Admissions office not returning calls with inquiry!

[Anonymous]

I think you should call about forty or fifty times and leave long rambling messages. Then show up at the school and start yelling for someone to show you around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you should call about forty or fifty times and leave long rambling messages. Then show up at the school and start yelling for someone to show you around.

Ha Ha Ha before we get to Ho Ho Ho

[Anonymous]

ps- its sidwell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ps- its sidwell.

Sidwell also has an online scheduling system. It's very easy to use.

These schools see a huge volume of applications - especially for places like Sidwell that have so many grades and ages - 14 grades to admit for at the same times! I don't think it's snotty at all to expect people to use an online system and not expect personal treatment.

[Anonymous]

Anyine who can't return a simple phone call within a few days, especially when you're dealing with what is essentially a client, is ridiculously ineffective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in enrollment, and if somebody calls me two or three times before I've been able to return their first call, I put them on the bottom of my return call list with the time of their most recent call. More calls does not mean faster response. My message says I'll return your call ASAP, and I will.

Aren't you a charmer?

Almost as charming as people who leave 3 messages within a single day. Nothing is that urgent. Get some perspective.

If you work in independent education, you essentially work for a business. That's not to say that independent educators aren't caring or emphatic; often, they really are. But this sort of sentiment makes you sound lazy and careless. I hope that my children don't attend the institution that you represent.

+1000 This person sounds like a typical public school bureaucrat...which is what most of us are trying to avoid by paying for private school. Horrible attitude. Yuck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Same experience at Holton.

+1

Holton's website says to schedule tours through the website portal. Seems simple enough to me.

+ 1000

Done it twice for two different children in recent years. Following clearly articulated instructions works like a charm. You will receive a confirmation email within a very few days after you schedule it online.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyine who can't return a simple phone call within a few days, especially when you're dealing with what is essentially a client, is ridiculously ineffective.

Public school for you and yours! Anyone who can't follow online instructions that say to schedule the appointment via an online system will not survive in that school. They likely conduct a great deal of interaction with students and parents online as well.

In any event, we have gone through the admissions process for three different children in the past two years, scheduled visits, attended open houses (some of which needed reservations), participated in parent interviews and student shadow days/playdates, involving probably a dozen different independent schools in MoCo and DC (including some of the more popular, hard-to-get-in choices as well as some that we looked at and decided not to apply) and as many different methods of scheduling (some want phone calls, some say wait for them to call you, some want you to email or register online, some want you to do all of this before you apply, some want you to do all of this only after you apply, etc.). I have to say we have not had a single problem in getting the things scheduled in a timely and efficient manner with any of the schools we have looked at. I think the longest we ever had to wait for a call back was a couple of days. Even when we email a short thank you note after the interview or visit day, we almost always receive a reply from the admissions person. You may occasionally find an AD that has a bit of an attitude, but by and large I have not found that to be the case (with maybe one exception, who shall not be named). Some parents, on the other hand, are just too full of themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyine who can't return a simple phone call within a few days, especially when you're dealing with what is essentially a client, is ridiculously ineffective.

I understand the frustration, but you are looking at this from your perspective. Sidwell, if that is indeed the school you are talking about, gets hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of applications....and on top of that, many, many more "inquiries" and requests for information (on top of the many that actually do apply.) So, to assume that your personal call should sky-rocked to the top of the pile is a little narcissistic. That is why all schools have an online system. I'm curious what question you have that demands a personal call back that couldn't be handled online? Sorry.

[Anonymous]

Yeah Sidwell admissions staff has been bad. Potomac used to be bad but have improved though they don't greet parents they just say drop your kids off for a visit. Holton is okay not great. The best ones honestly have been GDS, Madeira, and NCS. They have been very humble and not had their nose up in the air.

[Anonymous]

I found GDS admissions (this was several years ago) horrible. Distracted, cold and not helpful.

[Anonymous]

Well, just don't try to call the Jedi Academy. The AD there only accepts communications via the Force.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyine who can't return a simple phone call within a few days, especially when you're dealing with what is essentially a client, is ridiculously ineffective.

I understand the frustration, but you are looking at this from your perspective. Sidwell, if that is indeed the school you are talking about, gets hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of applications....and on top of that, many, many more "inquiries" and requests for information (on top of the many that actually do apply.) So, to assume that your personal call should sky-rocked to the top of the pile is a little narcissistic. That is why all schools have an online system. I'm curious what question you have that demands a personal call back that couldn't be handled online? Sorry.

Another poster brought in Sidwell. OP pretty clearly stated that it was a smaller school that rarely gets discussed on DCUM. That pretty much rules out Sidwell.

[Anonymous]

NP here. The point is that there might be a valid question that might be easier via a phone conversation and it is rude not to return a phone call I don't care how many calls you have. Who doesn't respond to a business phone call unless your voice mail message states explicitly that you are 'not returning calls' then you should return messages!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, just don't try to call the Jedi Academy. The AD there only accepts communications via the Force.

Unfortunately, my DC scored in 79th Percentile in the Midi-chlorians test so likely we will get a rejection letter from the big 3--Jedi Academy, Princess Leiah Academy, and Wookie School.