Winning Recruitment Strategies for a Competitive Independent School Market

Visit the episode page: https://www.moonshotos.com/winning-recruitment-strategies-for-a-competitive-independent-school-market

In today’s competitive market, independent schools face new challenges in attracting and retaining students.

The traditional “gatherer” mindset, where schools wait for families to come to them, is no longer sufficient.

To thrive, schools must take a proactive approach—actively finding and reaching out to and engaging with new families while maintaining strong relationships with current ones.

In this case study episode, J.P. Watson, The Gowan Group, provides independent school leaders with the tools and strategies they need to shift their enrollment approach.

Whether you’re a Head of School, Enrollment Manager, or an aspiring leader, this resource will help you:

What You'll Learn:

• Develop a Proactive Enrollment Strategy: Learn how to balance the gatherer and hunter mindsets to optimize recruitment efforts.
• Align Your Institutional Goals: Discover how to ensure your strategic planning, enrollment management, and community outreach efforts work together seamlessly.
• Leverage Data for Targeted Outreach: Understand how to use tools like NAIS Market View to effectively identify and target new families.
• Build Strong Community Relationships: Explore ways to deepen connections with current families, alumni, and local organizations to enhance your recruitment efforts.
• Prepare Aspiring Leaders: Gain insights into why and how to develop enrollment and marketing competencies among your school’s future leaders.

Discussion Prompts

• Mindset Shift: How can our school balance the gatherer mindset with a more proactive approach to ensure a more effective enrollment strategy? What specific actions can we take to begin this shift?
• Institutional Alignment: How can we fully align our strategic planning, enrollment management, and community outreach efforts? What steps can we take to improve alignment if necessary?
• Community Engagement: How can we deepen our relationships with current families, alumni, and local organizations to enhance our recruitment efforts? What new partnerships could we explore?
• Data-Driven Recruitment: How are we currently using data to inform our recruitment strategies? What additional data or tools like NAIS Market View could we leverage to recruit potential families effectively?
• Leadership Development: How can we encourage and support the development of enrollment and marketing competencies among our aspiring leaders? What training or resources could we provide to help them succeed in these areas?