Enrollment Catalyst

FEBRUARY 12, 2024

Welcome to a forward-thinking exploration of AI in education, brought to life through an interview and accompanying graphic both created by ChatGPT. This discussion delves into how artificial intelligence, specifically ChatGPT, is transforming private school marketing and admissions, offering practical insights and innovative strategies. The visual element, designed to complement the conversation, showcases the synergy between AI and educational advancement.

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Enrollment Catalyst

FEBRUARY 5, 2024

In the realm of private school marketing, the power of story cannot be overstated. In my conversations with school leaders and through my experiences with Enrollment Catalyst, I’ve observed a profound truth: relatable, authentic stories are not just content — they are the heart and soul of effective school marketing. I believe in the power of storytelling.

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Enrollment Catalyst

JANUARY 28, 2024

February, the month symbolizing love, is an ideal time for private schools to launch a campaign that showcases the heartfelt connection between the school and its community. This Valentine’s-themed campaign is not just an opportunity to express appreciation but also a strategic move to enhance word-of-mouth marketing. Based on what I have seen implemented in schools, here’s how you can craft and implement this campaign with a focus on community sharing and online engagement. “Why We

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Enrollment Catalyst

JANUARY 22, 2024

The months of January and February are usually focused on school leaders asking parents to re-enroll for another year. However, just because a family is enrolled today, doesn’t mean that they will continue their enrollment next year. Parents continually reflect on their experience in your school and evaluate the decisions they’ve made. Over the years, I have written many blog posts and conducted several webinars and conference workshops on effective retention strategies.

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Enrollment Catalyst

JANUARY 15, 2024

In the competitive world of private school admissions, effective follow-up with prospective parents is not just a courtesy, but a crucial aspect of a successful enrollment strategy. Your goal is to build a relationship, understand the family’s needs, and demonstrate how your school can meet them. The admissions process is more than just filling seats; it’s about building a relationship and determining the right-fit family.

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Enrollment Catalyst

JANUARY 7, 2024

First impressions are crucial in any marketing effort, but they hold particular significance in private school marketing. When parents and students consider a private school, they are not just looking for an institution; they are looking for a community that reflects their values, aspirations, and expectations. In private school marketing, first impressions are not just important, they are essential.

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Enrollment Catalyst

DECEMBER 30, 2023

Now that 2023 is in the rearview mirror, it is always good to reflect on the past year and to look ahead to 2024. In 2023, I had the opportunity to partner with 70 independent and faith-based schools. From my Enrollment Catalyst Program (on-site and virtual) to ongoing coaching, to my School Survey Solutions to my online School Ambassador Training Program , I am thankful for my partnership with school leaders.

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Enrollment Catalyst

NOVEMBER 10, 2023

Join us in Orlando on January 24-26, 2024, for A Deep Dive into the Admissions Process. Admission is the engine room of enrollment, and you want to make sure your team is firing on all cylinders. In this workshop, we’ll discuss lead generation, open houses, inquiry management, campus visits, admissions presentations, value propositions, follow-up processes, onboarding, and more.

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Enrollment Catalyst

NOVEMBER 8, 2023

In the fast-paced world of school life, it’s a common misconception that once enrollment is full, there’s less need for ongoing marketing efforts. However, the reality is quite the opposite. Recently, some school leaders in which I have coached and connected with, mentioned that they have backed off from their marketing efforts. For example, read the following paraphrased comment: “We have more than enough inquiries and applications to fill our empty seats.

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Enrollment Catalyst

SEPTEMBER 4, 2023

The excitement of a new school year is in the air. Throughout my admissions career, there was always one day that I looked forward to—the first day of school. This day is the reward for your hard work during the year recruiting and enrolling new families when you see them on your campus. It also is a time that closes out one recruitment cycle to begin a new one.

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Enrollment Catalyst

SEPTEMBER 3, 2023

Register for the Enrollment Marketing Geeks first Show & Tell Show on Thursday, September 7, at 1pm EDT. Bridging the Gap From Middle to High School Mount Paran Christian School in Kennesaw, GA, will Show & Tell their Encounter Week. Encounter Week encourages middle schoolers to continue their academic journey in high school at Mount Paran. The admissions team works with high school leaders to organize a week of events that showcase the high school experience for middle schoolers.

