See Gowan Group's latest infograph for Independent School Marketing in 2016. For more information on marketing services, contact Hailey Feldman, Director of Digital Marketing.
Gowan Group would like to thank HubSpot for providing valuable research. This infograph has been adapted, independently researched, and revised by Gowan Group.
On Friday, I interviewed a fellow St. George's School Alum, Adam Choice. Adam and I had the chance to reconnect via LinkedIn, and found we were both in the same field!
I went to Brooklyn, New York to learn more.
Adam Choice is the Associate Director of Middle and Upper School Admissions, partnered with Sheila Bogan, Director of Middle and Upper School Admissions at The Packer Collegiate Institute. To call Ms. Bogan and Mr. Choice a team is an understatement! Why? This "powerhouse" Admission Team fills & exceeds their enrollment goals each year!
We’ve been full every year. (Mr. Choice has worked for The Packer Collegiate Institute for two years, and Ms. Bogan for five years.) Once our deadline hits, we are full. We don’t do summer admissions. We shoot for 90 kids for 9th Grade every year.
All over the city. The majority of 9th Grade for instance, 60-65% are from Manhattan. The rest of our student body is from Brooklyn. Some students commute from Long Island, Jersey City, and Hoboken. All five boroughs! Brooklyn Heights is easy to get to from all over the city, which gives The Packer Collegiate Institute a lot of geographic diversity.
Though many schools got hit from the 2008 crisis, we were able to sustain our numbers. Every year our number of applicants increases. Sheila said there were roughly 200-250 applicants 5 years ago. This year, we had 400 applicants just for 9th grade.
Traditional Marketing
The Packer Collegiate Institute does not market as much as we did at St. George’s School. (Adam worked for St. George's School's Admissions Office from 2012-2014). I only do a handful of School Fairs for The Packer Collegiate Institute each year. For St. George's School, I went to School Fairs all over the country.
The Packer Collegiate Institute uses pamphlets and magazines to provide basic printed information. We are currently working with our Communications Office to make the printed material look less "old school," and enhance them.
Admissions Trend 2016: Digital Marketing
We are in the process of updating and sprucing up The Packer Collegiate Institute website. I believe a website is key. We need more visuals to brighten it up. That will have a huge effect. We don’t have a lot of things we’re mailing out. Our name is out there already, and we are lucky enough, by word of mouth, to get so many applicants already.
ALL SCHOOLS ARE HOPPING ON BOARD WITH DIGITAL MARKETING.
I go every fall to the SSATB Admissions Conference. I like to hear and see what other schools are doing. I attended meetings on marketing and strategy.
I remember one particular school was putting out videos and posting daily on social media. Some schools only do a video for accepted students or big events. This school was putting something up everyday, and saw only positives in gaining applicants, popularity, and getting their name out there.
Social media is huge now for admissions & communications offices.
I think the relationship between Communications & Admissions is crucial for the whole, especially as we venture on to the 21st century.
Before interviewing Mr. Choice, I spoke with Gowan Group's President & Founder, Chris Pryor, to discuss the firm's services regarding Enrollment Management, Admissions, and Communications. I pulled several articles to help me formulate my interview questions with Mr. Pryor.
I listened to this podcast from Blackbaud K-12, by Peter Baron. I learned how Admissions and Communications Offices were evolving, as Mr. Choice mentions above. Additionally, Admission Teams are now comprised of people who wear multiple "hats," with job requisites in digital marketing, data collection, and more.
In 2014, edSocialMedia and Caylor Solutions both make strong arguments in favor of effectively allocating School Admissions Budgets to inbound marketing. By utilizing social media and inbound marketing strategies, schools will see an increase in enrollment, and a decrease in costs.
Schools are moving away from traditional marketing, and lowering their budget. Admission Teams use few informational printed materials, proving significant changes in reaching new families and students. Without a strong social media presence, schools will fall behind, appearing dated, and leaving a poor first impression. Prospective families, who gather most of their preliminary research online, must see an updated website. Lacking digital identity will negatively impact branding and enrollment this year, and for years to come.
Gowan Group would like to thank Mr. Choice, Ms. Bogan, and The Packer Collegiate Institute for allowing the firm to share this interview with our readers.
To learn more about The Packer Collegiate Institute and Mr. Adam Choice, visit their website here.
This interview and research is by Hailey Feldman, Director of Digital Marketing, Gowan Group.
Diane McManus has been named Head of School elect. Stephen Bennhoff is the newly selected Assistant Head of School for External Relations. Gowan Group coordinated both searches from conception to completion, and accomplished each within a compressed six-month period. Gowan Group is proud to have worked with Villa Maria School's Board of Trustees, as well as their Head of School Search Committee to reach a positive conclusion to each search.
Gowan Group Consultants began the process of finding candidates for Villa Maria School in December, 2015. A formal announcement from Barbara Ryan, Chairperson of Board of Trustees, was sent to the school community in January, 2016.
A Head of School Search Link on the school's website provided updates throughout Gowan Group's research, interviews, focus groups, and communication.
Chris Pryor, Gowan Group's President & Founder, and I are proud of these outstanding selections for these challenging positions. Villa Maria is positioned to advance its standing in the Special Education sector given the exceptional professionals assuming new leadership positions.
Head of School, Diane McManus
Ms. McManus is a longtime State of New York educator and administrator. She is a certified special education teacher and school management executive. She comes to Villa Maria from Good Counsel Academy where she served as Assistant Principal. Diane has degrees from Lehman College (B.A. in English) and Iona College (M.Ed. English Education). She looks forward to carrying on the fine work of Sister Carol Ann who so compassionately and expertly has run Villa Maria for decades. Diane lives in Purchase, NY with her husband and children.
Assistant Head of School, Stephen Bennhoff
Mr. Bennhoff is the former Head of School at Pine Point in Connecticut, an independent day school serving PS through 9th grade. An experienced teacher and coach, Stephen most recently served as Director of Enrollment Management at St. Michael’s Country Day School in Newport, RI. Michael graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Art History. He earned as Master of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1999. In addition to Michael's professional accomplishments, he is an avid sailor and outdoorsman, and, an accomplished musician. He and his son look forward to their move to Fairfield County this summer.
Written by David Beecher, Managing Director, Gowan Group. To learn more about Gowan Group's Head of School Searches, e-mail Chris Pryor.
Westport, Connecticut