Transcript What you need to know about marketing

The Changing Landscape:
Independent School
Admission
IE Fall Workshop
October 11, 2011
As the front door to
our schools, admission
work defines school
character, shapes
school culture, and
generates income.
And yet, not a single
[director] has a degree
in admission.
David Baker, Director of Admission
St. Mark’s School of Texas
Jack of All Trades
TODAY’S ADMISSION DIRECTOR
Coach
Tax Specialist
Marketer
Database Expert
Counselor
Educational Planner
Traveling Sales
Manager
Teacher
Intercultural Relations
Data Analyst
Dorm Parent
Envelope Stuffer
Tour Guide
Speaker
Coffee Maker
Event Planner
Driver
The NEW
ADMISSION
FUNNEL
Data to inform marketing
and recruitment
Data to support student
selection
Data to drive school
improvement
The Big Independent School Picture
1.
Changing Demographics
2.
Challenging Economics
3.
Shortage of School Leaders
4.
Increasing Globalization
5.
Increasing Role of Technology
6. Renewed Need for Collaboration
7.
Focus on Customer Experience and Outcomes
Changing
Demographics
Student demographic not usually associated
with our schools is on the rise.
Source: Knocking at the College Door
Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education, 2008
Example – District of Columbia
Ethnicity
District of Columbia
All United States
White
38.5%
72.4%
Black
50.7%
12.6%
American Indian and
Alaskan Native
0.3%
0.9%
Asian
3.5%
4.8%
Native Hawaiian and Other
Pacific Islander
0.1%
0.2%
Persons reporting two or
more races
2.9%
2.9%
Persons of Hispanic or
Latino origin
9.1%
16.3%
Source: U.S. Census, 2010
Example – Bethesda, MD
 28.4% of households with kids (national avg = 31.4%)
 Median household income is $99,102 (national avg = $44K)
 Home values are up 3.4% (home value index = $728,400)
 Main residents are:
 High-income immigrants
 High-income singles
 Suburban retirees
Source: Zillow.com
How well do you know your customers?
Top 5
Mosaic Groups
Affluent Suburbia
Aspiring
Contemporaries
Upscale America
Struggling Societies
American Diversity
IE
2010-11 Score
Reporters
40%
All SSAT
2010-11 Score
Reporters
34%
24%
5%
14%
7%
12%
2%
6%
5%
Challenging
Economics
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SEPT. 13, 2011
 The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that in 2010,
median household income declined.
Table A. Median Household Income
Region
2009
2010
% change
U.S.
$50,599
$49,445
-2.3
Northeast
$53,949
$53,283
-1.2
Midwest
$49,684
$48,445
-2.5
South
$46,368
$45,492
-1.9
West
$54,722
$53,142
-2.9
Wealth Gaps &
Financial Aid
The population that is on the
rise is getting poorer.
Net worth of white households
is decreasing.
According to NAIS’ most
recent data for IE schools (0708), 19.6% of students were
on financial aid.
Nationally in 2010-11, 22.8% of
students in NAIS responding
schools were on financial aid.
Day School: How much does it cost?
Family of 4, no COLA, no net worth/assets. (SSS Data)
“Full Pay”
Income
“Full Pay”
Income
Grade
Tuition
1 Child
2 Children
6th
$18,459
$130,473
$193,270
8th
$19,340
$133,538
$199,430
9th
$22,115
$142,807
$218,837
12th
$21,695
$141,402
$215,900
Tuition = Medians for 2010-11; Source: NAIS National Tables
“Money, Money, Money!”
• #1 reason families didn’t enroll
• 76% blamed affordability, not “fit”
• 89% students who didn’t re-enroll cited “affordability”
• Affordability:
1. Cannot afford tuition
2. Financial aid award not sufficient
3. Free public options (including charter/magnet)
Source: SSATB 2009 Enrollment Survey
Shortage of
School Leaders
Leadership Challenges
Wickenden Associates, January 2008
 Increased litigation
 Chasing financial equilibrium
 Increased pressure for more communication and
transparency
 Consumer mentality
 Trustee turnover
 Increasingly competitive environment for quality, diverse
staff
 Increased competition for students
 Adapting educational programming to reflect the current
interests in globalism and environmental sustainability
So long, Baby
Boomers!
• 70% of heads will retire in
the next 10 years (by 2017)
• Of those, 39% plan to
retire in 5 years or less
(2007 NAIS Heads Survey)
And it’s not just private schools or
the United States…
 Nearly 80% of all public school superintendents
could retire or change positions in the next five
years (AASA, 2006). 85% of superintendents
believe an inadequate supply of educational
leaders exists to fill the anticipated openings in
the near future (AASA, 2007).
 Roles and responsibilities of school leaders have
expanded dramatically in the past few decades.
At the same time, the workforce of principals in
many nations is nearing retirement, and a
majority of countries studied reported difficulties
in finding enough suitable job candidates (OECD,
2008).
Increasing
Globalization
Through my work with the
business community, it
has become apparent that
there isn’t a lack of
employees that are
technically proficient but
a lack of employees that
can adequately
communicate and
collaborate, innovate and
think critically.
Ken Kay, Co-Founder
Partnership for 21st Century Skills
Implications of Globalization
 Development of entrepreneurial human capital
equipped to compete and succeed in the 21st
century
 Boundary-crossing people and ideas
 Programs focused on global citizenship
 Education as a commodity
Where is the Current Focus in Education?
