InspirED School Marketers SPARKCAST – Details, episodes & analysis

This episode of the InspirED SparkCast discusses the 2022 Independent School Cost-Per-Enrollment Study produced jointly by the Enrollment Management Association (EMA), the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), and National Business Officers Association (NBOA) to make informed decisions around funding and support for enrollment efforts. 

[Links above lead to the study. Your school must be a member of one of the organizations to be eligible for download.]

This is the Executive Summary on the NAIS website.

Among the independent schools that participated in this research, enrollment costs were as follows:

• The median cost-per-enrollment (CPE) was $3,677

• The median cost-per-inquiry (CPI) was $697

• The median ROI was $7 in tuition for each dollar spent to enroll a new student in their first year

Enrollment costs varied significantly across school demographics. The largest schools (those with 700+ students) had the lowest CPE of all school groups—and saw the highest return on their investment ($8.60 in tuition for each dollar spent on enrollment management in the first year of tuition). Elementary schools had the smallest cost per enrollment ($2,869 per enrollee vs. the median $3,677 per enrollee.) The median CPE for secondary schools was $5,844.
 
The full report contains additional data on enrollment costs sorted by school type (day/boarding), size, region, and grade levels served. 

Kevin MacNeil       

Kevin is the CAO and Partner of Metric Marketing. Kevin has worked with more than a hundred independent schools across North America. Exposed to nearly a decade of admissions marketing campaigns, he prides himself on helping schools make decisions based on data. He is a practiced teacher of marketing and advertising, including work with NAIS, NYSAIS, EMA, AISAP, InspirED, ISSL, CAIS. 

Metric Marketing started as a web development/tech company in 1999, and Kevin joined them in 2008. During that time, the company began to transform into a digital advertising agency and then a full-service agency. In 2013, Metric started working with private schools, and by 2019, they were working with schools across North America. Kevin realized his and Metric's passion was to help schools grow. 

Deb Baum is the Senior Director of Communications and Strategic Institutional Marketing at The Bryn Mawr School, an all-girls PK-12 school in Baltimore, Maryland. Deb previously worked in communications and media relations roles at Gilman School, The Rhode Island Foundation, and Brown University. Deb also has a background in journalism, having spent three years as a news writer for WBZ-TV in Boston as well as serving on the staff of 60 Minutes II and The Early Show in New York City.

Deb enters the Five Year Club in 2024 as a Brilliance Awards judge.

Dr. David Willows is Co-founder and Strategic Director at [YELLOW CAR], the world's leading experience strategy training and consultancy firm for schools. Between 2005 and 2022, he was Director of Advancement at the International School of Brussels, Belgium. During this time, he grew to be widely regarded as one of the most innovative practitioners in the field, helping to shape and define the future of Advancement (admissions, marketing & communications, fundraising & alumni relations) in schools. He was recently listed as one of the world's Top 10 Global Educational Influencers. An author and regular keynote speaker and trainer at international events around the world, David is passionate about helping schools advance in ways that are relevant to today's educational landscape.

Suzette Parlevliet is Co-founder and Experience Director at [YELLOW CAR]. With a background in hospitality management, she worked at the International School of Brussels for nearly a decade, where she oversaw the school's brand development, communication strategy, web design, content production and, ultimately, the school's family experience. Today, Suzette brings expert insight and supports school leaders to design and implement experience strategies in ways that demonstrate impact across the organization.

Rebecca Malotke-Meslin is the founder of Pleasantly Aggressive Coaching & Consulting where she empowers women to take control of their leadership journey and ditch the habits holding them back.

Rebecca combines a background in social research with 20 years of sales, marketing, communications, and school leadership to create a transformational experience for her clients. One of the many connections she has with InspirED is that Rebecca was director of admissions at three private schools over 15 years.

Through one-on-one coaching, leadership cohorts, and speaking engagements, she delivers enthusiasm and expertise to her audiences. In her role as a consultant, she works with organizations to eliminate barriers, reduce biases, and create more inclusive spaces for all women. Rebecca is also the host of the Confidently You: Women in Leadership Podcast.

Deborah Janz has a passion and curiosity for international and corporate culture. This, combined with her experience with business, sales, and technology, created the foundation of IMPACT Marketing International in 2007.

One of Deborah's first projects was a family business, providing safe and educational online experiences for young children. She geeked out daily on how to attract more paid users to the website. The KidZap website ultimately received more than one million visitors per month.

After twenty plus years of helping businesses reach their audience and generate leads through social media and digital marketing, Deborah began to customize strategies for international education. With a focus on deeply understanding a school's culture, thereby creating marketing promises a school can fulfill, IMPACT's methodologies revolve around high-integrity marketing practices.

Deborah thrives on the complexity and challenge of the intercultural mix within international schools and in the various countries they draw from. She has developed strategies, and workshops, and built and led a team of experts to help schools in Asia, Europe, Africa, and North America understand their unique brand position, expand their reputation, and increase enrolment.

This episode of the SparkCast is not about school marketing. It's not about attaining and retaining students. It's not about social media.

It's about the Pechersk School International in Kyiv, Ukraine.

It's about the story of the attack on the school by the Russians in February 2022… the story of the school's leaders' perseverance and resilience…the story of how the international private school community has come to PSI's aid in remarkable and creative ways…and it's the story of the story.

We talk with David Willows of [YELLOW CAR] and Miles Latham of Affixxius Films.

Penny Abrahams is a senior consultant at Independent School Management, better known as ism.  Penny first joined ism in 2010 as a member of the Advancement Academy's founding faculty. As a Senior Consultant, she specializes in marketing communications, enrollment management, and development. Her experience in these areas comes from working in private and independent schools and other non-profits for more than 20 years.

Penny also serves as the Advancement Department Head at ism ensuring effective content development and service delivery for ISM's enrollment, marketing communications, and development consulting. This includes leading ISM's Advancement Academy, an annual premier professional development conference that educates and mentors School Heads, Board members, and development, enrollment management, and marketing communications professionals.

Penny began her career in schools in 2001 at Ravenscroft, a Pre-K through grade 12 school in Raleigh, N.C. She started as the Annual Fund Director and later became Ravenscroft's Director of Communications.

From 2013-17, Penny served as the Director of Admissions & Marketing at Academy at the Lakes, in Tampa, Fla.

Before her time in private-independent schools, Penny worked in publications and media relations for the University of Texas, the Memphis Center City Commission, and U.S. Synchronized Swimming.

Aubrey Bursch, founder and CEO of Easy School Marketing, is passionate about supporting small private schools to increase enrollment, retention, and revenue by designing and executing marketing strategies that work for them. As the daughter of lifelong educators and a mom of two independent school students, she combines her passion for schools with her 20+ years of marketing and development experience to help schools identify and implement high ROI initiatives. Aubrey co-hosts the Mindful School Marketing podcast, leads the free Small School Leaders professional development program, and speaks nationwide.

Lauren Campbell is the Publications Manager at Cretin-Derham Hall, a Catholic high school in St. Paul, Minnesota. She manages digital communications, the biannual alumni magazine, and the Student Apprentice program. (which is what we're going to be talking about today.) She previously worked in communications for a local nonprofit and a community bank. Lauren is focused on using the power of communications and storytelling to build and enhance community. She holds a Bachelor's of Business Administration and a B.A. in International Relations, both from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.