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[quote=Anonymous]My child attends a school that matches OP's description to a T and also has a fairly new AD ... but the school is not underenrolled nor having problems getting people to come attend open houses.  So I imagine it is not my school ... sorry, but can't resist being curious about which school it is!!

My advice is to encourage current parents to reach out to friends and associates to provide accurate and personal approach to spreading information about the school.  I would also recommend focusing all direct and indirect marketing on what makes your school unique and desirable.  As a prior poster stated, nearly all private schools say they offer the items you mention (good academics, convenient location, comparable tuition).  If any of the items are missing then you have a problem, but it is the special features of your school that make the sale.

Do you provide a special arts program?  Do you have a fantastic natural environment/science focus?  Do you offer a broad range of competitive sports?  Do a large proportion of your students achieve <insert desirable outcome here>?  Do your alumni come back to campus 30 years later extolling the foundation they received at your school all those years ago?  Do the children attending your school literally cry on the last day of school because they wish it was NOT the last day of the school year?  (true story!)  Paint a picture of life at the school that is far more appealing than just the items you highlighted in your post ... not that those things are in any way bad.

As you stated yourself, parents in Fairfax County have pretty good schools at their doorsteps, especially at the elementary level.  So you have to give them some inspirational or aspirational goals to convince them to spend over $20k a year and take on daily carpooling![/quote]

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