2023 SCHEDULE

Mount Paran Christian School in Kennesaw, GA, will Show & Tell their Encounter Week. Encounter Week encourages middle schoolers to continue their academic journey in high school at Mount Paran. The admissions team works with high school leaders to organize a week of events that showcase the high school experience for middle schoolers.

“We were seeing a fall-off from 8th to 9th grade, and we concluded that middle schoolers just didn’t have a good grasp on what was in store for them,” said Stephanie Dunn, Director of Admissions. “Encounter Week has helped us bridge the gap.” Join the Enrollment Marketing Geeks for a conversation with Stephanie and her team. We’ll discuss the idea, the logistics, and the results from a signature Mount Paran program.

For over a decade, the admissions team at Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools in Traverse City, MI, has organized one-hour info sessions for interested families. Yes, an hour. From October to April, prospective families sign up to attend “Experience the Difference,” once-per-month events, where they listen to various voices from the school unpack the learning experience at GTACS. The payback? More than 90% of attending families enroll.

“We do this because we want families to know what they’re signing up for,” said Cindy Weber, Director of Admissions at GTACS. “And once enrolled, these families stay and add value to our culture.” Join Cindy and her team as they unpack the “why” behind this major commitment and outline their approach for these highly effective recruitment gatherings.

As many schools have experienced increased demand, managing “waitlists” or “wait pools” has become a challenge. It’s hard telling a highly-qualified family that you just don’t have room or financial assistance available in a specific grade. It can be even harder to keep families engaged and patient as they hope for a spot to open up. And ethically, it is challenging not to recommend that they choose another school.

“We’ve experienced a lot of growth over the last three years,” said Natalie Waters Seum, Director of Admission and Communication at Mounds Park Academy in Saint Paul, MN. “We saw the need for a very clear process for managing our wait pools and put a strategic focus on developing the right system.” Join the Geeks for an insightful conversation with Natalie and an assistant director on her team as we unpack the importance of language, priorities, communication, and process in wait pool management.

Brendan Schneider is no stranger to the school marketing world. With a background in admissions and marketing, he has consistently been at the forefront of implementing online marketing strategies. Through his blog,  Brendan has freely shared his journey and experiences to help school leaders implement online marketing strategies.
 
During this show, Brendan will share about launching the MarCom Society — an online group that connects K-12 marketing and communications professionals through training, support, and community. Tune in to learn how this resource is helping many school MarCom leaders navigate their jobs.