Sometimes people removed from a sticky situation can see solutions to the problem better than the person mired in it. Our Admission Director e-List has been lively lately with such solutions, and we thought we'd share their insights with you, dear readers!
- Some schools confirm receipt of the enrollment contract by having an administrator sign the returned contract, copy it, and mail it back to the family. If the re-enrollment was electronic, an emailed receipt seems to be the popular way to go.
- Several Directors advise proactive phone calls to counsel potentially unsuitable families away from applying, though allow them to apply anyway if the family insists. If the student is ultimately denied admission, these offices then send a paper letter or email with the decision.. More than one Director commented that it’s best to avoid calling directly and “springing” the decision on the family, so as to give them time to process privately. (This also avoids getting roped into long discussions justifying the decision!)
- When parents ask where their deferred student “stands” in the wait list, schools remind those parents that you actually have a wait pool, in which there is no ranking and students are invited based on vacancies and class composition.
- Who’s responsible for social media seems to vary based on school size and marketing strategy. Schools on our e-List report varying structures. Some separate the marketing-communications responsibilities into its own position which includes social media maintenance, while others make the Admission Director the dual Head of Marketing. One school even reported outsourcing ad creation and strategy to an external vendor.
- Schools report greater use of redesigned school websites that are mobile-optimized, rather than maintaining a school website and a school app for smart devices.
- “Loyalty bonuses” and other tuition discounts to decrease attrition have not worked, according to schools that have tried them and reported the results to our e-List.
- Occasionally, students apply who appear to have learning difficulties, based on their test results. Whether or not your office can legally suggest specific testing for these students is based on regional laws—consult your attorney if this situation arises.
- Schools have seen success posting their grade-level vacancies on their websites to promote transparency and encourage parents to apply (who might otherwise think their students’ grades are “full”).
- Parent Associations have been enormously helpful to several schools, leading tours of the school, sharing their children’s success stories, and even serving as host families for the newly enrolled.
- Several schools have begun publishing their tuition on websites and in distributed materials in an effort to be more transparent with school costs to prospective parents. Admission Directors who do this caution the need for strong value propositions and clear financial aid policies!
Additional ISM resources:
The Source for Admission Directors Vol. 13 No. 5 Withholding Information: Advantages and Disadvantages
The Source for Private School News Vol. 14 No. 4 Three Podcasts for Private-Independent School Administrators
Additional ISM resources for Gold Consortium members:
I&P Vol. 38 No. 4 Waiting Pools: Base Enrollment on Class Needs and Mission
I&P Vol. 38 No. 13 Tuition Discounts and Your School's Sustainability
