Changing the Admissions Conversation: Lessons from Universities
Confirming what most inside education already know, a Chronicle of Higher Education article on the changing nature of admissions work puts a spotlight on just where the change is happening: in the conversation between school professionals and prospective students and their families.
"When I stand up and talk to parents, I tell them I'm not going to bore them and insult them by saying how nice the trees are and how nice the buildings are," Mr. Murphy [Dean of Admissions at Hobart and William Smith Colleges] says. "If you're the dean of admissions now, you'd better be able to talk about outcomes."
There is much that is useful in this article for those in private elementary and secondary education, including mention of the four levers for driving enrollment numbers: 1) recruitment; 2) financial aid (read discounting), 3) a compelling brand, and 4) programs that students want and competitors do not have. Seems the same as in our sector, and leads me to pose five strategic questions for boards and heads:
- How must our recruitment of students change in light of demographic shifts in our market, social media tools, and an escalating premium on personal engagement with prospects and their families?
- How much financial aid would we need to strategically to build the sort of community we aspire to be, rather than just to fill empty seats?
- What is our brand as perceived by our customers?
- What programs would set us apart from our competitors and attract new students; conversely, what existing programs/classes fail that test?
- How will we find the resources to act on the answers to these questions?