Five Ways to Make a Big Deal About Student Acceptances at Your School

"Congratulations, you've been accepted…"

Your congratulatory letter to students who have been accepted to attend your school probably sounds similar. A letter is an excellent way to document acceptance. But what happens after students take you up on your offer?

Sometimes, nothing. And it's a missed opportunity to do so many things that can benefit your organization.

Acknowledging Acceptance Drives Engagement

To drive engagement—and capitalize on ways to promote your institution indirectly—there's much more you can do. Most of all, make a prospective student’s acceptance a big deal. That's possible, even with a low—or no—budget.

In recent years, many colleges have gotten creative with acceptance offers and ways to recognize students who enrolled. (Likewise, students have gone above and beyond to announce where they're headed to school.) Those creative ideas aren't exclusive to college acceptance—they can be just as engaging for private school students, whether they're entering first grade or ninth.

Here are five ways to make a big deal about student acceptances at your school.

#1—Get Social

Shout it on your social media platforms—and let students announce it on theirs. Some schools have highlighted the names of students when they approve of an offer to attend. Create a graphic with student names—or better yet, make a video of names. Then, host a "live event" announcing who has accepted your offer. Many parents engage often on social media. They are also likely to share a post featuring their child—subsequently marketing your school to their networks.

#2—Create a Hashtag

Using a hashtag is a good idea, no matter how you use social media to promote accepted students. When creating a hashtag, remember to keep it simple. Some schools incorporate the year the class will graduate into the hashtag. Think of something more impactful than the school's name or mascot. Example hashtags might include:

• #(school name)admission—use your school's full name or acronym.
• #(mascot)admission
• #offeraccepted
• #successawaits

#3—Host a New Students Day

Dedicate an entire day to acknowledge student acceptance—the event can be in-person or virtual. It doesn't have to be elaborate, but is an opportunity to give new students and their families the chance to connect with their new community. If you have newly signed student-athletes, offer admission to a sports game and introduce them to the other team members.

#4—Provide Mentors

Some schools pair newly accepted students with existing students to answer any questions in a peer-to-peer setting. This gives you the chance to emphasize your enthusiasm about their choice to attend while providing a connection to your extended community.

#5—Deliver Your Welcome Packet

Something as simple as hand-delivering the welcome packet or inviting a family to go over everything in the packet gives them the chance to ask more questions. (Learn more about all the ways you can use your welcome packet to boost retention and engagement!)

Celebrate Your Students, Promote Your School

There are many ways to take advantage of all parts of the enrollment cycle so it delivers value to students and parents—simultaneously improving your school culture while promoting and driving retention. It may take a little extra effort, but prospective students will ook forward to being acknowledged uniquely.

Seize the opportunity to celebrate every student your school admits. You'll be more likely to get excellent student applications and engage families who are likely to promote your school.