Align and Shine: Syncing Marketing and Admissions for a Unified Start

As a new academic year begins, most schools are buzzing with excitement, fresh initiatives, and new goals. But in the midst of all the planning, there’s one thing that often gets overlooked—and yet, it can make or break your school’s enrollment success: the alignment between your marketing and admissions teams. When these two departments operate in silos, it’s easy to fall into miscommunication, missed opportunities, and inconsistent messaging. But when they work together, the result is a seamless experience for families and a smarter, more strategic approach to enrollment.

The truth is, marketing and admissions are two sides of the same coin. Marketing attracts interest; admissions converts it. Marketing builds your school’s reputation in the broader community; admissions builds relationships with individual families. The moment these two functions begin sharing goals, insights, and workflows, everything from your lead nurturing to your tour experiences becomes stronger. If you’re looking to boost parent engagement and enrollment this year, it’s time to bring your marketing and admissions teams into sync.

The first step is to establish a shared understanding of your school’s enrollment goals. Are you looking to grow overall numbers? Improve retention? Diversify your student body? Launch a new program? Everyone involved in marketing and admissions needs to be working toward the same endgame. Take time at the beginning of the year to sit down together, align on targets, and discuss what success looks like for your school. When both teams understand not just the “what” but also the “why” behind your goals, they’re more empowered to support each other.

Next, build a system for regular communication. This doesn’t have to be overly formal—weekly check-ins or short monthly syncs can go a long way. The key is to share what’s happening on each side. Marketers can give updates on campaign performance, parent engagement on social media, or content trends. Admissions can share the questions families ask during tours, their objections, and what resonates most with them. These insights are gold—they help your marketing stay relevant and help your admissions team better understand what leads are seeing before they ever book a tour.

It’s also crucial to map out the lead journey together. From the moment a parent clicks on your website to the moment they enrol their child, every interaction matters. When marketing and admissions work together to design this journey, you create a smoother, more consistent experience. That could mean aligning messaging across ads, social posts, and follow-up emails. Or it could mean integrating your CRM tools to ensure both teams have access to the same data. Even small tweaks—like using the same language for CTAs or coordinating campaign timing with admissions events—can make a big difference.

Don't underestimate the power of co-creating content. Admissions teams are on the frontlines with families every day. They hear real stories, real concerns, and real feedback. Use that insight to shape your marketing. Ask your admissions staff what questions they answer over and over, and turn those into blog posts, FAQs, or Instagram Stories. Likewise, marketers should equip admissions teams with up-to-date visuals, videos, and key messages that support what’s being said in meetings and tours. When both teams use the same language and visuals, it reinforces your school’s brand and makes you look more professional and trustworthy.

And finally, celebrate wins together. Did a campaign drive a big spike in inquiries? Did a new admissions format improve conversion? Share the results and give credit where it’s due. This not only builds team morale but also reinforces the value of collaboration. Marketing and admissions are often under pressure to “prove” results—so when they join forces, they can better track and showcase the entire funnel, from first impression to enrollment.

Aligning marketing and admissions isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a strategic move that can elevate your school’s entire enrollment process. When these two teams work in harmony, families feel it. The experience is smoother, the communication is clearer, and the trust builds faster. And in today’s competitive education landscape, that trust is everything.

So, how are your marketing and admissions teams working together this year? Are there processes you’ve found helpful or areas where you're still figuring it out? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Drop a comment below and let’s keep the conversation going!