September kicked off the official admissions season for many, and as schools across the country start the academic year with new admissions and enrollment software, they’re introducing a smoother experience for both families and admissions staff alike.
Leading the way are schools like Battle Ground Academy, Christ the King Catholic School, and The Frederick Gunn School, among others, all of which now offer a more personalized and engaging experience that speaks to families' interests, preferences, and goals.
Schools benefit, too: admission offices gain more efficient data analysis, enhanced communication with prospective families, and easier processes for handling inquiries, campus tours, interviews, and more.
We're thrilled to see them start the year on a high note with Finalsite and set the stage for a successful admissions season. Let’s take a look at some of these admissions experiences supported by Finalsite Enrollment.
Battle Ground Academy
Battleground Academy recently launched its new admissions experience with Finalsite Enrollment, and its admissions pages are now better organized and designed to guide families through the process with ease.
The admissions section focuses heavily on informing families about the process—there’s great attention to detail so families can make the best decision with content about application timelines, how candidates are evaluated, and the steps to submitting an inquiry.
The admissions pages also feature a well-organized FAQ section, broken down into categories like admissions-specific questions, financial aid inquiries, and general school information. Using accordion-style menus, the content is well-structured, making it easy for families to find the answers they need without feeling overwhelmed by too much information at once.
The tuition and financial aid pages are equally clear and helpful, offering families details about affordability, scholarships, and payment plans. All of this information is presented alongside an embedded inquiry form powered by Finalsite Enrollment, so families can inquire, schedule a tour, or request more information about financial aid—all in one convenient, branded form.
Consistency across the admissions pages plays a major role in supporting the user experience. Most families will browse these pages as they move through the admissions journey, whether they’re just gathering information or are ready to inquire. The uniform design and navigation make the process smoother and more intuitive, encouraging families to take the next step.
Woodlynde School
Woodlynde School, which focuses on supporting neurodiverse students, has crafted an admissions experience that reflects a deep understanding of the needs of families. They recognize that families may have many questions, and as a result, there's a great deal of care throughout their admissions process.
One standout section is the "Where to Begin" page, which opens with an acknowledgment from the admissions office that it really understands the journey families are on. With over 50 years of experience helping thousands of families, the school shows a true sense of empathy with an effort to make the admissions process feel personalized and caring.
The admissions pages provide clear and thoughtful information about the types of families and students the school serves, too. They explain the kinds of learning differences they accommodate, ensuring families feel welcomed and supported—but also informed. This extra attention includes a detailed explanation of the admissions steps, including how families can complete the process by creating an account in Finalsite Enrollment, uploading testing, and submitting professional referrals.
Thanks to Finalsite Enrollment, Woodlynde School’s internal processes, like managing the admissions checklist, are streamlined, making it much easier for families and offices to stay on top of application requirements, their status, and admissions communications.
Bold branding, large fonts, and bright, engaging imagery make for a welcoming and supportive experience all around, and Woodlynde is there to help families feel confident, informed, and supported throughout the entire admissions journey.
The Frederick Gunn School
As it celebrates its 175th anniversary, it’s impressive to consider just how many families have been impacted by The Frederick Gunn School over the years and how the admissions journey has adapted and improved to meet their needs.
Today, the school offers a very mobile-friendly admissions experience, making it easy for families to browse and interact with their site on the go. The pages are filled with large, engaging imagery that doubles as call-to-action buttons, allowing users to scroll and access information conveniently on their phones or tablets.
The admissions pages are comprehensive, covering everything from an overview of the admissions process to details about tuition and financial aid deadlines. Families can meet the admissions team and tour guides, browse the school’s viewbook and admissions brochures, and access a detailed FAQ section, too. There’s even specific information for international applicants, all streamlined for a mobile audience that needs quick, easy access to essential details.
The inquiry form, powered by Finalsite Enrollment, collects important information about the family's academic and co-curricular interests and athletic interests. This helps the school build a more complete profile of each candidate so the admissions team can personalize their communication and outreach efforts more effectively.
Its content is well-organized with accordion-style sections, which not only declutters the pages but also supports the mobile experience by keeping information easy to navigate with a tap or two. Additionally, the admissions team and tour guide pages feature a creative design element: black-and-white images that come to life in color when users scroll, allowing them to learn more about the staff and students and help families put a name to a face. Beautiful site!
Staten Island Academy
Having come from a 100% paper system, Staten Island Academy’s admission experience has come a long way. Today, its modern online experience does an excellent job of both informing and connecting with prospective families.
Families interested in learning more can easily begin the process by filling out an inquiry form, and while the form asks for standard information, it goes a step further by asking families why they’re considering an independent school experience. Options like high-quality education, athletics, academic rigor, small class sizes, and college preparation allow families to specify their priorities and give the admissions team valuable insight into what matters most to them. This level of personalization helps SIA better understand each family on a more personal level.
The admissions section also caters to international students by offering detailed content about college preparation, matriculation rates, and insights into transitioning to life in the U.S. so international families feel more supported.
There’s also clear information about the admissions process, including details about tours, open houses, tuition, and financial aid. Everything is organized in a clean three-column layout that creates a consistent user experience across the pages, while bursts of secondary color add depth and highlight important information and parent testimonials.
Christ the King Catholic School
Christ the King Catholic School offers an efficient and well-organized admissions experience through its main admissions page, which acts as a hub, presenting clear calls to action that allow users to inquire, schedule a visit, and apply.
The page also provides plenty of supporting material, including FAQs, important admissions dates, details about financial aid, and calls to action so families can easily take the next step in the admissions process. All of this information is neatly organized into distinct content areas, making it easy to navigate and find relevant details —all on just two pages.
For families looking to visit the campus, the inquiry form allows them to connect with the admissions office and schedule a tour. The entire admissions experience is compact, well-branded, and designed to make it simple for families to engage with the school and gather the information they need to move forward in their decisions.
Washington Market School
The Washington Market School has seamlessly integrated Finalsite Enrollment into its platform, creating a "Tribeca trifecta" of Finalsite products that now include its website, mobile app, and enrollment software. This comprehensive approach not only enhances functionality but also carries the school’s beautiful and creative branding throughout the entire family journey.
The same level of care and thoughtfulness that went into designing the main school website is evident in the admissions pages, with welcoming colors and engaging design elements that align perfectly with the school's Montessori theme and its focus on young learners, curiosity, and self-motivation. Even the design of the embedded inquiry form feels like a natural part of the page as it flows seamlessly from clouds that blend into the form itself.
Families can easily find information about upcoming admission events, as well as background on the school’s approach to mindful parenting, lifelong learning, and the sense of community that Washington Market School creates in the Tribeca area of NYC.
A standout feature is a section on 'exmissions,' which explains the school’s collaborative approach to assisting families as their children complete the program and continue their education elsewhere, reassuring families that the school will support them throughout their child’s educational journey, even beyond their time at WMS.
Congratulations to Washington Market School and all these schools for their new admissions experience!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Connor has spent the last decade within the field of marketing and communications, working with independent schools and colleges throughout New England. As Finalsite’s Senior Content Marketing Manager, Connor plans and executes marketing strategies and digital content across the web. A former photojournalist, he has a passion for digital media, storytelling, coffee, and creating content that connects.