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VOLUME  I  vISSUE  I  A U G U S T   2 0 1 9    

Get  Connected  

SC  Featured  Admission  Director:  Bowdre  Fortson  Director  of  Admission  St.  Margaret's  School  804.443.3357  ext.  3080  -­‐  office  910.850.0048  -­‐  cell  phone  bfortson@sms.org  www.sms.org  

 1.  Favorite  thing  about  admissions?  Admissions  brings  people  together:  parents,  students,  alumni,  consultants,  school  counselors.  It  is  truly  a  unique  way  to  connect  with  others  in  a  global  way!  Those  connections  make  this  field  worthwhile.  I'll  never  forget  working  with  a  student  in  boarding  school  admissions  then  four  years  later  working  with  her  again  through  the  college  admissions  process.  It  was  the  coolest  AHA  moment!  2.  Other  roles  you  have  at  school?  Varsity  soccer  coach,  senior  class  sponsor,  Scottie  guide  club  sponsor.    3.  Activities  to  relax?  Boating.  Living  on  the  Rappahannock  River  has  its  perks.  Walking  down  to  the  dock  after  a  long  day  of  phone  calls  and  conversations  just  washes  away  when  you  get  on  your  boat  and  take  a  cruise  (with  friends  aboard,  as  well  as  your  pup).    4.  Favorite  book?  How  to  Win  Friends  and  Influence  People  by  Dale  Carnegie    5.  Most  memorable  admissions  trip?  Bedi-­‐Walker's  Carribean  Tour  last  November.  Connecting  with  the  other  admissions  counselors  was  hands  down  the  best  part  of  the  trip!  Not  only  did  they  provide  beautiful  destinations  for  the  fairs,  but  the  people  on  the  tour  were  truly  connecting  in  regard  to  best  practices,  memorable  admissions  stories  (the  good,  bad,  and  the  ugly),  and  everything  in  between.      St.  Margaret's  School  is  an  independent,  Episcopal,  all-­‐girls  school  located  in  the  town  of  Tappahannock,  Virginia.    

 

AN  ONLINE  NEWSLETTER  FOR  EDUCATION  PROFESSIONALS  

Patrick’s  Ponderings:  Founder  &  President  School  Connections  443-­‐564-­‐1809  patrick@schoolconnections.org  www.schoolconnections.org    “A  person  who  feels  appreciated  will  always  do  more  than  expected.”   I love this quote and hope everyone is appreciated at work and home. Can we affect whether we are appreciated? Probably not. But if you treat others with respect and appreciation then it can't hurt right? Life is more complicated than this of course, but if you keep this thought in mind with the people you work with I guarantee everyone will be happier and more productive. Tip: Try keeping a "Me" file. Put nice notes, cards and emails in a file for the times you don't feel appreciated. Just open it up and you'll instantly feel better.    

In  the  News:    7  Education  Trends  to  Watch  in  2019  MDR  Education    6  Demographic  Trends  Shaping  the  US  and  the  World  Pew  Research  Center    Chinese  Market  Statistics  Export.gov  

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SC  Featured  Consultant:  Cathy  Byerly  Independent  School  Options    218  N.  Lee  Street,  Suite  323  Alexandria,  VA  22314  703-­‐671-­‐8316  (o)  703-­‐997-­‐8438  (f)  www.independentschooloptions.com       1.  My  favorite  things  are:  knowing  I  helped  a  client  through  a  really  rough  patch  and  helped  them  see  the  light  at  the  end  of  the  tunnel.  Or,  that  I  enlightened  a  family  about  a  school  option  they  never  would  have  found  and  it  was  the  BEST  THING  EVER  for  their  child,  AND,  the  fabulous,  wonderful,  kind  program,  school  and  consultant  people  I  am  proud  to  call  my  friends.    2.  Outside  of  consulting:  I  am  the  President  of  WISER,  a  networking  organization  in  the  Metro  DC  area,  made  up  of  educators  and  schools  who  work  with  students  with  special  needs.  I  am  also  on  the  membership  committee  of  NATSAP.  Outside  of  business,  I  am  the  Chair  of  Membership  for  the  Advisory  Board  of  The  Mitchell  Gallery  at  St.  John's  College,  Annapolis,  MD.    3.  Activities  to  relax:  I  love  reading  (especially  mysteries  and  espionage),  cooking,  traveling  and  being  with  family  and  friends.    4.  Favorite  book:  Still  working  on  that.    5.  Most  memorable  professional  trip:  Probably  when  I  escorted  a  group  of  boarding  school  reps  through  Asia,  including  the  touring  of  Pad  Pong  with  the  more  "Matronly  members."    OR,  my  very  *irst  trip  to  Utah,  where  I  literally  sneezed  every  20-­‐30  seconds  for  the  (irst  24  hours  I  was  there.  Sneezed  my  way  through  3  program  visits!  Everyone  either  thought  I  was  a  little  crazy  or  was  going  to  die  on  their  doorstep!      

