The AISAP Annual Institute will always hold particular significance in Clarity’s company history. On July 1 2022, Clarity officially launched its flagship product, Financial Aid. Mere days later, we found ourselves standing behind a vendor booth in Chicago at the AISAP Annual Institute. As we unveiled what would turn out to be an industry-changing product, it was very much our company’s public debut.

Four years later, we found ourselves back at AISAP, this time as Lead Education Partner and once again unveiling a game-changing product - Admissions. Going from an unknown quantity to serving over 90% of all AISAP schools is a truly humbling honor and I can say with confidence that the biggest takeaway for the Clarity team was the opportunity to connect with the users we serve in person, to speak with them, listen to them, break bread with them, and to celebrate with them. In a larger sense, AISAP represents a unique professional development opportunity, so from that vantage point, I’d like to share our team’s three biggest takeaways from the AISAP Annual Institute last month.

1. Positive Energy

When I surveyed the eight Clarifiers who attended AISAP this year, everyone agreed that the positive energy at the event was palpable throughout the entire duration of the institute. It was undoubtedly helped by the beautiful desert backdrop, the gorgeous sunsets over Sandia Crest and the deeply rooted historical significance of the resort, but the biggest reason for the joyful feel of this year’s Institute was the people in attendance.

At past AISAP events, I’ve had my share of late night conversations with school leaders, but this year, the hotel bar was shut down every night with dozens of folks still talking, laughing, sharing stories and advice. As valuable as the professional development sessions are, the relationships that are built after the classrooms are closed hold equal value to the advancement of the profession. Opportunities to network with people who bring a variety of perspectives are essential to the collective success of independent schools.

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2. Sea Changes in Financial Aid & Enrollment 

There is no denying that we are living in a world of uncertainty at the moment and independent schools are not isolated from socioeconomic shifts, demographic changes, or advancements in technology. Schools today need to be more nimble than ever before, which for many institutions can prove challenging as changes need to be squared with their own sense of community identity, mission, values, and culture.

We saw sessions focused on how to leverage AI tools to maximize efficiency in an increasingly complex and competitive admissions landscape. Clarity helped to design an entire track around financial aid best practices, strategies, and problem solving as the number of families applying for and qualifying for tuition assistance continues to grow and shift.

There were sessions dedicated to adapting to changing socioeconomic realities - the Kindergarten Cliff is here and it’s having a real effect on admission funnels nationwide. Wavering pipelines for international students and the erosion of previously reliable markets present huge challenges for boarding schools in particular. Navigating these, and a host of other issues won’t be solved by individual schools operating in silos - it takes all of our collective knowledge, experience, and collaboration to ensure that we work to build innovative solutions that will ensure the sustainability of the important missions of independent schools into the future.

3. Data, Data, Data

When I first started enrollment work about fifteen years ago, there was relatively little talk about the importance of data analytics. Conversations around successful enrollment and financial aid generally centered on relationship building, events management, and truly ground-level efforts.

Not long after, however, sessions promoting the importance of data analysis - what are you collecting, why are you collecting it, and what are you learning - began to show up more frequently in professional conferences and networking discussions.

This trend has only intensified over the years, and for good reason! In today’s world, if you’re not collecting the right data and analyzing it effectively, you are leaving real enrollments and real dollars on the table.

Unfortunately, for most admission and enrollment professionals, we did not graduate with degrees in data science. That’s why keeping sessions that focus on data best practices and strategic decision-making remain of the utmost importance at professional development opportunities like the AISAP Annual Institute so that we have the opportunity to learn, grow, and develop this craft as a community.