BE PREPARED: Setting an Admissions Calendar

Fall 2014

Enrollment Management

One Goal…

MORE KIDS IN GREAT CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

Archdiocesan Marketing Enrollment Network

AMEN

Sharing what works from outside experts and internal success stories

AMEN Monthly Webinars

All webinars are from 12:00- 1:00 CST

Month Topic Webinar Date

August Bootcamp Recap August 19

September Setting a Calendar September 16

October AMEN Workshop at Quigley October 8

November Early Childhood Value Prop November 18

December Online Customer Service/Start Prepping CSW December 16

January AMEN Workshop at Quigley- January 14

February Retention February 17

March Parent Ambassadors March 17

April Social Media April 21

May Websites and Summer Strategies May 19

St. Theresa School, Palatine

Building an admissions, marketing and communications plan from the bottom up!Presented Fall 2014

Some background. . .

By 2013, enrollment had fallen 288 students, a 44% decrease, in the last ten years

Started 2013/14: New Pastor New Principal New role: part-time

Director of Admissions

364 students

Where to start. . .

Set objectives and prioritization knowing we could not get it all done in one year• Vision set from Principal

Partnered with the Office of Catholic Schools

Then, created a calendar

Shift in mindset. . .

Our school moved from a January “Registration Period” to a “Rolling Calendar”

We stopped using the work “Registration Process” and moved to “Admissions Process”

Getting organized. . . Articulate an

admissions process

Creative development for branded collateral

Engage “the team”

Established a new processfor the process. . .

New prospective family tracking and database system

Front office and Admissions Office in synch

New process cont’d. Stopped doing individual tours. Instead,

scheduled monthly admissions events (October through May)

During the summer months, we reserved Wednesday mornings to meet with families

Welcome Wednesdays once a month – published calendar

Internally – school and parish Website Publically

Our brand. . .

Fortunate to have had a new viewbook published by the School Board the year prior

Set the brand standard

Full page booklet size

Folder incorporated into design• Allows for

inserts/application• Preschool and Kindergarten

flyers

Advice for creative development. . . What I learned

Create materials with a two or three year shelf-life for big pieces and annual updates for smaller projects Invest in design, updating annually is

affordable Look for families with older siblings Quality photography – build library

Application for Admission form

versus registration forms

Extended Care Application

Mirror admissions application style

Currently in development now!

New This Year

Time to invite prospective families to campus -- Fall

Letters & Direct Mail Post Cards

New postcard (two sizes)

Publish monthly programming

New This Year

Preschool Insert

Preschool is our biggest point of entry but we traditionally were seeing families leave after preschool

Goal: Retention, Sell the PreK- 8 experience not just preschool

Updated inserts

New This Year

Catholic Schools Week Sunday Mass & Open House was a

retention opportunity for current families New families had different needs and less

connection to the school vs. current famiies

Welcome Wednesday that week was for prospective families

Welcoming them into “the family”

Spring Reception

• Make coming to school special for parents, too!

• Gets families connected

Summer work Kindergarten orientation for Parents

(preschoolers transitioning up to K) Set expectations of being in your community

Uniforms Drop off logistics Parent involvement

Families came on Wednesdays for campus visits/tours Main hallway was still decorated and “dressed”

for visitors. One classroom still “set”.

Advice on hosting your events Time of day considerations

Building needs to be “alive” “Formal” uniforms vs. gym uniforms Clean building, clean kids! See school in action/“magic”

Start early (October/November) – capitalize on parents anxiety. . .want to have school “done”

Balance ratio of ambassadors to attendees

Use the right space – give impression that the room is filled

Once families visit, then what? The follow-up “dance” throughout the

winter and spring season Stay top of mind but do not harass Be gracious – follow-up notes from

admissions office, faculty and students (if appropriate)

Use email (Constant Contact) as reminders to stay in touch

Year II – what’s different Adding events in January and March

Incorporating student leaders and parents as ambassadors

Marketing coordinator (Board support)

Marketing team has designated projects for accountability

Mrs. Terri KolbusSt. Theresa SchoolDirector of Admissions

Office of Catholic SchoolsHow we can help

Visit our website

Resource portal

http://ocs.archchicago.org/SchoolVitality

Diagnostic assessment tool

Up next from OCS Marketing OCS will be at school fairs in the next few

weeks

AMEN Fall Workshop- October 8th, 9 am-noon "Step up your Tech Game“ Integrating Technology into your Enrollment Management Plan

New look for Enrollment Management Communications

Thank you!Enjoy your afternoon and get rockin’ on that calendar.