The Changing Landscape:

Independent School Admission

IE Fall WorkshopOctober 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 DIRECTORCoach Database ExpertTax Specialist CounselorMarketer Educational PlannerTraveling Sales Intercultural RelationsManager Data AnalystTeacher Dorm ParentEnvelope Stuffer Coffee MakerTour Guide Event PlannerSpeaker 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 Demographics2. Challenging Economics

3. Shortage of School Leaders4. Increasing Globalization5. Increasing Role of Technology6. Renewed Need for Collaboration7. Focus on Customer Experience

and Outcomes

Changing Demographic

s

Student demographic not usually associated

with our schools is on the rise.

Source: Knocking at the College DoorWestern 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 5Mosaic Groups

IE 2010-11 Score Reporters

All SSAT2010-11 Score Reporters

Affluent Suburbia

40% 34%

Aspiring Contemporaries

24% 5%

Upscale America 14% 12%Struggling Societies

7% 2%

American Diversity

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 IncomeRegion 2009 2010 % changeU.S. $50,599 $49,445 -2.3Northeast $53,949 $53,283 -1.2Midwest $49,684 $48,445 -2.5South $46,368 $45,492 -1.9West $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

(07-08), 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 tuition2. Financial aid award not sufficient3. 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).

IncreasingGlobalization

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-FounderPartnership 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 SchoolsClosing the achievement gap

between white/Asian student and black/Latino students (No Child Left Behind).

Private SchoolsThe mission of Private Academy is to

create a stimulating educational environment in which all students reach their full potential.

Carl Hobert’s 5 C’s

CommunicationComprehensionCompromiseCoexistenceCompassion

Pat Bassett’s 6 C’s

Communication Critical Thinking Collaboration Creativity Character Cosmopolitan

04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 Tested as 4/22

0

250

500

750

1000

1250

1500

1750

2000

2250

RISE OF THE EAST: 6-Year SSAT Volume in Asia

Korea Hong Kong ChinaTaiwan Vietnam

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.

Click icon to add picture

Having the confidence and humility to give up the need to be in control, while inspiring commitment from people to accomplish goals

Click icon to add picture

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 millionHome-School n/a 1.5 millionNAIS Members 1,174 568,628IE Members 85 33,000

Leveraging ResourcesCollaborative 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 PushSuccess-Driven ParentsSpecial Kids ParentsCharacter-Building ParentsPublic 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 TOMORROWKnowing DoingTeacher-centered Student-centeredThe Individual The TeamConsumption of Info Construction of MeaningSchools Networks (online peers & experts)

Single Sourcing Crowd SourcingHigh-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 twice 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.

06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-1164006600680070007200740076007800 Score Reports Sent to IE-SSATB Schools

What IE Schools are Seeing

Same national recession-based trend in SSAT fee waiver use.

06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11100110120130140150160170180190200

IE-SSATB Schools: Fee Waiver Use

What IE Schools are Seeing

Upper Level SSAT grade scores that are above the mean.

Verbal Scaled Quant Scaled Reading Scaled650656662668674680686692698

671

695

662660

688

653

Mean Score Comparisons - Upper Level Score Averages

IE School Score ReportersSSAT Test Takers for the past 3 Years

What IE Schools are Seeing Lower Level quantitative scores slightly below the mean.

Verbal Scaled Quant Scaled Reading Scaled

599605611617623 620

614617

615

619

614

Mean Score Comparisons - Lower Level Score Av-erages

IE School Score ReportersSSAT Test Takers for the past 3 Years

hhoerle@ssat.org609 683-5505