Menaul School

In December 2020, Dr. Rick Newberry began a virtual partnership with the team at the Menaul School in Albuquerque, NM. Rick conducted a series of virtual assessment meetings with the team, provided a comprehensive set of recommendations and coached the team in bi-weekly meetings.

In one year, the enrollment increased from August 2020 to August 2021 by 16% (from 156 to 181). The overall retention rate improved to a high of 95%. In addition, the online marketing effort resulted in more engagement and their blog increased by 2259% in page views due to the “stories” effort.

In a recent interview with Amy Boldt, Director of Enrollment and Marketing, she shared about her partnership with Rick Newberry and Enrollment Catalyst.

Describe your school’s enrollment and marketing situation before you hired Rick Newberry and Enrollment Catalyst:

We had a lot of ideas but struggled to implement many of them. We needed a strong nudge out of old habits that weren’t serving us. Enrollment was not fully embraced as an all-school responsibility.

Why did you decide to partner with Rick Newberry and Enrollment Catalyst?

We decided to work with Rick because we needed an outside perspective on what was not working. Our team needed to see examples of what was working at other schools. I’ve referred to Rick’s articles for a long time now, and already knew that he would guide us through the implementation of processes and programs that would have a big impact.

What were the results of working with Enrollment Catalyst? What were your greatest achievements?

We are starting to orient ourselves around marketing and storytelling–it’s an ongoing process, but we’ve restructured our roles and are starting to gain momentum in this area.

What did you like best about working with Rick Newberry?

He shares clear examples and materials that we can adapt and use. The examples of other schools’ branding and storytelling efforts were very helpful to our team.

Describe specific programs from the Enrollment Catalyst Program that generated the biggest impact for your marketing and enrollment efforts:

The FAN program has already netted us some referrals, new reviews online, family stories for our website, and is helping positivity and school pride grow among our parents.

What would you say to another school leader to recommend Rick Newberry to help them in their enrollment and marketing effort?

I would say the investment is worth it, just do it. Who doesn’t need an expert’s guidance in the very BIG and potentially messy world of enrollment and marketing? Also, if you find you’re struggling to keep up with all of the new ways we need to communicate with families, Rick can help you decide where to start and show you how to take your communications effort to the next level.

For more information on the Enrollment Catalyst Program, please reach out to Rick at Rick.Newberry@EnrollmentCatalyst.com or view the Enrollment Catalyst website. The Enrollment Catalyst Program can be conducted virtually to save on costs and travel expenses. Click for more information on the Virtual Enrollment Catalyst Program.

(Pictured with the Menaul School’s leadership team in a virtual assessment meeting)