He uses the space to comment on the admission process and on topics growing out of his admission perspective.

I highlight him today because I think his two most recent posts are worth a few minutes of time as we enter the final weeks of the traditional admission and financial aid calendar.

The posts are worthy reads for both families and admission professionals.

In “Tricky Balance” and “Saying No,” Weller explores the concept of ‘school fit’ from the admission/school angle. I’m always talking and writing about ‘school fit’ from the parent and student perspective. But, the ‘school fit’ equation must also be worked and solved from the school, as well as the family side of the equation.

Weller does justice, and sheds light, on the kinds or work and competing priorities that he, and his colleagues throughout the admission community, must weigh and examine as they work toward a student’s admission decision.

As Weller says, “It’s not always pretty.”(TB)

The admission process from the admission officers side isn’t pretty because, as much as a school (and admission officer) wants to be fair with every family student, their interests are not aligned. In the end, the admission officer must make a decision/act in the best interest of the school.

It’s all about school fit. Weller explains in “Tricky Balance”:

“…if we offer admission out of pity, out of false hope, or simply because we like a kid and/or their parents. If that kid is going to struggle, if we are not able to meet their needs, or if we feel we can not be partners with the parents, then we have to say no for the sake of our school. And for the sake of that applicant.

Inappropriately admitted kids are a drain on resources, are taxing to teachers, and can negatively impact the experience of our other students. Furthermore, inappropriately admitted applicants can result in that student having academic if not also personal set-backs. Issues of confidence and self-esteem are quite tender and fragile at certain ages. And when that kid does not return for a second year, we have set them up to move on to their third school in three years. Not healthy. Not helpful.”

In “Saying No” Weller elucidates the process of denying a student admission when, as he says “no such flaw or [poor] grade exists.”

Admission Process- Balancing Equations

It’s important to bear in mind that, just as many of us had to balance equations in chemistry, so, too, must admission professionals balance the admission equations of each and every applicant.

‘Can our resources (academic and financial) serve and be put to the best use in service to the the student before us?’

That’s the judicious question that admission professionals must answer countless times each admission season. Even the most difficult decisions come down to school fit with admission officers doing their absolute best even when the answer is “no.”

Additional resources:

Independent School Admission Musings

Boarding schools in Canada

Ridley College – www.ridleycollege.com

We all hear from the media about the growth of the Chinese economy and their rising global influence. Learning details from Chinese graduate professors made it hit home all the more. The economic growth in China over the past 30 years is something unprecedented (China’s GDP quadrupled from 1978 to 2005). And it’s not finished – some predict the GDP growth to continue its present pace of 10% per year for the next decade.

Individual wealth in China is growing at amazing rates. The Chinese are the world’s greatest savers with a Gross National Saving rate of 56%, yet they have the world’s largest appetite for luxury goods.

Despite the global recession over the past couple years, BMW, Louis Vuitton and other global luxury brands have thrived because of successes in the Chinese market. Status, prestige, and group approval are all significant drivers in the decision making process of Chinese consumers. Boarding schools have been flooded by Chinese applicants since 2006. The flood may triple or quadruple in size in the coming years:

• After US, China is now the second largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP).
• China has the world’s second largest number of households with assets in excess of $1 million.
• The average age of the 400 richest people in China is 46 (compared to 64 for the world’s 400 richest). Of the 400 richest Chinese, 99% are “self-made” (60% for the world’s 400 richest).
• China features increasing income inequality but also a rapidly growing middle class (23% of population in 2010). The middle class is upwardly mobile; families are pooling resources to send children to US independent schools and universities.
• China has close ties to the US – among other things, they are the #1 foreign investor in US debt.

Development/Advancement

While it is true the mentality of “giving back” (as it relates to donating money) is not the same as in Western countries, don’t be afraid to fund-raise in China. The family is at the center of Chinese society. Many Chinese companies are family run. Chinese give back to extended family and communities.

Giving their money to an American school, still a foreign concept, will take convincing. Get to know the families of Chinese students at your school. Determine aspects of their experience that could be improved in the short term (before they graduate). Translate this into fundraising options through which Chinese families can accomplish two things simultaneously:  1) they “give back” to an institution that is helping their family and 2) they are helping their child to have an even better educational experience in the years ahead. Some examples:

• An endowed faculty chair that would add an elective of interest to their child.
• New software or equipment that would enhance classroom or extracurricular offerings.
• Named scholarship fund specifically allocated for students from their community in China.

