🌕 Independent School Moonshot Podcast
How to Differentiate Your School and Boost Enrollment
An interview with Clayton Johnston, Director of Admissions, Brentwood College School.
Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite app! It's free. Or watch the interview below!
Rethinking Admissions:
Strategies to Stand Out and Succeed
In this episode of the Moonshot podcast, hear from Clayton Johnston, Director of Admission at Brentwood College School and author of "Dare To Be Different: Practical Tips for Developing a Unique and Sustainable Admissions Strategy for Your Boarding School." The book is available on Amazon.
Clayton shares insights from his 30-year career in admissions, offering a fresh perspective on building successful enrollment strategies.
Clayton provides a roadmap for future-proofing school enrollment, from clearly articulating your school's differentiators to leveraging social media to create authentic connections to empowering admissions teams to innovate.
Tune in to learn about the power of differentiators, how to build trust in your team, and why passion is the ultimate sales tool.
Dare to Be Different
What You'll Learn:
Differentiation is Key: Clayton Johnston emphasizes the importance of identifying and articulating clear differentiators that set a school apart from others in a competitive market.
Empathy and Understanding in Leadership: Clayton highlights the critical importance of heads of schools building empathy and a deep understanding of the admissions process. By walking in the shoes of their admissions team and understanding the pressures and complexities they face, heads can provide more effective support, foster a stronger sense of trust, and help the team perform at its best. This empathy also aligns leadership with the school’s most crucial revenue-driving function—enrollment.
Inbound and Outbound Strategies: Clayton’s approach combines inbound marketing (social media and content) with outbound efforts (personalized engagement in local markets), demonstrating the importance of hustle and authentic connections.
Retention Starts with Culture: Retention is everyone’s responsibility, from faculty to staff. Engaging the entire school community in a culture of caring helps keep students.
The Role of Passion in Admissions: People don’t buy facilities or programs; they buy passion. Clayton’s passion for his school has been a key driver of enrollment success.
Discussion Prompts
Clayton emphasizes the importance of differentiators in setting a school apart from others. What are our school's key differentiators, and how effectively are we communicating them to prospective families?
Clayton's approach to enrollment focuses on empowering his team and avoiding micromanagement. How can we foster a similar culture of trust and empowerment within our leadership teams?
Clayton mentions that retention is everyone's responsibility. How can our school engage non-academic staff (e.g., maintenance, kitchen staff) in the retention strategy to ensure students feel supported?
Clayton's blend of inbound marketing and targeted personal outreach has successfully opened new markets. How could we better utilize social media or other platforms to reach untapped enrollment opportunities?
Clayton stresses the importance of maintaining a passion for the school when speaking to prospective families. How can we ensure that passion is conveyed consistently across all touchpoints of the enrollment process?
Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite app! It's free. Or watch the interview below!
