The AISAP Summer Institute — Admissions Professional Development at its Best!

Photo taken by Jessica Warren in my AISAP session on Re-Recruitment

Last week I had the opportunity to attend and speak at the AISAP Summer Institute. Besides enjoying La Jolla and San Diego, the institute was an event to remember and recommend.

The institute was held at the beautiful campus of La Jolla Country Day School. Every summer the institute is held in one of its member schools rotating throughout various regions of the country.AISAP is the Association of Independent School Admission Professionals.

AISAP is the admissions organization created by admissions professionals for admissions professionals.

This year I had the opportunity to present three sessions at the institute. I have made these sessions available for you to download if you are interested.

Click on the link and a PDF of the presentation will download. Because of the large file size, it will take a a few minutes to download. The file will appear in your browser when it is downloaded fully.

Developing Your School’s Word of Mouth Marketing Plan

Developing Your School’s Re-Recruitment Plan

Brand Marketing — Telling the Story of Your School in an Online World

Until about a year ago I did not know that this organization existed. In fact, it was only established a few short years ago. And now, I believe every admissions professional should be involved in this organization. By the way, I haven’t been paid to say this nor am I a spokesperson for AISAP. I simply want to recommend this organization to you in a way that it is a “no-brainer” for your professional development.

Realizing that there are many of my blog readers that are involved directly in the admissions and enrollment effort, I wanted to encourage you to consider two things.

First and foremost, you and your school should consider membership in AISAP if you haven’t already. Annual membership dues range from $350 to $600 depending on the size of your school. The benefit is the admissions professional network that the organization provides as well as their ongoing webinar series, blog posts and summer institute for member schools.

Secondly, you should make it a priority to attend the summer institute next year. This year’s summer institute sold out and was the largest attendance they have ever experienced in the few years of its existence.

Here’s what I experienced this year:

  • Networking opportunities with other admissions professionals from around the world.
  • Learning opportunities in workshops presented by experienced admissions professionals discussing a wide range of topics for the beginner to the veteran.
  • Practical ideas, strategies and solutions to implement at your school.
  • Understanding of the latest trends, issues and best practices in admissions.
  • Mentor groups to share ideas and apply strategies to your school’s specific situation.

I highly recommend that you include the summer institute on your professional development agenda for 2013. It will be money well spent. In fact, I would even argue that if your budget does not support this professional development opportunity, you should use some of your marketing budget to pay for the institute as well as membership in AISAP.

If you are interested in AISAP membership, its professional development opportunities and next year’s summer institute, you should contact Janice Crampton, Executive Director of AISAP. She can be reached at Janice@aisap.org or www.aisap.org.

For those of you that are members of AISAP or attended the Summer Institute this year, I would be interested in your thoughts.

What do you see as the benefits of AISAP membership?

If you attended the Summer Institute in La Jolla, what were your takeaways this year?

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