The Top 5 Reasons Your School's Value Proposition Is King

The impetus behind this post is important to understand, perhaps more so than any of the other prior posts. We have discussed enrollment management, strategic planning, the role of the admissions director, being more data driven -- but this post on value proposition is probably the most direct approach to turning prospective families into actual applications. It cuts to the chase and allows you to begin an evaluation of your message and learn why you need to communicate it clearly. Each school's identity is made up of several things: mission statement, history of the school, teaching philosophy, to name a few. These are essential elements that help make up a community of learners. They do not make up the value proposition; that stands by itself. A value proposition is a statement that speaks directly to the value of a school's program. It highlights a school's core values; it differentiates your school from its competition, and it identifies the benefit of enrollment. And they come in all shapes and sizes. But they are usually one paragraph, two at the most and are never labeled as "A Value Proposition" but they live on one of the main pages of the website close to the mission.

Here is why I think the value proposition is so important for schools in the 21st century. Some independent schools in our country were founded in the 1700's. Many are over 100 years, 150 years, 200 years old. They have rich traditions and a school culture that spans back many years. Marketing is not one of those traditions. Rather, it is a new journey and one school's do not do very well. All schools have their rituals, routines and ruts. Rituals are never to be changed, like a graduation ceremony or the passing of the senior rings to juniors. Routines are more like dress codes or schedules: they change every so often to better reflect the times or new philosophy. Ruts are things that schools have done for so long and don't even know they are doing them or that they don't work, but they continue doing them anyway because that is the way it has always been done. Marketing in schools is a rut. For hundreds of years schools did not need to market their strengths. Family's came every year and the applications followed. Seats were filled. Very little effort needed to be exerted to fill the seats. Times have changed and we now need to be more direct as ever, purposely working towards a full school. And it's not easy. Schools cannot simply rest on their laurels anymore.

The top five reasons why your school's Value Proposition is king:

1. CURRENT STATE OF OUR ECONOMY

We saw a tremendous downturn in our economy in 2008 and our enrollments suffered because families were scared to spend their money. After a recent, slight recovery, we are seeing that families are willing to spend their money again. The difference this time is that "value: is of the utmost importance. These millennials are value shoppers where they must be entirely convinced that they will get their money's worth. Schools can communicate this through their value proposition.

2. COMPETITION FROM OTHER SCHOOLS

The competition from others schools is tougher than ever. With more school options like other private schools with similar mission, Charter Schools, Religious Schools and the free, public choice down the road, parents have many schools from which to choose. Your School's Value Proposition will differentiate your school from the competition.

3. TUITION DRIVEN BUDGETS

The majority of independent schools are 80% plus tuition driven, which means every tuition dollar counts. For schools to deliver the program they market, they need to meet the budget. They need to train and pay those fabulous faculty members, have the latest technology, and support the infrastructure that every school must have. Your School's Value Proposition will help solidify applications and turn them into active families.

4. COMMUNICATION HAS CHANGED

Our attention span has decreased dramatically over the years. Prospective parents read in sound bytes, which means schools have very little time to get their point across. And if prospective students are reviewing the website, you have even fewer moments because they don't stick around long and want to be entertained. Videos that communicate your value proposition are very effective.

5. FAMILIES ARE VALUE DRIVEN

They can afford to be picky now because it is a buyers market. Schools are competing for students. Our current, competitive culture has made our prospective families even more results driven. They want value in everything and they want to see results immediately. Your School's Value Proposition can exhibit those results.

Guiding Families Through the Wait-Pool Process

Guiding Families through The Wait-Pool Process Tips for Independent Secondary School Admission Teams In early March, tens of thousands of applicants to independent secondary schools will check their mailboxes or go online to see the long-anticipated decision notification from their dream school. Many youngsters will take a deep breath, open it….and find that they have been placed in the wait-pool. The disappointment will sink in, and the questions will arise as the candidates and/or their parents begin to make their calls or send their emails to the Admission Office: “What exactly does this mean?” “How many students are in the wait pool?” “What are my chances for acceptance now?” “Is the wait pool ranked in some way?” Here are a few tips on managing the message and easing applicant and parent stress during this difficult time.

