Admission and Enrollment are often thought of as the same act, when they are, in fact, completely different phases of the admissions process. Let’s explore what makes them different, and how understanding the differences impacts your school’s marketing and communication plan.
The Admissions Funnel Model
There are 6 phases of the average admissions funnel. Starting with prospects, each phase collects more information about the families interested in your school. Admissions is about collecting that information and encouraging students to apply to your school.
Enrollment is the very end of the funnel, but the communication shouldn’t stop there.
Admissions Communication
The admissions process begins without any information about the students or families interested in your school. Whether they find you at a school fair, through a consultant or from a few quick online searches, your school needs to stand out enough to encourage a completed inquiry form.
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Once you have collected basic contact information of the student and/or guardian, you can begin personalized messaging based on their interests. This will build excitement as they go through the application and financial aid process. Your goal should be to make the application process as easy as possible for each family.
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Your communication plan should include follow-ups for inquiries that go cold. Be sure you stay top of mind during the research and application phases with weekly email outreach to these families. When it gets closer to the deadline, personal outreach like a phone call could make all the difference.
Enrollment Communication
Once a student is admitted, your communication plan should be focused on building trust and confidence in their decision to pick your school. Within this phase, you want to make the transition to boarding school as seamless and organized as possible. Timely communication about upcoming campus tours, summer programs, orientation and welcome day will impress families and put their worries at ease.
Re-enrollment
The enrollment phase of the funnel is not only for new students. During this phase, your communication plan should also focus on outreach to your current families. Ensure all needs are met as families make the decision to re-enroll at your school.
Summary
The admissions phase of the funnel is about collecting the right information to build excitement and confidence in students. The enrollment phase is about building trust that your school is the right choice, and making the transition into boarding school as worry-free as possible. Your communication plan should be personalized enough to heighten a student’s interest and address any concerns a family may have. This will change your messaging and call-to-actions by audience type, but your core mission will remain the same throughout your communication plan.