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Enrollment Catalyst

AUGUST 29, 2023

Do you ever wonder about how other schools do things? Have you ever seen something another school is doing and thought, “That’s a great idea! I wonder how they pulled that off?” Or maybe you’re just the curious type who loves big ideas, new approaches, and thought-provoking questions. If so, you’ll want to tune into The Show & Tell Show with the Enrollment Marketing Geeks — Dr.

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Enrollment Catalyst

AUGUST 29, 2023

In 2022, the Enrollment Marketing Geeks — Andy Lynch, President and CEO of North Star Marketing, and Dr. Rick Newberry, President of Enrollment Catalyst — decided to take the show on the road. More than 50 school leaders registered for the first-ever Geeks on the Road workshop. There was lots of learning, laughs, and Florida sunshine! So we’ve decided to double down and host not just one but TWO in-person events.

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Enrollment Catalyst

AUGUST 23, 2023

Developing an enrollment marketing plan for your school may seem like a daunting task. However, it isn’t “rocket science.” It also doesn’t need to be overwhelming. This is why Andy Lynch, president of North Star Marketing, and Rick Newberry, president of Enrollment Catalyst (that’s me!), will be offering our next Geeks on the Road Workshop on this key topic.

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Enrollment Catalyst

JULY 29, 2023

It’s August and you might be squeezing in the last few days of your summer vacation, catching the sunset over the water, or spending time with your family. With the start of the school year only a few days or a few weeks away, August is one of the most important months in the enrollment marketing cycle. In this month you will finish out the enrollment marketing cycle for 2023 and you will begin a new one for 2024.

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Enrollment Catalyst

JUNE 14, 2023

I love to hike. During the summer months, my wife and I spend a lot of our time in northern Michigan hiking and biking on the trails of the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes National Park. The views are incredible (the picture is a hike along Lake Michigan to the Treat Fam Trail to the Empire Bluff Trail). In fact, this park was voted as the most beautiful place in America by Good Morning America several years ago.

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Enrollment Catalyst

MARCH 5, 2023

Please welcome the Denver Christian School team to Enrollment Catalyst! DCS has experienced exponential growth over the past several years, increasing from 565 students in 2019-20 to 865 students in 2022-23. The team is committed to sustaining their growth in the market. Dr. Rick Newberry conducted a three day site visit in February 2023 to begin his Enrollment Catalyst Program with their team.

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Enrollment Catalyst

APRIL 2, 2023

In March 2023, Dr. Rick Newberry had the opportunity to conduct a three-day site visit at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School in Washington D.C. to begin his Enrollment Catalyst Program. This site visit included 10 focus groups and assessment meetings to review the enrollment and marketing processes and strategies of the school. St. Pat’s has nearly 500 students enrolled through 8th grade.

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Enrollment Catalyst

MAY 31, 2023

Assessments are a regular part of our lives. Whether it is for your annual physical at the doctor’s office or a new home remodeling project, the process begins with an assessment. Let’s take your car as an example. You drive your car all the time, most likely daily. You rely upon your car to provide dependable transportation to get you where you need to go.

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Enrollment Catalyst

MAY 6, 2023

The right plan can make all the difference in your recruitment and retention efforts. But the reality is most independent and faith-based schools simply don’t have a plan. They move from project to project without a clear strategy. And they’re leaving opportunities on the table. Whether your school’s enrollment is full, nearly full, or in decline, a strategic plan will provide the direction your admissions and marketing team needs to get traction.

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Enrollment Catalyst

MAY 2, 2023

Have you ever thought about the reasons why some private schools experience enrollment growth and why others decline? School leaders primarily call me because they either want to make sure their school continues to grow (or even remain full), or they need to turnaround a flat or declining enrollment. I address these issues through my Enrollment Catalyst Program.

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Enrollment Catalyst

FEBRUARY 2, 2023

I love football and the season that we are in now. With only a week before the Super Bowl, we can see how teams have performed and succeeded on the field. As it is in most sports, it takes an entire team of skilled players in the right positions working together to win the game. Your school’s enrollment marketing team is no different. It takes a team that is dedicated to your enrollment marketing efforts in order to achieve your goals.

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Enrollment Catalyst

JANUARY 22, 2023

Christmas wasn’t supposed to turn out this way. On Christmas Eve, my youngest son, Ben, was scheduled to fly from Milwaukee to Tampa to spend a few days with us over the holiday. As typical, I always check the flight status several times throughout the day. I had noticed that his flight was delayed for a few minutes and then the delay got longer. Then, my son called me late in the afternoon to tell me that his flight had been cancelled.