SC  Featured  Consultant:  Krissy  Naspo  Krissy  Naspo,  M.A.  Senior  Associate  The  Bertram  Group,  LLC  8  Wright  Street,  Suite  107  Westport,  Connecticut  06880  401-­‐965-­‐0075  (w)  www.thebertramgroup.com      1.    Favorite  thing  about  being  a  consultant  is  helping  individual  families  with  their  own  personal  and  family  needs.    I  love  teaching  them  about  a  school  or  program  they  didn't  know  anything  about  and  helping  them  find  the  best  fit  for  their  child.    When  working  with  families  that  need  more  of  a  non-­‐traditional  placement,  I  like  being  able  to  help  a  family  through  a  challenging  situation  and  getting  them  to  the  other  side.    Either  way,  I  enjoy  working  as  a  team  with  the  family  to  find  the  best  options.        2.  Outside  of  consulting,  I  am  on  the  IECA  Foundation  board.    I  am  proud  of  the  time  spent  raising  money  and  soliciting  sponsorships  for  the  IECA  Foundation  events  and  am  pleased  to  say  that  we  gave  out  over  $101,000  last  year  to  28  amazing  groups  and  organizations.    This  is  a  nice  way  to  give  back  to  more  organizations  and  to  have  a  wider  reach  than  I  could  on  my  own.        3.  Activities  to  relax:  I  enjoy  hanging  out  with  friends.    Whether  we  are  traveling,  watching  reality  TV,  or  enjoying  some  adult  beverages,  it  is  always  nice  to  be  with  friends.        4.  Favorite  book:  I  am  a  huge  audio  book  person  now  that  I  am  on  the  road  a  lot,  but  don't  have  a  favorite  of  all  time,  maybe  House  on  Mango  Street,  or  A  Farewell  to  Arms.    5.  Most  memorable  professional  trip:  has  to  be  one  of  my  Asia  trips  back  when  I  was  in  Admissions.    I  traveled  religiously  with  Mimi  Babcock  then  from  Indian  Mountain  School,  and  my  travel  husband,  Caleb  Thomson,  from  Fessenden  School.    We  had  so  many  fun  adventures,  laughs  and  crazy  road  stories  that  I  can't  even  think  about  those  years  without  smiling.    They  were  my  family  on  the  road  and  we  spent  months  together  each  year.    It  was  amazing  and  will  always  be  unforgettable.    Once,  in  Thailand  we  used  every  type  of  public  transportation  you  can  think  of  all  in  one  day  and  got  lost  more  than  once,  but  it  was  one  of  the  most  incredible  experiences  to  explore  the  world  with  such  good  friends.    Now,  I  enjoy  visiting  places  in  the  U.S.  that  I  had  never  visited  like  Asheville,  Salt  Lake  City,  Bend,  and  St.  George.        

