Question from a curious Admissions Director

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This cannot be real. The OP is clearly talking about Langley and made it quite obvious. If she was trying to get real feedback under the radar, she could have just read the boards.

Agree this probably isn't real but I don't think OP is clearly talking about Langley. Langley is not convenient to any mass transit; isn't what most people would consider competitively priced and is definitely not short on advertising budget!

I'm so tired of negative/nasty people. Why do you assume that it's not real? Yes it was settled, yes it is real. Stop.

[Anonymous]

OP: I'm probably in a different place than others on this board. My kids are in FCPS. We are unhappy with the public school one of them attends and are seriously considering private, although it would be a financial hardship for us. We can't afford the $30K range schools, but know there are several in the $20K range in NoVa. They are not the "big names," though, so we worry that the education may not be worth the sacrifice. I think you need to show parents why you are better than FCPS, which is highly regarded by many. I would consider changing my one child to private if I knew it was truly worth the money. I've casually looked at a couple schools and at least one seemed to be behind where DC is in FCPS. I don't love DC's public school, but it does seem to be a waste of money we don't have to send DC to a private that is less academically rigorous. You need to show your value over the FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Work the area pre-schools hard....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Work the area pre-schools hard....

Coincidentally, a NP reading this thread. We looked at preschools that had educational consultants on staff to help parents apply onwards to private K-8/12 schools. We ended up choosing a play-based preschool that certainly won't speak in terms like exmissions because we couldn't justify spending $25K/yr for a 2yr old. However, we are very interested in privates for DD's future education.

When it comes to outreach, even if it's just in the form of flyers, target not just the high end private schools, but the more everyday preschools that you might find in middle and upper income neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

I live in a part of Fairfax county where the public elementary school is rather below the county average. Because of this I am sending my DD to private school. You might consider targeting some of your advertising dollars to areas like mine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the Director of Admissions at a medium-sized PreK-8 private school in Northern Virginia and I was hoping to gain some insight from readers on how to recruit new applicants.

Since we are in Fairfax County, we compete with the public school system for good students, and since we do not go through high school, we have a number of families who withdraw prior to graduating to enter a school that continues through 12th grade. We are a solid academic program, offer many services to benefit working parents, conveniently located to many major highways/mass transit, and are competitively priced in our market, but are still having trouble recruiting new families.

Since obviously there is a market for independent private education, how do you (as my target demographic) look for private schools? Is there a way to more effectively market our program so that families can consider my school for their children? Advertising can be a huge money pit, and although I'm not adverse to spending a little money, as a not-for-profit, I have a pretty tight advertising budget I'm working with.

Any insight you can provide is much appreciated!

A Humble Admissions Director

There is no better marketing than word of mouth from pleased parents and kids. Nothing else compares. So, if the school is doing it's job, then word should get out. In the shorter term, there are private school fairs

[Anonymous]

OP, consider looking at the private nursery schools as a group to market to. Also, word of mouth from existing families is key. All the suburban private schools are having a hard time now since the economy is bad and the public schools are fine. Emphasize the benefits of your school, that is, what does your school offer that public does not. No. VA is a tough market though.
BTW, in the future, be a bit more discreet about letting the DCUM crowd know who you are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, consider looking at the private nursery schools as a group to market to. Also, word of mouth from existing families is key. All the suburban private schools are having a hard time now since the economy is bad and the public schools are fine. Emphasize the benefits of your school, that is, what does your school offer that public does not. No. VA is a tough market though.
BTW, in the future, be a bit more discreet about letting the DCUM crowd know who you are.

He/She didn't. I've read the whole thread, and seen guesses...but I don't know. Do you?