Best Practices Admissions

							Best Practices:
   Admissions

                        Lisa Wu
         Director of Admissions
   Lick-Wilmerding High School
               San Francisco, CA
         Lick-Wilmerding High School

   Founded 1895
   Coed, college preparatory day
    school with a technical and fine
    arts curriculum
   430 students, grades 9-12
   736 applications;
    111 enrolled Freshman
   Flexible Tuition: $3 million
    for 40% of students
   52% students of color
    (self-identified)
    L-W Admissions: At-a-Glance

   Admissions Team: 3 full-time and 1, ½ time staffers
   Community outreach: 30 middle schools visited; 6 high
    school fairs
   Visit program: 800+ prospective 8th graders on-campus from
    October to December
   Open Houses: 4 per Admissions season
   Admissions inquiries: 1,400+
   2006-2007 Applications: 736;
      Submitted online: 411
      Paper Apps: 325
   Enrolled: 111; 55 girls and 56 boys
   Flexible Tuition Inquiries: 457
   Flexible Tuition Applications: 346
How It All Began
How It All Began
How WhippleHill Made
 My (Admissions) Life
              Easier

                          Lisa Wu
           Director of Admissions
     Lick-Wilmerding High School
                 San Francisco, CA
 Web technology is changing
 the face of high school
 admissions
 School websites make information
  available 24/7
 Families can… Get information
  around the clock
 Schools can… Gather data while the
  office is closed
 Schools can… Disseminate info
  thoughtfully, thoroughly, and timely
The Typical Admissions Process

    Inquiries and Leads

      Interviews/Visits

        Applicants

          Accepts

           Enroll
            Alumni

                     Source: SSATB Report, Data-Driven Admission, 2007
 Going Online - Our Goals

 Meaningful communication of school‟s
  philosophy, mission, and values
 Differentiate ourselves from other
  independent schools in Bay Area
 Better „customer service‟
       More time interfacing with prospective
        families
       Faster response time to questions and
        scheduling tasks
    Going Online - Our Goals

   More efficient work day for Admissions
    Office
       Less paperwork shuffle
       Less administrative errors
       Seamless importing of information into
        database
       More efficient processing of application fee
 Provide access to L-W community
 Lessen anxiety about application
  process
    How We Recruit Students

 Middle School Visits
 High School Fairs
 Word of Mouth
     Middle School Placement Counselors
     Alumni
     L-W Parents‟ Association
 Ads in educational publications (i.e.
  Sargent-Porter‟s, www.ssat.org)
 Our Website
    How We Use The Web
   Applying to L-W
   Application inquiry
      Submission of Part I: Parent/Guardian Application
      Downloading forms
      Link to testing sites
      Application Process Checklists and Calendar

   Request for Flexible Tuition Application
   Education tool - Get to know „Life at Lick‟
        Campus Tour
        Meet Our Students
        FAQ
   Access to the L-W community
        Current events
        News
        Invitation to program specific events
Admissions: Best Practices

Worcester Academy


   Coed, boarding and day school
   Grades: 6-12
   “Explore Our World” Campus Tour
   Visitors‟ Guide (includes travel
    recommendations, lodging, local attractions)
  Admissions: Best Practices

Tower Hill School
 Coed, day school in Wilmington, DE

 Grades: Pre-K through 12

 Viewbook
                          St. Paul's School
                    Coed, boarding school
                           in Concord, NH
                     Grades: 9 through 12
                           “On the Road”
 Admissions: Best Practices
Hillbrook School
 Co-ed, day school in Los Gatos, CA

 Grades: Pre-K through 8

 “The Hillbrook Difference”

                        The Thacher School
            Co-ed, boarding and day school

                                in Ojai, CA
                      Grades: 9 through 12

                            Student Blogs
 Admissions: Best Practices

Viewpoint School
 Co-ed, day school in Calabasas, CA
 Grades: K through 12
 Pages specific for prospective and
  newly enrolled families
                  St. Marks School of Texas
           Boys, day school in Dallas, TX

                      Grades: 1 through 12

                              Event RSVP
     Admissions: Best Practices
Albuquerque Academy
 Co-ed, day school in Albuquerque, NM
 Grades: 6 through 12
 Media Gallery. Interactive


                        Lakefield College School
               o Co-ed, day and boarding school
                                        in Ontario
                           o Grades: 9 through 12
               o International Student Info Pages
    Web Marketing - What’s Worked


 Brought our school community „to Life‟
 More accurate student information
 Maximizes efficiency of Admissions staff
 Empowers prospective students and
  families
 Mirrors various aspects of our school
  philosophy
 Web Marketing - What Hasn’t
 Worked

 Not all prospective families are web
  savvy
 Not all families have internet access at
  home
 Fear of (lack of) Internet security
 Technology glitches
 Additional operating cost in Admissions
  budget
    (Bay Area) Admissions Trends

   More schools going online
   Families asking to apply online
       Submission of teachers recommendations
   Self-managing admissions process
       Scheduling of visits, interviews, open houses
       Notification of admissions decisions
   Admissions Office more integral to school
    operations (i.e. development, athletics)
   Faculty more involved with Admissions
    process
    (Bay Area) Admissions Trends

   Admissions Officers asked to develop
    strategic „marketing and PR plans‟
   As tuition increases, more demand for
    rationale on „value‟ of an independent school
    education
   Collaboration with other schools (i.e. the
    common application)
   Direct, targeted marketing to prospective
    students (?)
    What Lies Ahead

   H.S. admissions continue to mirror college
    admissions
   Admission Offices are more crucial to creating and
    sustaining a school
   Admissions Directors are more marketing and PR
    minded
   Technology has and will continue to change the
    ways that families and school interact