Establishing a culture of giving back will take time. Results will not come right away. Once momentum is built, however, look for a lead family from within each grade (most prominent or most affluent). Work especially hard to co-opt the head of this household to participate. Establish annual ceremonial get-togethers at which you accept a gift from the leading family. Other families will likely follow this lead.

Admissions/Enrollment Management

Recruiting/marketing in China, as for other countries, requires a tailored strategy. Some particulars of this unique market:

• Guanxi – a Chinese term that refers to a network of contacts, connections, relationships; a sense of mutual indebtedness based on trust that is cultivated and strengthened over time. It is of extreme importance to take time to build strong relationships with key people in China. This requires regular travel – at least once per year. It also requires regular correspondence. If you’re comfortable doing so, exchange personal information in meetings – the Chinese don’t have the same boundaries between work and home as Americans. Gift giving is considered a part of maintaining healthy relationships. You are not necessarily required to give or receive gifts, but understand the spirit in which gifts are exchanged. If you give a gift, be mindful of what you present – they should be of similar value and meaning as those you receive.
• Consider travel outside of Beijing and Shanghai – Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Dalian are other viable markets to explore.
• Status/prestige – this is a huge selling point for US schools. Image and reputation are vulnerable – protect yours by working with trusted referral sources and schools. To the extent possible, conduct face-to-face interviews with applicants (when not possible, try Skype interviews). Encourage referrals from current parents – part of Guanxi.
• Total numbers – Chinese are happy to send their children to a school with other Chinese, but just not too many!  Manage your enrollment with care and purpose.
• Other selling points:  college list, SAT scores, advanced course offerings, environmental sustainability programs, entrepreneurial studies, outcomes and alumni network.
• Website – if you design a Mandarin webpage, consider Chinese preferences. They like a “busy” look to the page (compare newegg.com to their Chinese site – newegg.com.cn).

Opportunity

Treat China as a completely new development within independent schools. International student totals are on the rise and China is largely responsible for the increase. But it’s not just another source of students. Schools are in the unique position to build important bridges between Chinese and American cultures, strengthening ties between two countries that will need to partner closely in a future likely to feature more widely shared global leadership. Some great things that schools are already doing:

• Expanded role of International Student Programs with senior level administrator at the lead. Programs aimed at drawing international students more closely into all aspects of campus life; encouraging and fostering stronger relationships between American and international students.
• Annual travel to China not only by admissions staff, but also development and Headmaster.
• School trips to China with portions hosted by current Chinese students and families.
• Partnerships with Chinese schools – “sister/brother school” arrangements featuring student and/or teacher exchange programs of varying lengths of time; joint diploma programs.
• Mandarin language programs; translation of school literature and WebPages into Mandarin.
• Promoting awareness of Chinese culture, history and current events.

Some Americans perceive China as a threat – perhaps there’s confusion regarding China’s priorities in global matters. I see a country pragmatically open to international cooperation. Schools can take a lead in promoting this cooperation.

None of the major organizations that support independent school education: the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS); The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS); the Secondary Schools Admission Test Board (SSATB); or the Education Records Bureau (ERB) offer support for any such study.

Yes, there are a variety of publications out there that purport to have come up with a formula for rankings, but without the participation or cooperation of our schools, none of these publications’ claims should be taken seriously. It’s a particular problem overseas where rankings are of particular importance. At best, the magazine attempts to rank schools end with subjective conclusions and, at worst, the rankings they come up with are mere speculation gleaned from word of mouth. I am sorry to say that many of these publications see creating such rankings as a great way to sell a magazine or newspaper. And they do!

So why are our schools so adamant about not participating in ranking studies? My best answer is to ask an inquirer simply to visit as many schools as one can. Doing so will reveal the remarkable diversity available in our schools. All boarding schools were founded for a specific purpose that speaks specifically to one point: every child is different; every child has his/her own way of learning; every child has different talents and interests. Boarding schools simply, then, cannot be put into some sort of cookie cutter mold. If that were the case, we’d all be part of one large corporation producing one kind of student. Happily, this is not the reality.

I’ve written about this subject before but I feel compelled every year to get on my soap box and beg parents to avoid making the same assumption about boarding schools. From this admission director’s perspective, here is what happens: The parents are persuaded of the validity of a publication’s school rankings, pick the top five, and that is where they apply. Unfortunately, yes, there are always the same schools listed because of name recognition and certainly they are very fine schools. Think of how many parents are so desperate to get their high school child into an Ivy League university. They are, without question, some of the finest colleges anywhere; but when I ask parents why they want their child to attend those colleges, their eyes glaze over. Rankings, they say! Well, it’s the same for many boarding schools. The result is that parents put all their eggs into those five baskets even though none of the schools is a good match for their child. What happens then? The student gets admitted to none of them. Now what? It’s April and all our schools have made our decisions and we’re full. There are no openings. Where does that leave the parent?

