Campus Voices
All School
I love my job! As director of enrollment management, I spend time on all three campuses each week, sometimes on the same day. Because I interview students and families for every grade, I have to be conversant with regard to the curriculum and extra- and co-curricular programs on each campus, and I need to know how each grade and division builds on the work of the previous grade or division. I enjoy telling people that doing admission work is a license to be a professional know-it-all.
This is a challenging assignment at BB&N, but I have enjoyed every minute. Fortunately for me, because we are always looking for new and innovative ways to educate and because the curriculum is constantly evolving, and it is unlikely I will ever have to take a final exam. For example, did you know that this year we have added Spanish at the Lower School and that we are introducing foreign language to Beginners? Did you know that our Upper School history curriculum has recently been revamped after thoughtful research and discussion?
It is a privilege to have the opportunity to interact with the faculty and students on all three campuses on a regular basis, to see the students at each developmental level appropriately challenged by teachers who love what they do. Giving tours and conducting interviews allows the admission staff to witness the magic that happens on our campuses on a daily basis, and reminds us, through the words of those who wish to join our community, why BB&N is considered not only one of the best schools in Boston, but in the country.
The freshmen have returned from Bivouac, the Beginners have settled into their classroom routines, and the colleges have begun visiting campus in the hopes of attracting attention from our seniors—all sure signs that the BB&N admission process is about to hit full stride. During the coming year, about 2,500 families will request admission information and approximately 1,000 of those families will come to campus for a tour and interview. As our current parents (and some of our current students) no doubt remember, this is an intense, sometimes nerve-wracking process with the desired outcome that every family and student find the school that is the best fit.
All current members of the BB&N community—students, parents, faculty—play a vital role in this process. Research consistently shows that word of mouth is an independent school's most powerful marketing tool, and I believe that current students and parents are the best resource for interested families. Therefore, I deputize all of you as members of the admission team. Your first assignment is to recall the reasons you chose to join the BB&N community. Second, make sure you are up-to-date on what is happening at the school—read The Link, attend events, volunteer at Open House on October 27 or come just for a refresher course. And last, but most important, share your experience with your friends and neighbors and encourage them to give the admission office a call.
Have a great year!
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