Congratulations! You’ve successfully recruited another strong cohort to join your school community. But the work is not done. The strategic decisions you make now will set the tone for your new families’ experience and position you for success in the 2026-27 admission cycle.
Why?
- How you support newly enrolled families now shapes their experience in your community and can even impact retention.
- How you handle departing families determines how you improve and grow your program.
- How you prepare for next year’s cycle sets you up for success before it even begins.
Finish The Year Strong
Manage Your Waitlist Thoughtfully: Families on your waitlist deserve timely, honest communication. Keep them updated on movement and be realistic about their chances. If spots are not going to open, let them know sooner rather than later so they can commit elsewhere. Clear communication now preserves goodwill for potentially reapplying or for sibling applicants down the road.
Learn from Families Who Choose Not to Reenroll: Conduct thoughtful exit interviews with families who are leaving. These insights are invaluable, and handling these situations with care and compassion creates positive feelings about your school even for those who are leaving. And, it is the right thing to do.
If your school does not have a formal process, consider a phone call to departing families from the appropriate administrator or faculty member. Approach these conversations with genuine curiosity and kindness, and always let your departing students know they will be missed.
Send Feedback Surveys on Your Admissions Process: Ask families who enrolled what worked well and what could be improved. For accepted families who chose another school, ask what influenced their decision. Examine patterns rather than reacting to individual comments to refine your admissions process.
Set Up New Families For Success
Communicate Early and Often: Ensure newly enrolled families have all the information they need well before the school year starts about uniforms, fee schedules, supply lists, orientation details and the 2026-27 school year calendar. This reduces anxiety and ensures a smooth transition into your school community.
Create Connection Opportunities Now: Don’t wait until August to help new families feel connected. Launch initiatives now:
- Summer Buddy Program: Match incoming students with current students for informal meetups, texts or calls for great peer connections before school begins. Extend this to parents too.
- New Family Events: Host casual summer gatherings like ice cream socials, park meetups or campus tours where families can meet each other.
- Orientation: Confirm dates for new student welcome events and parent orientations and communicate them early and regularly.
- Summer Camp: Offer new family discounts, if you have space in your summer camp. It is a win-win: you fill spots while giving incoming students a chance to get comfortable on campus and make friends before the school year starts.
Invest in Your Ambassadors
Cultivate New Volunteers: Reach out now to current parents and students with whom you had great interactions this year to ask if they are interested in being an ambassador. Keep a list of new parents and students who would make great future volunteers and check in next year to see if your instincts are right. Personal and individual invitations via phone or email are the best method for asking. Getting them on board in the spring means you can get dates on their calendars now.
Thank Your Current Volunteers: Your tour guides, parent ambassadors, and admission volunteers helped make your season a success. Host a coffee or reception to thank them, present small tokens of appreciation, and invite them to continue next year. Recognition matters. Before everyone scatters for summer, get key dates on your volunteers’ calendars now.
Looking for a custom strategy to boost your spring enrollment? Reach out to us—our team is ready to help you and your school finish the year strong.