On the other hand, the parent that does her homework, visits the schools, has a clear understanding of her child’s talents and aspirations, and asks the right questions has now improved her child’s chances of admission tenfold. It happens every time. Why? Because these are the types of parents we all want to meet: a parent who understands that education is for a lifetime – not just the next four years or even eight years. When their child – now an adult – is out of college and looking to make a difference, how many company CEOs are going to ask for the ranking of their school or college? How many adults can point to the “ranking” of their school as the reason for their success? The fact of the matter is that if there were a ranking system, it just would not have any relevance in the real world, except to the parent who can boast their child went to a “ranked” school.

Okay, I will now get off the soapbox but say it one more time. There is no such thing as a ranking for independent/private schools. Parents, it is up to you to do your own research and homework.

This kind of question can keep a political economist and cultural anthropologist busy for years. It’s a great melding of cultural and economic priorities and interests.

Over the past 20 years, Korean students (paying) have become staples in American and British boarding schools and universities. Korean families sought, creativity, openness, and English proficiency that would gain their children a leg up in a competitive world. South Korea’s ability to deliver is a high stakes games for the American schools and universities that host more than 113,000 South Korean students annually as paying customers.

However, as with any structural change, education abroad came a downside as covered in The New York Times (Western Schools Sprout in South Korea). Families fractured and students, sometimes accompanied by mothers, spend the academic year abroad disconnected from family. Some students choose to stay abroad upon completing their studies producing a ‘brain drain.’ In some cases, students returning to live and work at home find returning to its language and customs difficult.

“…Lee Kyung-min, 42, a pharmacist in Seoul whose 12-year-old daughter, Jeong Min-joo, attended a private school in Canada for a year and a half, said she knew why families were willing to make sacrifices to send their children away.

‘In South Korea, it’s all rote learning for college entrance exams,’ Ms. Lee said. “A student’s worth is determined solely by what grades she gets.’ She added that competition among parents forced their children to sign up for extracurricular cram sessions that left them with little free time to develop their creativity. ‘Children wither in our education system,’ she said.

So Min-joo’s parents believed that exposing her to a Western school system was worth the $5,000 they paid each month for her tuition and board, 10 times what they would have spent had she studied at home.

But Ms. Lee said her heart sank when Min-joo began forgetting her Korean grammar and stopped calling home. Still, she did not want to leave her husband behind to join her daughter, because she had witnessed in her own neighborhood how often the loneliness of “goose” fathers led to broken marriages.

‘Our family was losing its bonds, becoming just a shell,’ she said.”

Enter the idea of providing an American/Western style education inside South Korea.

“…By 2015, if all goes according to plan, 12 prestigious Western schools will have opened branch campuses in a government-financed, 940-acre Jeju Global Education City, a self-contained community within Seogwipo, where everyone — students, teachers, administrators, doctors, store clerks — will speak only English. The first school, North London Collegiate, broke ground for its campus this month…”

“…By inviting leading Western schools, the government is hoping to address one of the notorious stress points in South Korean society. Many parents want to send children abroad so they can learn English and avoid the crushing pressure and narrow focus of the Korean educational system…”

Chris DeMarino, business development director at Dulwich College Management International told The New York Times, “‘When we explain to Korean parents what we try to do in the classroom, we see their eyes light up.’”

Competing Realities

Certainly, I see the advantages in providing a western type education within the bounds of your own country.

Economics, number one. If you can provide an equivalent education at home for less money and available to all qualified students, that’s a great benefit. Cheaper, and just as good, always wins.

Families stay intact. That’s good on so many levels explanation would take more space than I have room.

Educational- movement from rote to thinking and creativity keeps a culture and economy continually renewing.

“In a 2008 survey by South Korea’s National Statistical Office, 48.3 percent of South Korean parents said they wanted to send their children abroad to “develop global perspectives,” avoid the rigid domestic school system or learn English. More than 12 percent wanted it for their children as early as elementary school.”

But, where the priorities lie is unclear. Western education at home is cheaper. But can a government, really and truly, import the educational pedagogies, cultural teaching and values, and deliver them to a population without that population becoming at least somewhat western? What happens to the ideas that challenge cultural mores,values, and beliefs?

Bringing education to the homeland is almost a form of nativism. “We can do what happens abroad here and preserve/leave unchallenged our way of life.”