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Enrollment Catalyst

JANUARY 3, 2023

Advocacy is the final phase of the Family Journey. And, I believe it is the most important one for your school. This is when your parents will share stories from their child’s educational experiences and will refer their friends to consider your school. The more positive the experience, the more powerful the word-of-mouth and the referral. This phase works to build awareness in the community, which you will remember is the foundational phase of the Family Journey.

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Enrollment Catalyst

MAY 12, 2022

Your website is your school’s most important marketing and communications tool. It’s a window into your culture for families exploring education options. The unfortunate reality is that many schools undervalue the role of their website in attracting and retaining families. In this webinar, we’ll discuss some common mistakes schools make on their websites, the key components of a lead-generating site, and the commitments your team needs to make to keep your site current.

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Enrollment Catalyst

MAY 26, 2022

Bullet points and talking points may be helpful for conveying facts about your school, but stories are far more impactful for conveying your school’s value proposition. But effective storytelling is far down the priority list for many schools. In this webinar, we’ll discuss the role of storytelling in school marketing, how to use social media and your website to tell stories, and how to systematize the content development process.

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Enrollment Catalyst

JUNE 21, 2022

Summer is here. The pace at your school has changed. Your halls and classrooms are empty. However, there is always some activity on your campus. Summer camps. Maintenance projects. Administrative planning meetings. Admissions tours. While the activity at your school has changed, the summer months can be more challenging to develop content to post on your social media channels.

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Enrollment Catalyst

JULY 11, 2022

“If I could only get them on campus…” Sound familiar? Many admissions professionals take the wait-and-see approach rather than deploying a proactive strategy to get parents on-campus for a tour. So, how do you actually get the parent to your campus? In this webinar, we will discuss how to implement effective lead nurturing strategies from initial inquiry to the campus visit to application and enrollment.

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Enrollment Catalyst

SEPTEMBER 19, 2022

Join Sarah Donovan, Senior Director of Advancement, at The First Academy in Orlando, with the Enrollment Marketing Geeks, as she discusses some key concepts and strategies related to managing an admissions waitlist/waitpool. During this webinar, Sarah will explore issues related to defining your process of a waitlist or a waitpool, the spread of applicants, openings and qualifications, connections with families who are waiting, and enrollment priorities and preparations for a season of feast or

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Enrollment Catalyst

SEPTEMBER 21, 2022

Several months ago, Andy Lynch and I launched our Enrollment Marketing Geeks brand through a series of webinars. And now, we are building on this by offering our very first workshop in Orlando, FL, from November 30 to December 2. During this workshop, we will utilize the Family Journey as our guiding framework for enrollment marketing planning as we consider the processes and strategies you should implement at each phase.

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Enrollment Catalyst

SEPTEMBER 30, 2022

Join the Enrollment Marketing Geeks in Orlando, FL, to Map Out Your Enrollment Marketing Plan! Join Andy Lynch, President and CEO of North Star Marketing , and Dr. Rick Newberry, President of Enrollment Catalyst , for a two-day workshop that will revolutionize how your team plans and executes recruitment and retention marketing strategies. Wed, Nov 30 through Fri, Dec 2, 2022.

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Enrollment Catalyst

OCTOBER 5, 2022

After a parent is aware of your school, the next phase of the Family Journey is Consideration. This is the second phase in the Family Journey model developed by Andy Lynch, President and CEO of North Star Marketing. Let’s take a look at how a parent considers your school as this builds on the Awareness Phase : As the parent considers your school, the awareness generated through word-of-mouth conversations and online research in the first phase will be significant to determine their next step.

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Enrollment Catalyst

NOVEMBER 27, 2022

In my previous two blog posts, I discussed the Awareness and Consideration Phases of the Family Journey. This model has been developed by Andy Lynch, President and CEO of North Star Marketing. We will be using the framework of the Family Journey for our discussion at our Geeks on the Road Workshop in Orlando. 52 enrollment and marketing geeks from 29 schools in 15 states and 2 provinces will gather in Orlando for the first “Geeks on the Road” Workshop.

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Enrollment Catalyst

DECEMBER 8, 2022

Once a family is enrolled in your school, the parent is in the evaluation phase of the Family Journey. Parents will validate their choice and determine if they have made the right decision. This Phase is focused on retention. Just because a family is enrolled today, doesn’t mean that they will continue their enrollment. Parents continually reflect on their experience in your school and evaluate the decision they’ve made.

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