrollment, persistence, financial aid, and course performance.
Peer-reviewed studies Working papers A/B tests Ongoing evaluations
Landmark RCT
21.4%reduction in summer melt in the Georgia State University study.
Confirmed research
Research that follows students from intention to action
Explore rigorous studies, working papers, and partner evaluations showing how personalized outreach helps students take the next right step.
Showing all 8 studies and research partnerships.
GSU Summer Melt: Pounce virtual assistant
Georgia State used conversational outreach to help admitted students clear the final hurdles to enrollment, from forms and financial aid to deadline-sensitive next steps.
ECU Summer Melt: first-generation student outcomes
East Carolina University extended summer melt support with personalized guidance, helping first-generation students make progress on financial aid and enrollment steps.
GSU Retention: text-based nudging conditions
Georgia State used timely, targeted outreach to help students resolve the administrative barriers that can quietly derail persistence.
West Texas A&M FAFSA: behavioral design test
Behaviorally designed messages helped students see FAFSA completion as a natural part of enrollment, increasing on-time completion for students who had not applied the prior year.
GSU Course Performance: "Let's Chat"
Across two large, asynchronous online courses at Georgia State, 2,483 students were randomized to receive proactive, course-specific outreach or standard course communications.
CSU Northridge: scaling conversational AI support
Across four years, CSU Northridge scaled conversational support for high-volume student needs, improving completion of time-sensitive tasks while adding nuance to where AI support has the greatest impact.
WSAC / MDRC OtterBot: FAFSA support optimization
Washington partners are improving OtterBot through research-backed message design, helping more students engage with financial aid guidance when deadlines matter most.
Common App / College Advising Corps: Oli support campaign
Common App, College Advising Corps, and Mainstay brought Oli to students at national scale, expanding access to timely college-going support during a uniquely challenging admissions season.
Why it matters
Better student support starts with better evidence.
Mainstay partners with institutions and researchers to understand where conversations move students forward, and where support needs to be sharper.
Research library
Go deeper into the evidence
Read the studies, working papers, reports, and partner stories behind the outcomes above.
- Page & Gehlbach, AERA Open - GSU summer melt RCT.
- Nurshatayeva et al., Research in Higher Education - ECU summer melt RCT.
- Page et al., Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness - text-based nudging conditions.
- Irrational Labs case study - West Texas A&M FAFSA behavioral design A/B test.
- Meyer et al., Economics of Education Review - Let's Chat course-performance RCT.
- Mata, Russell & Page, EdWorkingPaper 26-1409 - CSU Northridge conversational AI support.
- MDRC OTTERS report - OtterBot financial aid application research.
- Common App / AdmitHub / CAC release - national student support campaign.
- Mainstay outcomes page - outcomes overview.