Why teams leave
Salesforce for Overgrad
Salesforce is a strong CRM. It was never built for students. Here is why teams switch.
The Problem with Salesforce for Student Success
You are paying CRM prices and still building the student parts yourself.
Salesforce works if you have the budget for consultants, the patience for custom development, and the staff to maintain a system that was not built for education.
- Every change requires a consultant or Salesforce admin
- No native college database, application tracking, or NSC integration
- Student-facing features require expensive add-ons or custom builds
- Reporting requires custom objects and formula fields
- Total cost of ownership far exceeds the license fee
You shouldn't need a consultant to change a dropdown.
Side-by-Side
| Capability | Salesforce | Overgrad |
|---|---|---|
| College database + fit scoring | Custom build required | Built-in |
| Application tracking | Custom objects | Built-in |
| NSC integration | Third-party or custom | Built-in |
| SIS sync (PowerSchool, etc.) | Custom integration | Built-in |
| Two-way SMS | Add-on required | Built-in |
| Student portal | Experience Cloud ($$$) | Built-in |
| Configuration changes | Admin or consultant | Self-service |
| Implementation | Months | Days to weeks |
What Switching Looks Like
You Keep
- Your approach and advising standards
- Your historical student data (we migrate it)
- Your reporting metrics and definitions
- Your team's workflows and processes
You Lose
- Consultant fees for simple changes
- Custom development for basic features
- Months-long implementation timelines
- The hassle of every update
Organizations That Switched
| Organization | Salesforce Tenure | What Changed |
|---|---|---|
| Uncommon Schools Northeast | 10+ years | Full K-20 visibility without consultant dependency. First Overgrad customer. |
| Carmen Schools Milwaukee | Multi-year | Cut costs significantly. Team actually likes using it. |
| College Beyond New Orleans | Considered SF | Chose a tool built for this work. Saved $30K+ and dropped the consultants. |
See the Difference
We will show you what a tool built for students looks like. No pressure, no pitch deck.
Schedule a Walkthrough