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Admission from the Inside Out:Creating a Whole-School Admission Perspective
PNAIS Institutional Advancement Conference 2010
Everyone’s an Expert …
Admission is like sex:
Everyone thinks they’re good at it.
Overview
I. Data-Driven Admission & Dashboard Indicators
II. Admission Today
III. The Board & Admission
IV. The Head & Admission
V. Your Colleagues & Admission
VI. Best Practices/Samples
Once upon a time ……Admission was a little something that the Head
did along with all of his/her other work.
…Inquiries were filed on index cards. No one worried about their website, Facebook, Twitter, which admission database to use, or how many ways a student could apply.
…And … the traditional admission funnel was an easy way to track progress and plan.
Inquiries & Leads
Interviews / Visits
Applicants
Accepts
The (old) Admission Funnel
Alumni
Enroll
“Without data, it’s just an opinion.”
“Schools must show evidence of using data in meaningful ways.” (Doug Lyons, CAIS)
• How important are test scores in predicting student success?
• How do you quantify the value of your school?
• What are the measurable educational outcomes?
Data-Driven Admission® “Funnel”
Private School Environment
School-Type Environment
School’s Competitive Position
Defined Student Profile
Big-Picture Environment
Calib
rate
Students Fitting Profile
Selection Process
Marketing & Recruitment
Consumer Habits
Integration & Outcomes
Today’s Admission DirectorDuties May Include:
Coach Database Expert
Tax Specialist Counselor
Marketer Educational Planner
Traveling salesman Intercultural relations
Manager Data Analyst
Teaching Dorm Duty
Envelope stuffer Coffee maker
Tour guide Event planner
Speaker Driver
Today’s Admission DirectorMust:• Understand and support enrollment goals of
school
• Provide Head & Board with a clear, unbiased view of the environment
• Ensure that there are no surprises
• Provide parents with a clear understanding of the admission process
Leo Marshall, The Webb Schools
“Dashboards”
Metric + KPI = Dashboard• Metric - Direct numerical measure
• Key Performance Indicator (KPI) - A metric that is tied to a target
Effective way of alerting user where they are in relation to objectives
Sample Dashboard:SSATB Monthly Board Report Template
• Test Volume (National & Flex)
Total, Last Year, % of Last Year
• Member Volume
Total, Inquiries, Contact
• Meetings/Presentations/Visits
List by name and location
• Headlines:
- Independent Schools of St. Louis (ISSL) vote to return to use of the SSAT
- 2010 Annual Meeting program confirms 3 keynoters.
- 8,700 applications submitted through SAO –representing nearly ten-fold increase since 2006.
Dashboard Data on MAP
Efficiency & Accountability
Strategic Enrollment Management requires that you find ways to do more with less to maximize net tuition revenue.
How can you demonstrate that?
Recruitment Metrics
• Number & characteristics of inquiries, applicants, admits, deposits, enrolled students
• Percentage of students moving from one funnel stage to next
• Number and percentage students for each identified target group (geographic areas, feeder schools, international, athletes, boarding, day, etc.)
Marketing & Communication Metrics
• Percentage increase in recruitment activity in targeted marketing areas
• Market share – percentage of potential students in target market who enroll
Retention Metrics
• Percentage of students that re-enroll
• Breakdown by target group
Financial Metrics• Tuition revenue
• Total financial aid spent
• Average award (boarding/day)
• Need not met
• Discount rate
• Net tuition revenue
I. The Board of Trustees& Admission
In what way(s) is admission a Board issue?
In what way(s) is admission NOT a Board issue?
Fiduciary Responsibilities (NAIS)
Every trustee:
• Is responsible for the financial well being of the school
• Must have a basic knowledge of school’s fiscal status
• <in conjunction with full Board> Makes all major funding decisions, such as approving the yearly operating budget and setting tuition
NAIS Board CommitteesCommittee % of Boards w/ these
committeesFinance Committee 98%Development 94%Executive 89%Governance/Nominating 88%Building & Grounds 83%Strategic Planning 49%Education 44%Admission 21%
What does the Board need to know?
