BE PREPARED: Setting an Admissions Calendar Fall 2014
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Transcript of BE PREPARED: Setting an Admissions Calendar Fall 2014
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.