Koreans desire English proficiency and the creativity that comes with an American education while wanting to keep students connected to the home land. It’s like saying, ‘we want and value western education but we don’t want it challenging or modernizing too many of our cultural traditions.’

Something’s gotta give.

Head of School, Dr. Ann Marie Krejcarek sees the IB’s rigor as a key to graduate’s future successes:

“Answering our students’ and parents’ calls for the very best college preparatory education has led to addition of the IB Diploma Programme…By offering the IB, our students can take advantage of this internationally renowned program and a rigorous curriculum that provides tools for success in the global marketplace for the twenty-first century.”(Saint Andrew’s School Debuts International Baccalaureate August 23)

Saint Andrew’s believes so strongly in the IB that the school is “in candidacy to add the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP) in 2011.”

To our knowledge, Saint Andrew’s becomes the seventh US boarding school offering the IB.

TABS has produced a modern take on the school fair.

For those of you new to boarding school admission, the “school fair” has been a primary tool of admission offices for more than 30 years.

School fairs work like this: a school in- say, in Houston (most likely a junior high) would invite admission officers from boarding schools all over the country to their school fair. Admission officers would make their plane and hotel reservations. The host school would market the fair locally. Admission officers would arrive and take their places behind their tables in a large room and local families would browse the schools and their offerings chatting and collecting paper catalogs from schools.

Oh, how the world has changed. Attending school fairs isn’t as necessary or even a priority for an increasing number of families today. Families educate themselves and research schools online and are comfortable doing so- a real convenience considering how school and extracurriculars keep family schedules full and tight.

Couple this with an increasing need for cost effective admission work from the school side and you see the demand for a new model.

Enter the virtual Boarding School Expos. TABS is taking the boarding school fair online. From the convenience of home, families will be able to visit and explore schools using a high speed Internet connection.

Admission officers will have ‘booths’ in an ‘exhibit hall’
Broad topics such as testing and the application process will be covered in an ‘auditorium’
Families will be able to chat (video available) with school admission officers
Families will be able to collect brochures and catalogs in a book bag

If you’re a family even just interested in boarding schools you’ll want to make plans to attend at least one of three Boarding School Expos this fall:

October 5
October 24
December 1

To register and see the lists of schools participating in each expo, visit boardingschoolexpos.com.

Gould Academy Skate Team member and aspiring filmmaker Pete Pontone ’10 produced a great video introduction to skateboarding at Gould.

It’s noteworthy because it’s so clearly a student speaking to other students about something that he loves.

It’s short on dialog and explanation; long on action with solid editing and a great track to keeping the rythmn and pushing the action. I liked some of the atmospheric shots and editing.

Student or adult, it’s worth a watch to see the potential of student video in getting the story out.

“European families have been attracted by private schools offering the International Baccalaureate in addition to A-levels.”

While UK secondary schools and their graduates will continue to be measured by student success on A Levels (proficiency tests for university admission), it’s interesting to see that, in a few cases, the IB is finding a place alongside the traditional exams.

The IB gives the schools an internationally recognized curriculum and approach that, if not known to prospective families, is certainly appealing on explanation and it gives international students in UK schools offering the IB a credential that they can carry with them to colleges and universities abroad.

It’s fascinating to see the IB’s philosophies, perspectives and requirements become a recognized cross-border and cross cultural standard.

It belies a couple things- one the competitive nature of international eduction and economies and, two, just how interconnected the world has become.

It looks like UK boarding schools have begun to recognize (as US boarding schools did a couple of decades ago) that their education offers value and opportunity to students worldwide.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lenny_meriel/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

This isn’t something I’ve done before, but I was so impressed by West Nottingham Academy‘s new view book that I put together this tour.

WNA has adopted a one-off custom approach to printing view books for prospective families allowing the school to tailor the book to the interests of each individual student.

This custom one-off printing practice allows WNA to answer questions and respond to individual family and student interests. Each custom book works to give students a feel of what it’s like to pursue particular interests and fields at WNA by, literally weaving the prospective student into the West Nottingham narrative.

Josh Lawton, White Mountain School, Director of Admission talks about the special opportunities and experiences available to WMS students.

WMS is the only school offering outdoor certification in Wilderness First Responding and Rock and Ice Climbing under the aegis of the American Mountain Guides Association.

Fundamentally, WMS believes that its consciously small, tightly knit community provides the best possible foundation for college preparation. Two programs shape every WMS student’s education- Leadership for Global Sustainability and Outdoor Education. Sustainability studies and perspectives bind and are taught throughout the PWMS curriculum.