The night before my daughter graduated from high school, I sat on the porch scrolling through old photos -- her first day of kindergarten front and center. What came to mind was that all I could think about then was hoping we really picked the right school.
Not the marketer in me. The mom.
No campaign briefs. No funnel metrics. Just a gut check and a whole lot of hope.
While I spend my days deep in the world of marketing, all of the things that I benchmark, that I would at for success no longer mattered. I was paying attention to the tone of the emails, the warmth in the tour guide’s voice, and whether I could imagine my child being known and cared for there.
That experience—navigating the admissions process as a parent—shaped how I now advise schools to market themselves. The best outreach doesn’t come from guesswork. It comes from the data you already have.
Most schools have robust admissions tools, but many use the data only for end-of-cycle reports. What if that data guided your marketing from the start?
Even with a basic CRM, your existing system can help you:
Spot underrepresented ZIP codes: Are there neighborhoods or areas just outside your core market where families aren’t inquiring? A quick heat map of inquiries and applications might reveal pockets of opportunity you’ve overlooked.
Track regional data growth and feeder school patterns: Is enrollment increasing in neighboring towns or in certain elementary schools? Use that information to prioritize outreach and tailor messaging to new audiences.
Identify commuter routes: If your system includes parent employment data—or if you survey for it—you can align your outreach around where families work. Schools located near highways or employment hubs can emphasize convenience and create programs that appeal to busy parents managing the daily drop-off puzzle.
The point is: You already have insight into how families are moving through your admissions funnel. That insight can—and should—shape your marketing content, timing, and delivery.
As a parent I know we’re all bombarded with choices and messages. What cuts through is relevance.
If your data shows that families with an interest in the arts are more likely to apply after attending a student performance, feature that more prominently on your website. If you know your financial aid page has high bounce rates, it may need to be more transparent and user-friendly. Personalization requires looking at the data, listening to your parents, and then taking the best action going forward.
We’ve seen success in schools using more segmentation efforts to yield higher applicant numbers. These efforts will continue to grow as more school choice initiatives succeed, and parents have even more schools to choose from.
By segmenting families by interest, geography, or grade levels, schools can speak directly to those families’ questions, interests, and needs. When your communication reflects what families are navigating, they notice. And they trust you more because of it.
Here are three steps schools can implement today that will help build toward greater growth in the future:
1. Map Out Last Year’s Funnel
Overlay inquiry and application data by ZIP code. Look for drop-offs, surges, and silence. Where can you deepen relationships? Where are you missing families who may be an excellent fit?
2. Reassess Your Messaging with Commuting in Mind
Parents think about logistics early—even subconsciously. If your location or extended care hours make daily life easier, say so. Feature real parent stories about how the school fits into their routine.
3. Gather Internal Voices Around the Data
Marketing and admissions should sit down together to review what the data is saying—not just about who applied, but when, from where, and after which touchpoint. The collaboration can help spark smart, targeted changes.
As a parent, I wanted a school that didn’t just list its values—I wanted one that lived them out in every interaction. I wasn’t asking for perfection. I was looking for relevance, clarity, and a sense that someone on the other side of the website or admissions table understood our family.
As a marketing professional, I believe schools have a real opportunity to strengthen that understanding—by taking a fresh look at the data they already collect.
And with new school funding initiatives generating more options and awareness for families, it’s more important than ever to use those insights to stay competitive, broaden your reach, and build the enrollment pipeline you want for the future. The tools are there. The information is there. Now’s the time to use them—strategically, collaboratively, and with the same care we hope families feel when they choose our schools.
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