- You are an Admission Professional
Up-to-date about trends & best practices
- Admission Successes
Ex. Transitioned to online application saw an increase in applications and family satisfaction
- Admission Challenges
Ex. Precipitous decline in Korean market
- Basic Funnel Numbers
5-year enrollment history
- YTD comparisons
- Competitive Market Position
- Who is the competition (has it changed)
- How are you different
Suggested Seasonal Board Reports
• Early Fall: Analysis of previous year and strategies for upcoming admission season
• Mid Year: Brief update on activities and numbers
• End-of-Year: Share admission successes and challenges
Leo Marshall, The Webb Schools
Report Advice
• Less is more
• Use graphs/charts to illustrate key trends
• Support opinions and planning with data
II. Head of School &Admission
NAIS PoGP for Heads:• (#1) Works with trustees to establish and refine mission; supports mission
in working with all constituencies
• (#6) Responsible for financial management
• (#9) Ensures that the PoGP of all school operations especially those of admission, marketing, etc. demonstrate integrity at all levels of the school
What’s Your <Head’s> Style?
I meet with/speak with my head:
a. Multiple times a day
b. Once a day
c. Once a week
d. Infrequently
e. On the golf course
Educate Your Head
• Do provide relevant school-specific, visually-appealing data
• Don’t inundate her with superfluous statistics
• Do communicate about the complexities of the J-O-B and the need for training
• Don’t complain about it
Opening the lines of communication
1. What do you wish the other person understood about your work?
2. What is the assistance that helps?
3. What is the assistance that impedes or confuses?
Heads Agree…
Admission directors need to tell me what I don’t know, communicate
needs, and manage up.
SSATB 2008 Senior Symposium
Heads & Admission Directors Agree…
Admission “owns the process” of
admission…
BUT
Admission Directors, Heads, and other
school leaders are responsible for
enrollment management.
SSATB Senior Symposium 2008
I Wish the Admission Director Would…
• Understand when I as Head need to make a decision
• Offer solutions, not problems
• Be proactive, not reactive
• Demonstrate good data analysis
• Provide mission-consistent nudging
• Manage the anxiety of admission
What heads want!
I Wish My Head Would…• Ensure that admission is part of administrative
meetings
• Recognize admission’s value in having a finger on the pulse of the external community
• Remember that the entire year is busy, not just the admission “season”
• Provide access to the Board and act as buffer with the Board
• Remind the whole school that enrollment is a community effort
So, what does your Head need to know?
• Financially-speaking• Enrollment picture vis-á-vis enrollment &
financial aid targets
• School Climate• Number of “at risk” students
• What is the market like for mission-appropriate students
• Future• Who is the competition. Changing?
• What is your plan? Next year? Long term?
Be Proactive
Whether or not they ask for it, consider a weekly “dashboard indicator” for your head of school.
III. Colleagues & Admission
• Senior Administration
• Faculty
• Staff• Administrative Support Staff
• Building & Grounds
• Housekeeping
The Admin “Team”• Establish yourself as informed professional
• Communication is key
• Provide brief (dashboard) report at all admin meetings
• Transparent admission process
• Agreed-upon student profile
• Clearly articulated criteria
• Realistic goals and targets
• Mutually satisfactory trade-offs
Faculty• Compel them to help you
• “Teachers are what make the school.”
• Educate them• Who are today’s families
• What are their expectations
• School’s key messages• Common vocabulary
• Reinforce value-added
Why does a boy select Salisbury?
1. 49% Academic Program/Curriculum
2. 45% Friendly/Welcoming Environment
3. 37% Athletic Program/Opportunities
4. 33% Campus/Facilities
Needs – Millennial Expectations
• Frequent, personalized communication
• Individualized program
• Excellent teaching
• Significant adult/student relationships
• Supervision and safety (a clean beautiful campus)
Source: David Erdmann, 2007 TABS Conference
Conduct in-service trainingsSuggested topics:
• International students
• Defined student profile
• Student outcomes
• Parent surveys
• Admission criteria (transparency)
Speak with One VoiceProvide key communicators with “Points of Emphasis” • Common language/vocabulary
• Emphasize agreed-upon strengths
Solidifies message internally and externally.
