This week admissions staff take a breath – if they can – during Spring Break. Many of them will be relaxing this coming weekend by following on television the US college basketball championship euphemistically called March Madness.

Meanwhile, the boarding equivalent of March Madness from March 10th ensues as families sort through acceptances in order to make a choice by April 10th – US boarding school D Day for families!

March Madness

In Canada, the process is called rolling admissions as decisions are made daily and continuously. As spring develops, stakes will increase on a daily basis as schools aim to reach net tuition revenue targets and fill boarding houses with the best fit of students. 

At the same time, in both countries re-enrollment forms have been sent out and returning students now, in a crucial sense, become part of the admissions mix. Schools where admissions staff have stayed in close touch with their enrollees from prior years, will be the ones who can be decision influencers to help sometimes volatile teen decision-making in their choice of leaving or staying on for a further year.

Panic can sometimes set in around potential attrition at schools. But as with worrying, panic is not a strategy. Pro-active schools have Retention Committees to reach out to students and parents to discuss any concerns and to seek solutions. This close contact is the way to beat decision – making madness.