AISAP52

Over the years, independent schools have become reflections of the broader world and admissions teams have worked hard to envision ways to continue increasing diversity on their campuses. While the goal to create a diverse community is an essential one, and inextricably linked to a vibrant learning environment, there are critical steps that need to be taken to ensure each applicant is receiving an equitable chance at attending your school and is supported well once they have enrolled. 

1. Implicit-Bias Training - Every admissions team should invest in implicit-bias training. In order to become a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive school community we must raise our awareness of the unconscious biases we have that often lead to judgment. Good implicit-bias training also includes opportunities to reflect on our biases, learn how to manage them, work towards changing them, and track our progress. If you have an established DEI department, they may be able to help facilitate these trainings for your team. 

2. Develop a DEI Vision Statement for Admissions - Creating a vision statement that is aspirational and future thinking will help the admissions team commit to more equity in their processes with goals in mind. Consider what kind of community you hope to have and how you will make that possible through the admissions process. What are you already doing? What more do you need to do? 

3. Breaking Down Barriers - It is important for schools to have admissions requirements that help choose students who will be most successful in their specific programs, however, the application process should be made as fair as possible to all who wish to be considered for admission.

• • Consider becoming “test-optional” in an effort to level the playing ground for those who may not have the resources to prepare for such tests, or for those who simply are not strong test-takers but are often still excellent students.
  • Create a holistic review process with a rubric that lets students shine in more ways than one. You can still have high expectations around grades or other important areas to your school, but sometimes a student with average academic performance so far,  has many other gifts to offer a school community. They may just need your community to really shine. 

4. Leave Finances Out (for now) - Although it is not possible for all schools to have a “need-blind” admissions process in the end (wouldn’t that be amazing!), the application review itself should not include discussion on a family’s ability to pay tuition and admissions readers should not have access to this information. Once files have been reviewed, the difficult decisions come and are usually discussed by a much smaller group. Before those tough meetings occur everyone in the applicant pool should get a fair shake based on merit alone. 

5. Accessing Campus & Interviewing - Not all families have the ability to come to campus for Open House events or interviews. Hosting admissions events on weekends or offering virtual options for families provides greater access to those who may not be able to travel to campus during the week, or at all. This also goes for interviewing. If a family is unable to come to campus, they should be provided the opportunity to interview on a virtual platform and these interviews should be viewed the same way an in-person interview would be. To create the most equity, consider conducting all interviews virtually. 

6. Offer Inclusive Financial Aid Resources - Socio-economic diversity is a goal at most of our schools and demystifying the financial aid process for your families can go a long way in creating a sense of inclusion. With our increasingly high price tags, more and more families are likely to qualify for our limited financial aid dollars.

• • Using language around financial assistance that does not hold a stigma or negative connotation is recommended. Many schools have adopted words like “affordability” when promoting financial aid.
  • Some schools share average financial aid award amounts on their websites, and others have excellent tuition calculators which give families a sense of what they may qualify for before officially applying.
  • Providing in-person and/or virtual information sessions on affording your school helps families feel more at ease with the process.
  •  Be sure to work with a financial aid platform that offers translated materials for families with limited English skills or for whom English is not their first language. 

7. Disaggregate Your Racial Diversity Statistics - It is extremely important for applicant families to see themselves represented in the school community they are pursuing. Be sure to include information on your website and in materials that not only shows how many students of color or international students you have in your community, but how these numbers break down.

8. Be Ready to Support Your Diverse Student Body - Increasing diversity is an important goal for all of our schools, but it should be more than a number we promote externally. We must be ready to support the various backgrounds and experiences of the students we enroll. 

• • If you are accepting students that have high financial need, your school should have resources in place to ensure these students will have the same experience as students who pay full tuition. Student opportunity funds, additional financial aid to cover extras, etc. will make a big difference in a student's experience.
  • If you are accepting students from underrepresented groups (racial, cultural, religious, socioeconomic, ability, etc.), it is important to provide support for these students in order to create a sense of belonging from day one. Affinity groups, established DEI offices and programs, learning support, and faculty and staff who represent many identities can help make the transition to your school a much more positive experience.
  • If you are fortunate to have students from many different countries, it is critical to have support staff dedicated to the needs of international students. 

We all know that diversity in our school communities directly impacts the performance of our students. Students learn better in diverse environments and learn to appreciate the varied experiences of their classmates. As admissions and enrollment leaders we have the distinct privilege of building these incredible communities, ones that no doubt will change our world. How lucky are we?

Kristen Mariotti
Head of Enrollment Management
Emma Willard School