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SC  Featured  Director  of  Business  Development:  Tracey  Bachrach  Tracey  Bachrach,  MAPP,  CTRS  Director  of  Business  Development  Point  School  Puerto  Rico    484-­‐450-­‐6878  (w)  tracey@pointschoolpr.com  www.pointschoolpr.com      1.  Favorite  thing  about  admissions  work  is  being  connected  with  the  students  and  families.  As  a  direct  care  staff  in  wilderness  therapy,  I  knew  my  students  intimately  and  witnessed  their  transformation  processes  (irst  hand.  I  loved  watching  my  students  grow  and  evolve  into  healthy  young  people.  As  a  Business  Development  Manager,  I  was  solely  focused  on  outreach  and  thus  removed  from  the  individual  growth  stories.  Doing  admissions  and  outreach  allows  me  to  speak  passionately  and  knowledgeably  about  the  services  at  Point  School  Puerto  Rico  because  I  am  hearing  their  initial  stories,  witnessing  their  positive  growth  and  change  throughout  their  stay,  and  following  up  with  them  after  they  transition  to  see  how  they're  using  their  strengths  long  term.  I  believe  it  is  imperative  and  bene/icial  to  build  relationships  with  all  of  our  young  men  even  after  the  admissions  process  is  completed.  I  ask  for  their  feedback  and  insight  into  our  program  and  processes,  share  my  own  observations  of  their  growth  as  an  outside  party,  and  let  them  know  how  much  I  care  about  their  wellbeing.      2.  Other  roles  at  Point  School?  I  am  the  Director  of  Business  Development  for  Point  School  Puerto  Rico,  which  means  I  do  outreach,  marketing,  program  tours,  community  relations  and  admissions.  I  also  really  enjoy  program  development.  With  my  Masters  of  Applied  Positive  Psychology  from  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  we've  integrated  positive  psychology  theory  and  practice  into  the  PSPR  curriculum.  I've  enjoyed  designing  and  implementing  a  character  strengths  development  and  positive  self-­‐discovery  component  within  our  program.  Being  onsite  in  Puerto  Rico  also  allows  me  to  be  hands-­‐on  with  program  development,  execution,  and  growth  projects.  I  also  enjoy  presenting  on  positive  psychology  at  conferences  and  events  nationwide.    Being  so  involved  in  the  creation  and  implementation  of  Point  School  Puerto  Rico  makes  it  easy  to  speak  confidently  and  passionately  about  the  services  we  provide  while  doing  admissions  and  outreach!    3.  Activities  to  relax:  Designing  and  actualizing  a  program  focused  on  wellbeing  reminds  me  that  even  admissions  and  marketing  people  have  to  slow  down  and  prioritize  personal  wellness.  I  read  for  pleasure  and  do  yoga  every  morning  before  I  start  my  work  day.  This  helps  me  feel  grounded  and  focused  so  I  can  bring  my  best  self  to  work.  When  I'm  feeling  overwhelmed,  I  take  advantage  of  the  island  activities  like  sur2ing,  swimming,  and  paddle  boarding  to  relieve  tension  or  2ind  new  inspiration.  I  usually  end  each  day  on  my  front  porch,  watching  the  sunset  over  the  Caribbean.  It's  not  a  bad  life!    4.  Favorite  book:  I  feel  like  I  need  to  reply  with  my  favorite  book  relevant  to  admissions,  marketing,  and  business  development  which  would  be  anything  by  Adam  Grant.  He  is  an  organizational  psychologist  at  Wharton  School  of  Business  at  UPenn  with  intelligent  insight  and  research  on  work  relations,  boosting  creativity  in  a  workplace,  and  successful  decision-­‐making.  I  highly  recommend  any  of  his  books  if  you're  looking  for  professional  inspiration.    But...My  favorite  book  ever,  hands  down,  is  Pillars  of  the  Earth  by  Ken  Follett.  It's  historical  fiction  based  in  England  during  the  1100s.  It  has  a  little  bit  of  everything:  mystery,  murder,  intrigue,  romance,  education,  philosophy,  and  brilliant  character  development.  It's  800  pages  of  pure  art,  and  it  is  only  the  first  of  a  trilogy  of  novels!  Let  me  know  when  you've  read  it,  and  we'll  discuss!  Book  clubs  are  one  of  my  favorite  things!    5.  Most  memorable  admissions  trip:  My  $irst  outreach  trip  was  my  most  memorable.  I'm  a  $irst  generation  college  graduate  from  a  blue-­‐collar  family.  I  worked  three  jobs  to  pay  my  own  way  through  undergrad.  I  had  big  dreams  of  travel,  adventure,  and  making  the  world  a  better  place  with  little  resources  to  make  it  happen.  I  thought  maybe  it  would  always  be  just  a  dream.  After  graduation,  I  worked  as  a  wilderness  therapy  2ield  guide  for  four  years  before  I  landed  a  position  in  business  development.  My  2irst  outreach  trip  was  a  total  system  shock,  and  I  immediately  fell  in  love  with  this  community  of  caring  and  interesting  people  who  were  creatively  and  passionately  sharing  their  ideas  for  the  betterment  of  the  next  generation.  So,  yes,  my  9irst  outreach  trip  was  to  the  national  NATSAP  conference  in  La  Jolla,  California  where  I  smiled  for  four  days  straight  while  thinking  to  myself,  "This  is  my  job.  I'm  getting  paid  to  do  this!"        

