#175

The late, great American poet Maya Angelou once said, "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

As an educator I have always believed that the most important components in the teacher-student relationship are authenticity and trust. I believe that these same components are paramount in the Admissions Office when communicating (be it face to face or via email, phone or Zoom) with families from initial inquiry to enrolment and beyond. While I sincerely hope that prospective families do not forget the pertinent information we share or our responses to their specific questions, I do believe that they will - after meeting in person or virtually - have a strong sense of our school values, a sense of community and an emotional connection. This connection frequently translates to applications submitted, assessments administered, places offered and new families enrolling.

For prospective families looking for a school they most often start informally by asking friends or colleagues or by reviewing our website and following us on Facebook and Instagram and then connecting with our admissions office by email, a phone call and - as is more and more commonplace nowadays - via Zoom. In addition to answering a whole host of questions relating to “the business of school” (academics, IB results, sports, bussing, lunch, fees and so much more), we pride ourselves on making families feel welcome to our school generally and - by also drawing on our extensive cultural knowledge and linguistic skills - are able to make these all important authentic connections. The sense of community and belonging is often noted by prospective families during on campus visits when they have a personalized tour of our school facilities, see teaching and learning in action, and have the opportunity to meet with members of our school community. (It should be noted that this sense of belonging is frequently referenced in school surveys by our families and also on the transition survey by those families who are relocating.)

This quote resonates in many ways and seems particularly relevant for those of us working in Admissions Offices around the world. Making authentic connections with prospective families is even more important during these times of uncertainty. Families no longer have the usual mix of excitement and nervousness with a move to a new country and all that it entails in terms of possibly a new learning environment and new language, but are also contending with the additional anxieties of moving during a pandemic and dealing with the uncertainties as to visas processing in a timely fashion, arrival dates being postponed, quarantining and so much more. Mindful that the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted enrolment and (thanks to visas taking longer to process, restrictions on travel etc.,) many schools are finding it harder to project enrolment numbers with the usual certainty, it is evident that making these connections is ever more important and each and every prospective family is engaged with more keenly and promptly than ever before.

Mindful of Maya Angelou’s quote, how do you make authentic connections and especially so during these times of uncertainty?