SchoolAdvancement

So many times, the Lord takes us down roads where we wonder, “Why am I here?”  With a degree in Communications and experience in growing a radio station’s listening audience, I had planned on having a career in radio as a program director.  I attained that goal at the age of 25, and when a […]

If you’ve been a visitor to the SchoolAdvancement.com site over the past 10 years or so, you’ll recall that one of its key tenets is to correlate business practices to the world of education.  You’ve certainly heard the arguments which coax administrators and board members to one side or the other when the question, “Is your school […]

Sir Paul McCartney performed in concert in Pittsburgh a few years ago.  While I wasn’t there, I felt like I was since Facebook friends shared their experience via their iPhones, Galaxies, and other mobile devices/computers.  Perhaps you remember one of his songs, “Let ‘Em In:” Someone’s knockin’ at the door, somebody’s ringing a bell. Someone’s […]

When I this question to school administrators, there are three traits which area cited more than any other attributes: – Academic excellence; – Faith formation; and – A safe and caring environment. Consequently, many schools create their marketing materials spotlighting these “big three,” and then wonder why enrollment still decreases from year to year.  What’s […]

When I worked for a Diocesan Office for Catholic Schools, some of the schools held an Open House during the Spring so that parents of prospective students could see the school in excellent condition.  After all, excellent academics should be presented in an excellent environment, right?  Desks were cleaned, floors were swept, the students’ best work was […]

I visit hundreds of schools every year.  Some schools were built during the 1930’s, and have been extensively remodeled to accommodate today’s technology requirements.  Some are modern structures that have excellent signage so that visitors know exactly where to park, and exactly where they need to go to sign in and await their tour of the […]

After reading the title of this article, you may be thinking, “What’s a cohort?” According to Wikipedia, “In statistics and demography, a cohort is a group of subjects who have shared a particular event together during a particular time span.”  It’s an appropriate definition to describe a “class” of students, such as “The class of ’78.”  […]

People play differently when they’re keeping score. – Stephen R. Covey. Back in September, the Enrollment Essentials article was titled “Your School Needs a Funnel System” which described the “Enrollment Funnel.” Just as sales professionals use a “Funnel” tool to show where potential customers are within the stages of their sales process (lead, prospect, interview, […]

After reading the title of this article, you may be saying to yourself, “Nope, we don’t do that. Anybody can apply for financial aid,” and then look elsewhere for other information to help your school solidify your enrollment. Or, you may allow families to apply for financial aid at no out-of-pocket cost, allowing the school […]

Here’s a typical phone conversation at any faith-based or private school.  Perhaps you’ve had it happen at yours: “Thank you for calling All Saints Academy.  How may I help you?” “Hi. I have a quick question.  Can you tell me what your tuition is?” “Sure. It’s $4,350…” “OK, thank you.” Click….buzzzzzzz. Some phone calls like […]

If your school doesn’t have one, it’s no wonder your school may be losing enrollment.  When there’s someone responsible for managing a particular function, there’s a much better chance for improvement than if it’s simply an “other duty as assigned.”  As Jim Collins wrote in his landmark text, “Good to Great,” “People play differently when […]

Even though this is 2017, there are still a number of faith-based and private schools which still have AN open house, a Web PAGE on their affiliated church’s Web site, and a folder with a ton of information on paper which they send to parents of prospective students.  Why?  Because that’s the way it was done […]