Your school’s first communication with an accepted family is a critical moment — it sets the tone for the experience that’s to come, it’s a chance to officially welcome families to your school community, and it’s an opportunity to convert families and work toward meeting your school’s admission and enrollment goals. No pressure…

In one report, 55 percent of responding schools reported their private school enrollment increased between the 2021–22 and 2022–23 school years, while 58 percent of those schools reported increased applications. That’s a great sign for private schools, but with multiple acceptances from competing schools, families will likely have some important decisions to make this year.

Of course, all these coveted acceptance letters, or emails, will come with celebrations and acknowledgment of all the hard work that’s brought students to this point. And all schools will share their steps for what comes next in their enrollment process.

But as families whittle down their list, there will be small, but meaningful elements that will help seal the deal and reinforce that your school is the best choice. During this admissions cycle, make sure you’re at the top of every family's list and ensure these sentiments are reinforced by your admissions team.

1. Families must feel welcomed

Families must feel welcomed into your school community. If parents and the child immediately feel like you know them on a personal level, it reflects a warm, inclusive learning environment where families, students, and faculty care about one another. It goes beyond just rolling out the welcome mat — families need to feel that your school knows them and understands their interests and passions.

How to do it: Personalize and build relationships

When it comes to admissions letters and communications, personalization plays a big role in creating relationships with families. Collecting information during the inquiry and application process can help identify not just the names and the grade levels of a student, but also their personal interests and goals, and activities they enjoy or they’d like to explore.

The admissions team at Moreau Catholic High School uses Finalsite’s admissions and enrollment management software to manage its inquiries, and during that process, they gather information about the applicants’ interests — they can use that information to individualize the enrollment experience, talk about a student’s passions, send invites to campus events, and provide more information about clubs and activities.

2. Families must feel informed

Whatever the next step toward enrollment may be, empower families with clear calls to action and paths to proceed. And that might be different for each family — some may feel ready to officially enroll, some may want to know more about affordability, others might want to meet 1:1 with your enrollment director, and some want just one more look at campus.

Knowledge is power, so inform families by including these in your acceptance letter:

• Clear confirmation of acceptance: This is a given, but cut to the chase — families want to know that their child has been accepted and that they will be able to attend the school.
   
• An overview of the enrollment process, including any necessary next steps or deadlines.
   
• Details on any financial aid or scholarships awarded to the student. Many families will be interested in knowing what financial aid or scholarships their child have been awarded and how they can apply for those funds.
   
• Information about what’s next: Families want to know what the next steps are for enrolling their child in the school and what deadlines they need to be aware of.
   
• Details about orientation and registration: Families want to know when and how their child will be able to orient themselves with the school, meet other students, and register for classes.
   
• Ways to contact the admissions office, either by email, phone, or in person at the next admissions event.

How to do it: Build a landing page for accepted students

Having an engaging and informative landing page for accepted students is not only important for converting families, but also for celebrating their accomplishments and for providing more details about the enrollment process if they need it.

A high-energy landing page for accepted students should include the following:

Celebration: An acceptance is a big moment and should be celebrated! Take a moment to recognize all the hard work the accepted student has done to get to this point. A warm welcome photo or video from current students, faculty, and staff can help welcome new families, and be sure to include ways to share the excitement, like a branded hashtag to spread across social media.

Communication: Amid the excitement, don’t forget to communicate important deadlines for deposits, enrollment dates, or a registration link for an accepted student's day. Having those important dates on one admissions calendar is convenient and can highlight all the “can’t-miss” events.

Conversion: Get families to enroll! A link to continue the journey through your enrollment process is ideal.

Central Catholic High School shared the excitement in its accepted students' landing page, complete with a congratulatory video, admissions events calendar — even a Spotify playlist to set the mood!

All the information about enrollment is there for families to take the next step through their online admissions and enrollment software. And if parents need more information, the admissions team is there to help.

Keep Reading: How to Use Your Website to Drive Accepted Student Engagement

3. Parents must believe in the value of your education

There’s a huge underlying question for new families considering enrolling in a private school: Is your price tag worth the investment? 

Parents need to know your school shares the same goals for their child's education.

In your admissions announcement, include information about the experience of being a student, as well as the academic programs that pertain to their child, such as the unique programs your school has to offer, honors or AP classes, and what the expectations are for the student. If your school practices the particular learning style that works for your child, like a project-based or independent-learning pedagogy, mention that as well.

How to do it: Testimonials to support the ROI

Focus on the rewards of being a student, either by including a testimonial that encompasses the experience, or maybe the success story of a recent graduate or current student. Using photos or videos can help showcase that sentiment more powerfully than text.

The Pingry School’s admissions team sent students to their own web pages to serve up a one-of-a-kind experience, complete with individualized video greetings, and testimonials from students discussing their success on campus. Nicely done!

4. Students must know they’ll thrive

Students and their families will need to trust that they’ll excel at your school — and not just academically, but socially and personally, too. Include information about your school's resources and support services, such as counseling, college prep, or academic tutoring.

How to do it: Introduce the faculty and school leadership

Provide that sense of confidence and showcase how easy it is for a student to pursue their interests at your school. If your school offers the programs that a student is interested in, like athletics, STEM, or theater, show those interests through visuals, or even follow up with a personalized congratulatory email from a coach, division head, or even a student leader — after all, you collected those interests during the inquiry process, right?

5. Parents must trust their kids will be excited to come to school

Parents should know that each day, their students will feel excited to come to school. Waking up for class, completing classwork, and studying are all easier when students are invested in succeeding and are excited for the adventure that’s to come. 

Whether it's because of an expanding social network, engaged faculty, opening night, or the big game that’s right around the corner, students should be excited about the opportunity to enroll.

How to do it: Show the excitement of student life

Your school should show that every day is an adventure and an opportunity to learn or experience something new, to push (and support) students to discover something about themselves.

Blair Academy has a “bucket list” for students during their time at school, and who wouldn’t look forward to collecting memories like building a boat, getting hypnotized, or even babysitting a faculty member’s kid!? Its “50-Things To Do Before You Graduate” page is a great resource to include and get accepted students excited for student life.

Your admission office could even reference these activities once they've learned more about the student’s interests and goals, just like Blair does on its inquiry form. 

Key takeaway

When a family opens that acceptance email, it’s a special moment full of excitement and anticipation. But your job isn’t over yet — families will most likely have multiple schools to choose from, and being able to present a welcoming, supportive, and engaging environment will help set your school apart and make your offer one they can’t refuse.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Connor has spent the last decade within the field of marketing and communications, working with independent schools and colleges throughout New England. As Finalsite’s Senior Content Marketing Manager, Connor plans and executes marketing strategies and digital content across the web. A former photojournalist, he has a passion for digital media, storytelling, coffee, and creating content that connects.