Gen Alpha is already shaping the future of independent schools, demanding interactivity, agency, and the chance to co-create their learning experience.
Penny Abrahams, ISM Senior Consultant
When I served as an admission director about 10 years ago, it was clear even then that students had a strong voice in the process of choosing a school. By middle school, student opinions carried real weight with their parents, and by high school, they typically drove the decision about where they would ultimately enroll.
Fast forward to now, and that part hasn’t changed. What has changed is the generation of students we’re serving in schools, and how their unique characteristics and preferences are shaping the way schools need to engage with them.
Gen Z, which makes up today’s young alums and older high schoolers, is largely characterized by a desire for transparency and authenticity. In short, they wanted to know whether a school would deliver on what it promised.
Gen Alpha, the students now moving through our elementary and middle grades, are different. They assume authenticity. What they expect instead is interactivity, agency, and a chance to co-create their own school experience.
From Authenticity to Empowerment: What Families Expect Today
For independent school leaders — especially those in admissions and marcom roles — this shift matters.
Gen X parents, who still make up much of today’s enrollment base, tend to be pragmatic and ROI-focused. They want safety, structure, and measurable outcomes. Millennial parents, increasingly represented in younger grades, lean toward personalization and values alignment.
Their children — Gen Alpha — bring a whole new set of expectations. Not only are they digital natives, but they are also accustomed to visual learning, short-form storytelling, and interactive experiences. More than anything, they want to feel a sense of voice and choice in their education.
That difference from Gen Z is worth underscoring. Gen Z pushed schools to be authentic and transparent. Gen Alpha sees those as the baseline and is looking for something more: empowerment. Schools that recognize this distinction will be better prepared to engage students and families throughout the enrollment journey and beyond.
How to Adjust Your Strategy for the Gen Alpha Student
1. Redesign Admissions Experiences
Admissions experiences should create moments for students to explore, question, and imagine themselves in the community, and not just tag along with their parents on a tour.
If you’re already offering a visit day experience for students as part of the admissions process, carefully examine whether it’s designed to simply “check the box” or if the day is really making the most of the applicant’s time on campus and allowing them to immerse themselves in the campus experience fully.
2. Rebalance Marketing and Communications Content
Marketing and communications content should balance outcomes for parents with visuals, stories, and student-led perspectives that reflect culture.
Yes, parents want to see results like test scores, college placement lists, and National Merit accolades. But Gen Alpha students are asking a different question: “Can I see myself here?”
The strongest marketing strategies speak to both audiences by pairing clear evidence of results with authentic student voices, images, and stories that bring the community to life.
3. Prioritize Retention Through Student Agency
Retention strategies should reinforce student agency, making sure students feel seen and heard in daily life, and not just during the admission process.
That means school leaders must create opportunities for student voice through advisory programs, leadership roles, surveys, or even informal check-ins — and then act on what’s learned. As the saying goes, “don’t ask for advice if you’re not going to do anything.”
When students know their perspectives matter, they’re more engaged, and engaged students are far more likely to stay through graduation.
Adapt — or Fall Behind
Gen Alpha brings a fresh set of expectations that schools can’t afford to overlook. Interactivity, personalization, and agency aren’t extras for this generation — they’re essentials.
This generation is already here, and schools that don’t adapt their admissions, marketing, and student engagement practices now risk falling out of step with the families they most want to reach.
About the Author
Penny Abrahams joined Independent School Management in 2010 as a member of the Advancement Academy’s founding faculty. She has consulted more than 100 schools in her time at ISM.
Penny began her career in schools at Ravenscroft School in in North Carolina, where she first served as Annual Fund Director. Later, as Director of Communications, she built the school’s communications program from the ground up. Penny was also Director of Admissions & Marketing at Academy at the Lakes in Florida, where she helped the school reach record application and enrollment numbers.
