Next Steps ...
The M'KIS Admission Department strives to provide a smooth process for prospective families from initial inquiry through to enrollment through a personalized service. This is not simply the right thing to do, but is - in many respects - an imperative.
Over this last year, I have seen first hand that prospective families appreciate the individually tailored approach through email communication, face to face communication, during the tour, and beyond. During school tours, families are especially appreciative of the opportunity to:
Have a tour in Mandarin (for families from China),
See teaching and learning in action,
Speak with students (even more so when the student speaks the home language and/or is from the same country),
Converse with teachers (whereby they can ask specific questions pertaining to the curriculum, the school community, living in KL etc.,)
Meet with administrators including but not limited to the respective principal(s), Athletics Director, IB Coordinators, and Head of School.
These positive interactions more often than not lead to families moving forward with submitting an application. As shared previously in the Reflection: One Year On …, this has been a year of much professional growth for our Admissions Department. For example, in previous years the acceptance letters literally just detailed acceptance (ie. name of the child(ren), grade level(s), and start date; now our acceptance letters include a great deal of information tailored to the individual family to support the transition to our school community.
We are acutely aware that international schools have changed over the years due to various factors including the world economy and an increased focus on more inclusive practices. In the case of Malaysia, the number of schools has grown significantly in recent years and has leading to increased competition accordingly (as outlined by Sam Fraser in A New Momentum in Malaysia). In KL especially, it really is a “buyer’s market.” As shared by a number of admissions officers at the 2017 EARCOS Leadership Conference in Bangkok, many schools are seeing a decrease in those applicants from North America and Europe (who in previous years often made up the majority of the international school population) and an increase in the number of students from China and Korea applying for enrollment. As a result of all these various factors, the personalized touch is not only increasingly important, but also evolving.
We are most aware that while the initial interaction between our school and a prospective family is most often via our Admissions Department and is a crucial element, it is the whole school experience - and an authentic one at that - which will lead to families moving forwards with submitting an application. While Doug Ota states, “When there are more schooling options available to a relocating family, it is the welcoming warmth of an Admissions Director’s personality that often convinces parents to enroll their children in your school” (Ota, p. 255), I would contend it is the warm welcome from the whole school in conjunction with the admissions department - rather than that from an individual - that frequently convinces parents to submit applications and subsequently enroll.
Continued professional growth is imperative and as such I have appreciated attending EARCOS Leadership Conferences, following discussions pertaining to admissions online, as well as recent Open Apply webinars such Maria English’s Conversations with Chinese Families (May 24, 2018) and Sandra Helmig’s Learning Support and Admissions (June 28, 2018).
In looking ahead, I wish to build upon that which we achieved, draw upon my professional reading and professional development opportunities and incorporate them into our practice accordingly. Below are a few areas of focus for us for the 2018-2019 school year:
Regular updates to our faculty through email from Admissions Department outlining some areas of celebration, areas of focus, as well as to continue to encourage faculty to be collaborative partners (see two points below)
Continue to encourage faculty to let us know in advance (i) if there is something (ie. a cool lab, a performance) they would love us to showcase to prospective families and/or (ii) if there is a specific reason (ie. an exam taking place, a sensitive issue being discussed) as to why we should not bring prospective families to the classroom on a particular occasion.
Continue to encourage faculty (especially new faculty members who are coming from other schools around the world) to share suggestions for improvements/information for prospective families, for our school tours and/or anything else pertaining to Admissions.
Research, review and update accordingly our screenings for those in PreK Age 3, PreK Age 4, Grade One and Grade Two.
Invite teachers to come and be part of our Admissions Department for the day to observe, learn more about the process, and share suggestions afterwards.
Have admissions staff sit in various classrooms, including EAL/LS, to have a fuller picture of the teaching-learning process as well as support programmes in place so as to be answer enquiries with greater confidence.
Improve our waiting area in our Admissions Department so as to ensure it reflects our mission (“Educate to improve our global community by enhancing the creative, emotional, social and academic talents of the individual child”) , vision (“Educational excellence in a diverse and compassionate personalised learning community”) and our values (“Throughout our school community, we value: - Belonging and Connection, - Kindness and Compassion, - Excellence and Positivity”) by showcasing work samples in various subjects across the PreK Age 3 - Grade 12 range.
To keep track of NFI and any movement forwards with regard to Admissions
I am aware that we have achieved much and have much to celebrate, yet am mindful of the need to continue to develop our practice so as to continue to best serve prospective families and support enrolling students and families as they join our school community.
FRASER, Sam (2018) A New Momentum in Malaysia
OTA, Doug W. (2014) SAFE PASSAGE How mobility affects people and what international schools should do about it.