• Keep in mind before placing a candidate in the wait-pool that the compassionate decision may actually be a “Deny.” A wait-pool decision by nature is an invitation to an ongoing and potentially frustrating relationship.
• Anticipate candidate and parent questions. Consider stating in the letter/notification that the wait-pool is not ranked and that Admission will not be able to predict the chances of ultimate acceptance.
• You can reduce the volume of phone calls and emails from wait pool candidates or their parents by letting them know that Admission will contact wait-pool candidates on a case by case basis should spaces become available.  And you might consider adding that, in any case, wait-list movement is not likely until the point (early May?) that the school has a clear picture of its enrollment from acceptances.
• Be gentle but firm in not allowing wait pool candidates or their parents to push you for a detailed explanation of why they were placed in the wait-pool or how you are shaping your school community with acceptances from that pool. You will compromise the confidential elements of your admission process, and you may create false hopes that another admission test, a second interview or parent conference, improved grades, or additional recommendations will be the formula for an ultimate acceptance.
• The wait-pool is a critically important enrollment management tool, and it is truly where “art” meets “science” for the Admission team; our independent schools all have their particular needs, yield issues, and timelines, and each wait-pool candidate is unique. But by anticipating candidate and parent concerns and kindly but firmly communicating your process regarding the wait-pool, you will help ease some of their stress—and much of your own as well! 

Fred McGaughan is a 30-year independent school admission and marketing professional. He currently works for Gowan Group, an educational consulting firm that specializes in Strategic Enrollment Management. Learn more about Gowan Group at http://www.thegowangroup.com or email Fred at fmcgaughan@thegowangroup.com

Admission: Four Tips on Increasing Yield for Acceptances

Admission: Plan Now to Increase your Yield on Acceptances March decisions are right around the corner, and Admission Directors can take a few steps right now to ensure the highest possible enrollment yield from acceptances.

1. Involve your school’s program directors. Everyone has a stake in the yield success for acceptances. Whether it’s the Academic Dean or the Music Director, the Debate Coach or the Soccer Coach—all program directors can help the yield cause at large and impact their programs. Plan an early February meeting of all program directors—before end of term madness takes hold and March break arrives-- to discuss strategies for getting them in touch with accepted students (and/or parents) who have expressed a strong interest in specific programs.
2. Plan or refine your accepted student special events now. Whether it is a full-day visitation program for accepted students or an evening reception for the kids and their parents, you don’t want to wait until mid-February to create or refine these plans. Successful schools enlist an all-star cast of teachers and administrators, as well as current students and parents, to assist in these critically important events. They need to plan. So do applicants and their parents who need to save a date should they be accepted. Send out an e-blast to your applicants about special events and follow up visit programs for accepted students, and get the info on your website well before admission notifications are sent.
3. Use your admission software to anticipate and (later) track likelihood of yield for an acceptance. Sure, in many cases you just won’t have a strong sense of whether a candidate will enroll after an acceptance, but your best guess on likelihood for yield is better than no guess as you enter admission committee meetings. And you will find that tracking the real data after acceptances and comparing it to your intuition will help inform your committee discussions and yield efforts in the future.
4. Consider adding to your acceptance letters alerts for school events or news, and include a link for these to your website. You may have your winter musical right at acceptance time, an end of season playoff game, an art exhibition, or a special speaker at your school. Perhaps you are at the point where you can announce an exciting program that will launch in the coming year. These are all terrific opportunities to get soon-to-be accepted candidates and families back to campus or at least to keep them thinking about you without any “sales” pressure.

Creating or refining a yield plan for your acceptances at least six weeks before decisions are mailed will ease stress, involve the entire school team, and keep applicant families informed and excited until they sign that contract and send in the deposit!

Fred McGaughan is a 30-year independent school admission and marketing professional. He is Managing Director for Gowan Group, an educational consulting firm that specializes in Strategic Enrollment Management.