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 SC  FEATURED  EDITORIAL  WEBSITE  ADVICE  FOR  PROGRAMS              Jenney  Wilder,  M.S.  Ed.  Jenney's  first  career  was  working  in  startups  during  web  1.0  in  the  mid  1990s,    when  she  asked  the  founders  of  Google  "What  do  you  do  at  Google?"  Jenney  moved    into  the  Family  Choice  Behavioral  Healthcare  industry  in  2005,  first  as  a  Therapeutic    Consultant  and  now  as  the  owner  and  producer  of  allkindsoftherapy.com.    All  Kinds    of  Therapy  is  an  advertising  based  website  to  find  the  facts,  has  a  monthly  newsletter,    180+  blogs,  industry  jobs  and  serves  over  100,000.          Parents  needing  support  for  their  troubled  teens  and  young  adults,  look  for  answers  using  the  Internet  to  search  for  facts.  According  to  Pew  Research  in  2013,  80%  of  Internet  users  (about  93  million  people)  were  searching  for  health-­‐related  topics.    63%  of  those  users  were  looking  for  specific  disease  or  medical  problem.  Therefore,  having  a  clear  understanding  of  the  digital  landscape  -­‐  both  your  presence  and  any  competition's  -­‐  is  a  key  to  understanding  what  a  family  is  seeing  when  they  are  looking  for  you.        In  the  same  way  that  a  trusting  relationship  is  the  foundation  of  effective  treatment,  trust  is  also  the  primary  currency  of  the  digital  age  and  the  Internet.    Your  digital  presence  communicates  critical  information  to  stakeholders  (including  potential  clients,  employees,  referral  sources,  etc.),  and  either  builds  or  erodes  trust  -­‐  before  you  even  know  you  are  being  evaluated.    Your  online  reputation  extends  beyond  your  webpage,  and  includes  search  results,  reviews,  Google  rankings,  mentions  in  forums,  and  many  other  elements.        In  short,  if  families  do  not  find  reasons  to  trust  you  then  you  are  creating  an  enrollment  problem.          Your  website  must  answer  critical  questions,  build  trust,  and  move  a  family  into  action.    Here  are  some  tips  for  evaluating  your  website  and  its  content:      

1. Does  your  website  build  trust?  Quantify:  Build  credibility  by  displaying  customer  reviews,  achievements,  or  the  number  of  clients  you've  worked  with.  Respond  to  ALL  feedback  and  reviews  -­‐-­‐  positive  AND  negative.    

2. Who  do  you  serve?  Do  you  have  a  clearly  defined  client  profile?  (If  you  have  a  wide  admissions  window,  be  honest  and  direct.)      Explain,  clearly,  how  your  model  helps  your  students.  

3. Is  your  story/history  your  real  "brand"  (which  lends  to  #2)?    It  is  not  just  Millennials  who  like  to  know  and  trust  the  brand.    Share  your  origin  story  and  where  the  program  is  heading.  Authenticity  =  show  your  warts,  own  our  growth,  evolution  and  even  the  negative  history.    

4. Keep  it  simple  =  Less  is  more  TIP:  Almost  no  one  really  reads  your  incredible  copy  so  make  sure  what  you  write  is  short,  clean,  accurate,  builds  trust,  and  moves  a  site  visitor  toward  your  goal:  a  human  contact,  getting  them  to  email  or  call  and  call  speak  to  someone  in  the  admissions  office.    It  is  not  uncommon  for  families  to  reach  out  to  allkindsoftherapy.com  and  "think  they  are  emailing  the  treatment  program  or  wilderness  therapy  program."    Users  of  the  web  get  lost  in  content,  especially  when  they  are  in  crisis.  This  means  that  you  have  to  know  that  families  also  get  lost  in  the  negative  websites,  chat  forums,  and  other  dark  reaches  of  the  Internet,  as  well.  For  instance,  there  are  over  8600  former  clients  and  families  who  are  in  a  Reddit  group  actively  speaking  negatively  about  the  industry  or  specific  treatment  programs.    Developing  healthy  and  positive  practices  to  address  this  reality  of  the  digital  landscape  demonstrates  growth,  evolution,  and  honesty  -­‐  all  of  which  also  engender  trust  with  future  clients  and  stakeholders  of  all  kinds.    

  SC/5  

                                                                                     

             

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