 Public Schools
 Closing the achievement gap between
white/Asian student and black/Latino students
(No Child Left Behind).
 Private Schools
 The mission of Private Academy is to create a
stimulating educational environment in which
all students reach their full potential.
Pat Bassett’s
6 C’s
Carl Hobert’s
5 C’s
 Communication
 Comprehension
 Compromise
 Coexistence
 Compassion






Communication
Critical Thinking
Collaboration
Creativity
Character
Cosmopolitan
RISE OF THE EAST: 6-Year SSAT Volume in Asia
2250
2000
1750
1500
1250
1000
750
500
250
0
04-05
05-06
Korea
06-07
Hong Kong
07-08
China
08-09
Taiwan
09-10
Vietnam
Tested as 4/22
Increasing Role of
Technology
Technology is Changing Everything
High Tech, High Touch
Sal Kahn is on a
mission to
provide a free
world-class
education to
anyone
anywhere.
Having the confidence
and humility to give
up the need to be in
control, while
inspiring commitment
from people to
accomplish goals
Renewed Need
for Collaboration
What’s Your Market Share?
SCHOOL TYPE
# SCHOOLS
# STUDENTS
Magnet Schools
2,400
1.2 million
+Schools with
Magnet Programs
3,300
3.1 million
Charter Schools
4,132
1.4 million
Home-School
n/a
1.5 million
NAIS Members
1,174
568,628
85
33,000
IE Members
Leveraging
Resources
Collaborative marketing is one
good way to reach out into a
similar but un-tapped market
and share customers, contacts
and some of the expenses of
advertising and marketing,
AND it is a good way to bring
additional value and services
to your existing customers.
“The Case for Change in College
Admissions”
 Adopt a lottery system in which the most selective colleges
accept an agreed upon # of applicants from a common pool.
 Diffuse competition by expanding to admit more students.
 Reassess use of standardized test scores.
 Develop better measures of student learning and quality of
teaching.
 Limit use of merit aid.
 Take risks of admitting more students who show promise.
Source: USC Center for Enrollment Research, 2011
Focus on Customer
Experience and
Outcomes
What Parents Think
 The application process is time
consuming.
 Independent schools’ primary customers
are “Affluent Suburbanites.” They are busy
people. They belong to country clubs, are
tech savvy, and like the best of everything.
Savvy consumers!!
 What’s the ROI?
Do you know what motivates parents?
 Parents Who Push
 Success-Driven Parents
 Special Kids Parents
 Character-Building Parents
 Public School Proponents (don’t bother!)
Source: NAIS Parent Motivation Survey, 2011
What Placement Directors Think
What Students Think
 In a 2011 survey , SSATB asked students if there
was anything they would like admission directors
to know ….
 Process was difficult and stressful.
 Worst school visit was to a school that did not know
anything about my current school. Admission officers
should do their research just like we should do ours.
 The application process is sheer torture.
20% of day school
applicants surveyed
said the amount of
time and effort
required to apply
caused them to
drop schools from
their list!
If Colleges are the Bellwether…
“The New Rules of the Admission Game”
1.
Paperwork no longer done on paper
2.
SAT Scores Are Not Destiny
3.
Early Isn’t Always Better
4.
Instant Decisions (Fast-Track Applications)
5.
Don’t Wait on the Wait List
6.
Consider a Consultant
Newsweek, September 12, 2010
Are We Ready for the Big Shifts?
TODAY
Knowing
TOMORROW
Doing
Teacher-centered
Student-centered
The Individual
The Team
Consumption of Info
Construction of Meaning
Schools
Networks (online peers & experts)
Single Sourcing
Crowd Sourcing
High-Stakes Testing
High-Value Demonstrations
Source: MacArthur Foundation, 21st Century Learning
Notes from a Listening Tour
 The pressure of the year-round admission season
 Competition from public, charter, magnet, and home
schools
 Need to address expanding financial aid requests from both
new and returning families
 Importance of communicating value of independent
education
 Technology influencers on the job of admission
 Assessing students beyond test scores and application
forms
What SSATB is Seeing
 Relatively flat test volume
 Increased score report volume
 Slight increase in kids taking the test twi
ce
 Spike and leveling off of fee waiver usage
 Influx of Chinese testers
 Increased interest from families in the SAO
 Interest from members in lower level testing
What IE Schools are Seeing
 Same national SSAT trend of students sending more score
reports to more schools.
Score Reports Sent to IE-SSATB Schools
7800
7600
7400
7200
7000
6800
6600
6400
06-07
07-08
08-09
09-10
10-11
What IE Schools are Seeing
 Same national recession-based trend in SSAT fee waiver use.
IE-SSATB Schools: Fee Waiver Use
200
190
180
170
160
150
140
130
120
110
100
06-07
07-08
08-09
09-10
10-11
What IE Schools are Seeing
 Upper Level SSAT grade scores that are above the mean.
Mean Score Comparisons - Upper Level Score Averages
698
692
686
680
674
668
662
656
650
695
688
671
662
660
653
Verbal Scaled
IE School Score Reporters
Quant Scaled
Reading Scaled
SSAT Test Takers for the past 3 Years
What IE Schools are Seeing
 Lower Level quantitative scores slightly below the mean.
623
620
617
614
611
608
605
602
599
Mean Score Comparisons - Lower Level Score Averages
620
619
617
615
Verbal Scaled
IE School Score Reporters
614
Quant Scaled
614
Reading Scaled
SSAT Test Takers for the past 3 Years
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