ISJ Internation Schools Journal Envisioning the K-Graduate Education Paradigm
ACS Athens

ISJ November 2016: Extending admissions roles and understandings from the micro to the macro level

10,00

Robin Berting

Abstract:

   Admissions staff in international schools play a vital role as first point of contact between their school and prospective families. This unique positioning gives them a privileged understanding of both the perspective of parents and a ‘big picture’ view of the school. However, they are often limited to the ‘micro’ admissions tasks of processing individual applications through the phases of inquiry, application, evaluation, communication of decision, enrolment, and after-service until the first day of school.

   In this paper, we argue that international schools would benefit from having admissions staff directly involved in what we call here ‘macro’ admissions-related tasks: planning and organization of events; compilation and interpretation of aggregate data; production of marketing and communications material; and outreach to external organizations. Involvement in macro activities will allow them to share their precious knowledge of the views of prospective parents with internal stakeholders and deepen their understanding of the school, thereby enriching their conversations with those parents in a virtuous cycle of deeper understanding.

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