1. “Identify at least three strategies that you have found
to be effective in the areas of recruitment, admissions,
and retention of students.”
 Better admission materials, open house for new and current families, and online applications
 Monthly Open Houses and an updated website; personally meeting each prospective family and student;
developing a relationship with our students and families.
 Retention of Students: Must be seen as a school of quality and care, high academic effectiveness with extra-
curricular options.
 Recruitment: Putting color admissions material/open house info into the hands of current parents and having
them go out and share the info with people who would benefit from our school.
 Open houses and tours where students are in the building.
 Have a great preschool program that welcomes students in the door.
 Word of mouth and newspaper advertising
 Friendly-focused tours not by busy secretary or principal
 Frequent submissions to local paper
 Quality website
 IMMEDIATE follow up to web inquiries, phone calls, etc.
 Handwritten thank you notes
 Professionalism and preparedness when families come in to visit/tour
 Pouring God's LOVE on all prospective families and current families
 Mentor families
 Pray, Pray, Pray for God's wisdom and guidance to do what He wants me to do in this position and to be used
for His purpose here in this place
 Community-based events: Mom2Mom Sales, Craft Shows, Easter Breakfast etc. Internal events that promote
relationships such as family movies nights, drama club etc.
 Live Open Houses-plan an event with your open house
 Follow up from tours and new families enrolled

2.  Retention: A critical area is for me, the administrator, to actually sit down with the families who have not re-
enrolled and talk with them. This year I literally saved two families because they knew they could no longer
afford tuition. I told them I would find a way to help them--that I just wanted their children to stay. Had I not
literally gone to the home of one of them, this would not have happened. The family was embarrassed and so
would not return phone calls.
 Admissions: It may sound trite, but the most important part for me was to pray and ask God to send me
someone to help with admissions. Strange how it worked out. One woman came and volunteered last spring to
help this fall. She couldn't end up helping, but two others, in the meantime, stepped up and asked if they could
organize an auction to bring in money so kids could go to this school for free. As they have worked on that, they
have been talking with other parents and now they are organizing things like a float in the local parade. All of
these activities are what admissions counselors do. The two ladies have no title, although one intends to head
PTL next year. They are a blessing from God, and I can't help but wonder if I would still be sitting here alone if I
had not prayed.
 Recruitment: We are still working on this area. I can't really say I have any strategy working well right now.
However, my two dear ladies above I take to lunch once every two weeks. As the year progresses, we will begin
to draw experience from their auction and other activities, so that next year I hope to do more in this area.
Guess I'd better get to praying!
 Recruitment - articles in the local newspaper, word of mouth, speaking / handing out information at area
churches and daycares.
 Admissions - personal attention to everyone who contacts the school - having a nice area and someone personal
to speak with after tours and answer any questions they may have, tuition scholarships
 Retention - continued personal attention, generate a feeling of family (PTL potlucks and carnival) and
excitement for the school. Show off events w/ pictures and articles in the school newsletter. Showcase
students and their families.
 Being available when families are available (days, evenings, weekends)
 Giving them the opportunity to voice their joys and concerns. Attending to those needs quickly, whether it be a
card or note to provide congratulations or condolences or providing direction when disputes or
miscommunications occur.
 Treating them as if they are part of the family and staying throughout 8th grade regardless of which grade level
they are enrolling in.
 Keeping them 'in-the-know'. Providing them with much information and taking care to be interested and let
them know it all throughout the enrollment process.
 With our AC, she is able to spend countless hours talking with parents in the hallways. She is aware of most
situations and can relay them back to me, the principal. I am then able to handle them before they become a
"major" situation. The AC can talk to parents about re-enrollment when it is time and encourage them to get
their paperwork in. Since that is the only thing she is assigned, she has the time to devote to it.
 Visible in church and community through events and website
 Quick response to inquiries
 Develop relationships with families early on by a follow up personal communication

3.  Enrollment information and forms available on line for parents
 Making ourselves available for questions
 Relationship building
 Parent satisfaction and word of mouth
 Our excellent pre-school program and the lady who is responsible for that program
 HIRE AN ADMISSIONS DIRECTOR
 Use parents/families to sell the school. Whenever someone tours our school the Admissions Director has a team
of parents to pick from to send a quick personal note to the prospective family inviting them to ask any
questions or attend a school function with them. They also often relate to the prospective family why they chose
to enroll their own children. Parents are really good as selling the school.
 Community Presence--the more people see your name the more they will think of you. Increase the number of
articles about your school in the local paper--if you write them yourself it's free. Develop a good relationship
with the editor and you will see the articles in there more often.
 Direct Mailing
 Creating an image through well-done materials
 Consistent and timely communication with prospects
 Open houses…community visibility...constant reinforcement of telling the value of our school
 Thorough and deliberate follow-up
 Partnering with other churches besides Lutheran churches
 Encouraging emails to current students and their families/faculty follow-up for re-enrollment
 Open Houses
 Newspaper ads
 Mailings to the students' homes
 Academically Strong/Respectfully Run/Christ-centered program
 Programs + programs + programs
 Early-bird discounts (fees or tuition)
 Student Shadow days
 Freshman meetings over the summer
 Using our sign for information, advertising!