Data Sharing: A Two-Way Street
Faculty Needs:Realistic view of admission landscape
Understand admission criteria/requirements
Have input in creating Defined Student Profile
Work with admission to outline agreed-upon tradeoffs
Admission Needs:
Performance Data
- SAT scores
-AP scores
-GPA
-Career transition
-College Transition
What do staff need to know?• Focus on customer service
• Signage/parking
• Telephone etiquette
• Greeter
• Admission calendar
• Open houses
• Orientation (rooms ready/clean)
• Admission tours
• Million dollar walk
• Plant manager drive golf cart on tour route every day
Show Me the Data!
“Real life” examples of colleagues using data to communicate with
board, head, colleagues.
Why does a boy select Salisbury?
1. 49% Academic Program/Curriculum
2. 45% Friendly/Welcoming Environment
3. 37% Athletic Program/Opportunities
4. 33% Campus/Facilities
Just as Important, Why Not?
Refused our offer. Don’t move on, ask WHY?
Most common reasons for declining offer:– 34% Coed School
– 18% Staying Home
– 18% Perceived Academic Reputation too challenging or not challenging enough
– 10% Choose a boarding school closer to home
Coed schools and staying home, or closer to home = biggest competition!
Salisbury’s Self-AuditYield Ratio by Crossover School, Comparative Statistics
Crossover admits (4+ shared applicants)– Over 66% yield success – Approx. 50/50 – Less than 33% success
Objective Statistics: How do we “rank” vs. other schools?
– Endowment– Faculty with advanced degrees– Test scores
Does Size Really Matter?Relationship between endowment and yield:
– 6 of top 10 crossover schools endowments in
$25-60 million range
– 2 below
– 2 above
Efficiency: Know What Works & What to Improve
05
10152025303540
Consultant Legacy FeederSchool
Website
Enrolled
Denied
Allocating Resources
Denied Candidates Two Year Averages
38%
4%4%14%
15%
13%
12% Website /Guidebook
Legacy / Friend /Relative
Feeder School
Feeder Program
Fair
Consultant /Counsellor
Other
Track Funnel by GradeFifth Form (11th grade)
– Most who interview apply• No need to have top interviewer
• Focus on other areas where ratio not as high
– High ratio of accept to enroll
Strength of (Primary) Market
Nearly 50% of Salisbury’s Score Reporters are within a 100 mile radius of the school. Good news – an additional 9,910 SSAT Test-Takers are in that same 100 mile radius!
Benefits – Show ROI
VVS New Students from Hong Kong
& Taiwan:
• Total tuition revenue - $401,200
• Total direct recruitment cost - $12,051
• Number of students - 12
• Financial status - 11 full pay, 1 f-aid
• Net tuition per student - $33,433 (highest of all groups)
• Retention rate - 90%
• Qualities - class pres., musicians (3), top academic (2)
• ESL & International Student Fees - $30,000
• Percent of Boarders – 10%; 14% boarding net tuition
• Highest ROI of any group
International Students, Trinity-Pawling School
18% of the student body; from 20 countries
– 45% on Headmaster’s List
– 50% in AP classes
– Represent 75% of T-P’s Ivy League placements
– Helped raise ave. SAT by 150 points
– Less than 1% on academic probation
– 41% give to Annual Fund
– Account for 53% of the Capital Fund
Ideas from the Field• Give a “pop quiz” about admission
at a faculty meeting
• Give an award for “admission colleague of the month”
• Report at every staff/faculty meeting on admission
• Publicly thank/acknowledge people
• Share successes
• Others?
Credits & ResourcesColleagues:
• Peter Gilbert, Salisbury School
• Leo Marshall, The Webb Schools
• Don Smith, VVS (now
• MacGregor Robinson, Trinity-Pawling School
• Kathy Hanson, Marts & Lundy
Resources:
• Bontrager, Bob, Strategic Enrollment Management: An Introduction to Core Concepts and Strategies
• Gonzalex, Tom, Key Performance Indicators & Metrics: Choosing the right data to display
• SSATB, Teaching and Learning: At the Heart of Enrollment Management
• SSATB, Data-Driven Admission ™: A New Look at the Admission Funnel
THE END
Thank you!!!
Aimee Gruber
Director of Outreach, SSATB
250.733.2685 (PT)