I was recently reviewing “Ask AISAP 2023 Wrap Up" that gave some interesting summaries of what Independent Schools are moving toward. Early Action/Early Admissions and tightening the cycle are some trends schools are implementing. I thought it would be pertinent to revisit the trend of shortening the Admission and Enrollment cycle.
I presented this concept twice in 2021 to two different AISAP audiences (one virtually and one in person) and wanted to share that our process has worked. It took three years to see the level of engagement that we wanted but the cycle is now officially shortened and is working well. We moved from a process that lingered sometimes throughout the summer, to one that is “tied up with a bow” by Spring Break. (OK…. I fib a bit here. There are always about 5% of the families that cannot meet any deadline, right? But 95% are complete.)
Here are my major takeaways of how to condense your Admission and Enrollment cycle:
- Have a detailed timeline but allow for flexibility
- Create an in-house team approach and meet with your team weekly (even if you do not “need” to meet)
- Continue building relationships with parents
- Communicate with your Financial Aid parents often and in multiple ways
- Reinforce deadlines via the weekly Head of School email
- Meet a few families where they are regarding deposits
Timely re-enrollment has become the holy grail of Admissions, and your detailed timeline is the way to achieve this. By detailed, I mean every step of the way, starting with the first day of school and flowing through the end of summer. List every piece of communication, link every email. Also allow for some flexibility, especially that final due date when all re-enrollment letters and contracts are posted in your school portal. We had to let our “deadline” slide a bit this year due to weather, but it was the right decision. So don’t be afraid to create a little “wiggle room” but spell it out in your timeline.
Your in-house dream teamis the way all of this is implemented. Our team includes the Admissions and Business Directors, our Head of School and the Tuition Assistance Officer. Those included by invitation are our Assistant Head of School, our Parent Accounts Receivable, with input from Division Heads as needed. No more silos! We work hard to create great communication across this team, meeting weekly year-round no matter what. Some weeks (in the summer for example) you may have nothing to talk about, but just getting together, discussing any family concerns we hear may be on the horizon are ways we can be proactive in working with our need-based aid families. It could be health concerns, work related issues, or social issues that the students are battling. Nothing is off limits in trying to understand and meet the needs of our families.
Which leads to relationship building with our parents. Over these past three years when we have shifted our timeline, the Tuition Assistance “Concierge” (yes, I really do use that in my title) has worked with the Tuition Assistance families on any and all issues they may have. Sometimes a parent will email or text me saying, “I know you are not the person that handles this, but can you point me in the right direction?” Well of course I can! Just having a person that you can ask the dumb question is priceless. I think the biggest impact has been in the area of accounts receivables. Sometimes a parent is nervous or afraid to speak to that area of our Business Office. I am the “good cop” whereas she is perceived as the “bad cop.” I can help the parent connect with our (very nice and approachable) Accounts Receivable person in a positive and productive manner. We will set up zooms with the three of us, working together toward a payment plan that will meet their current needs or situation. In the end, the parents feel like we are there to help them, not reprimand them.
Communication with your Need Based Aid parents needs to be consistent and often. Most of my parents meet the deadlines with ease, but there are those that you need to cajole or plead. I have found that texting works wonders and is greatly appreciated by my families. Sending reminders and re-stating the deadlines via text is much more immediate. (I am beginning to think that there are too many emails coming across our desks.) If they need extensions, this is the way they will request that. If they are struggling with re-enrolling their child, this is where they express it, and this is the way we learn about many of their worries, thereby working with the team to meet their concerns. My texting is our “secret weapon”, helping us learn information in a non-threatening way.
And to reinforce your deadlines and due dates, the weekly Head of School email is the key. Every family actively anticipates and reads this Friday email. I can see a “blurb” on the radar screen over the weekend after dates and deadlines are shared by our HoS. Again, it’s the team approach, and it is built into our timeline.
There are always high-need families that cannot meet our 10% deposit requirement, so we incorporate their deposits into their payments. In essence we “roll” their deposits right into the next year’s tuition. If we did not do this, we would never be able to re-enroll them. I do communicate with all of my families receiving aid so that they know (in essence) they will have two tuition payments in February. That is a tough time to have this added stress of two tuition payments. Some of my families spread their 10% deposits over multiple months. Some even pre-pay their February deposits months ahead. I work with each family to meet them where they are. And some just cannot afford to pay a deposit at all. In the case of these few families, I waive their deposits altogether.
This winter, our team looked at each other, two weeks after our re-enrollments were due, just prior to Spring Break and said, “OH MY GOODNESS….IT’S WORKING!” It took us three complete years of effort, but it is working. We feel it will continue to work going forward. Our families understand the deadlines, they are comfortable with the new financial aid system we are using, which also saves them time during their applications, and they now anticipate having their financial aid numbers sooner rather than later. It’s a win-win on all fronts.
If your school choses to shorten your timeline, just know it is do-able. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions at all.
Shelly Landau
Tuition Assistance Concierge
Lancaster Country Day School