January 28, 2015
I stepped in front of a near-capacity crowd in the newly renovated Recital Hall Monday night to sing the praises of MPA to very enthusiastic prospective families at our winter open house. I began by acknowledging that we benefit from a number of good public, charter, private and independent schools. However, I told the crowd that there is no other school like MPA in the Twin Cities. We stand alone, offering a unique education that I believe is exactly what students need in today’s world.
That message is being noticed by and resonating with many.
The next few kindergarten play visits are full and we scheduling as far out as May for families considering enrolling in kindergarten. The number of families entering the admission process is up significantly as are the number of applications we have received. Several grade levels are approaching capacity. It is clear that there is a great deal of momentum heading into the admission and re-enrollment season.
Here are a few promising statistics:
- We had 43 students represented at our most recent Admission Preview, a 122% increase over last year;
- Year to date, we have the highest number of new student inquiries and applications in three years;
- The highest percentage of inquiry to application conversion in three years, double what it was three years ago.
There are several reasons that explain our early success, including:
- A very strategic marketing plan that includes online, print, radio (Minnesota Public Radio), and community partnerships;
- A highly competent (and competitive!) Admission Team;
- Well trained and articulate student ambassadors;
- A rigorous and increasingly relevant curriculum;
- Exceptional faculty and staff;
- A great parent community, both willing and motivated to reach out to friends, neighbors, and colleagues to speak about their experience at MPA.
Thank you for all you do to make MPA such a special place. In particular, I appreciate your efforts in spreading the good news about MPA. As a friend and school head visiting from California remarked to me after a tour of MPA, “Who wouldn’t want their child here?” Exactly!
