Worrying is not a strategy. Finding the right school through informed research is the solution. Parents and students have to feel absolute confidence in their choice of school. It is therefore vital that schools provide superb customer service, not only in the marketing/admissions phase but also on a daily basis through the faculty when the child is enrolled. After all, boarding parents are buying a Mercedes of education – without an annual trade in value.

A key question parents and students must ask in their search for the right school is, “ what is your annual attrition rate?” That is, what is the percentage of students who could return annually yet choose not to do so. The answer reflects the happiness quotient at a school. 

In North American boarding schools the average attrition rate is around 10% - even 1% is too much. But the 10% average does mean a strong 90% retention rate. Parents must ask the question. The right school = low attrition/high retention.

Admissions professionals at boarding schools look for the best possible new students to match their school’s mission and culture. They travel globally as they must not be complacent and feel that good students will just come to them, yet the most effective admissions staff also keep a close eye on the school through the year to ensure the students they enrolled in the last cycle are happy. In fact, the most effective admissions strategy involves a high retention rate due to a happy school.

There is no road map, yet alone a GPS, for parents and admissions professionals engaged in their mutual admissions dance. You learn by doing, you research the data, you develop relationships - you hire professionals to help.

J. & A. is here to help families navigate the boarding school territory in order to achieve the right fit for everyone. We know the American, British and Canadian boarding school landscape.

We are here to make a difference in the lives of young people – and of schools. It doesn’t get better than that.