4.  Encouraging parents to tell their friends
 Have an enrollment packet that showcases your school and the important things like school mission, history,
programming, etc. and an application.
 Follow up quickly with families regarding their interest by taking notes when they call and inquire. If you don't
have an admissions coordinator, this helps to keep you organized in the process... especially during enrollment
times.
 Communicate with your families to determine their needs and what they are thrilled about. Always be aware of
internal marketing and external marketing. Your new students need contact, but your current ones do too...
how can you confirm the choice they have made to come to your school in all that you do?
 Themed Preschool Open House
 Personal tours and handwritten follow up
 Direct conversation with new families to monitor satisfaction
 Follow up, follow up, follow up
 Weekly meetings with group of 5 in the Advancement Dept.
 subdivide jobs between members and report regularly
 FACTS tuition program buffers the school from having to be the bad guy.
 Pleasant tours with smiling and interested workers to meet
 Open house inviting people we have had contact with in the past
 Atmosphere at school that is positive and welcoming
 Personal communication!
 Having financial assistance available
 Word of mouth publicity
 Signs & flyers
 PR Committee
 Start early, talk with people personally, be persistent!
 Warm and friendly staff
 Professional presence online, in print, and in person
 Communication, communication, communication!
 Publicity, both in advertising and especially by word of mouth.

5.  New website
 Friendly, caring, and outgoing staff
 Personal attention, quick response, openness to deal with negative issues or be consistent with expectations for
student behavior.
 A link on the website named "SET UP A VISIT" going directly to the Admissions Counselor. This being followed
up by contact within 24 hours.
 Follow-up with new families by the Admissions Counselor. That relationship building is essential.
 Communication with all families. Utilization of phone trees, school management systems, constant contact,
Facebook, and others have helped us in each of the above areas.
 Get people on our property anyway we can
 Constantly encourage parents to be ambassadors for our school
 Train teachers to stop what they are doing when visitors enter their classrooms and talk to them and introduce
themselves, and welcome them.
 Advertising is vital to the recruitment of new students. Advertisements must not only be widely distributed, but
also well planned, and with concise and inviting wording.
 The admissions process currently in place, including grade-level testing and current teacher evaluation forms, is
greatly effective at determining a child's potential for success at our school.
 The excellent communication skills employed by the faculty and staff at our school give parents a sense of
awareness and security, and aids in the retention of students. Faculty and staff are available through e-mail and
phone, as well as through conferences scheduled by either parent or teacher.
 Bring kids on campus as a group from their school
 Personal notes from teachers
 Getting current parents involved
 Talk to other parents about the school at community youth sporting events
 Encourage current school families to speak highly of what our school has to offer as they interact with families in
the community.
 Distribute marketing items to members of the community to plant seeds of interest in what we have to offer.
 Contact with prospective students
 Getting prospective students in the building
 Having a rigorous curriculum
 Families feeling loved and cared for by an effective staff
 Simplifying tuition structure (same for LCMS and community members)

6.  Mentoring program for new families
 Word of mouth from happy parents is the best advertisement
 Working more closely with the Pre-Kindergarten families to encourage them to move into Kindergarten.
 Involving students in more church activity and publishing more of the students’ events and accomplishments in
local papers and church media.
 Personal Contact with leads given by families
 Word of mouth from current families is very important
 Being involved in community
 Having satisfied customers. If parents are happy with the education and service they are receiving, then they will
tell other parents.
 Have a clean and inviting building. First impressions are hopefully positive impressions.
 Friendly support staff, teachers and students
 We have advertised on the local Christian Radio stations. That has not been very successful. We have also used
flyers and posters. The most effective means for recruitment is word of mouth.
 For retention, we found that a survey to get parent feedback--and then the implementation of that feedback--
helped overall and it made the parents feel that they'd been heard. Also, help create and support a strong Parent
Teacher League to encourage involvement in all areas-- gives families a real investment in the school. It's harder
to leave a school you love!
 “Creative" Open House events that showcase our school by hosting events with lots of campus activity.
 Updated Website presence directed to seeker families.
 Utilizing proven marketing strategies such as direct mail, billboards, social media.