As private schools look to attract and retain families navigating through a myriad of choices, simplifying the admissions process benefits both applicants and administrators. For schools that use Ravenna and accept the Standard Application Online (SAO), there is a need to manage all applicants in one centralized place, regardless of application source.
With the seamless integration between Ravenna and the Standard Application Online, families and administrators alike enjoy ease-of-access and increased transparency. Learn more about this powerful integration at the Enrollment Management Association (EMA) annual conference September 18-20.
The benefits this integration delivers to your admissions office include less-manual data entry, improved communication with families, and the strongest possible pool of applicants.
Schools will be able to increase actionable data insights into their overall applicant pool, combining your SAO applicant data with Ravenna’s powerful data tools. With the new school year already underway, you can look ahead to a new season with even greater efficiencies and workflows at your fingertips.
What Is the Standard Application Online (SAO)?
No two private schools are exactly alike, so introducing standard application forms helps to ensure increased opportunities for an unbiased admissions process. Rather than using a unique application, under a SAO, schools can evaluate all applicants on the same criteria, giving each student an equal opportunity for admittance. Further, having clear, singular admissions requirements provides greater transparency to families, building immediate trust.
SAO provides schools and families a fair, transparent application. This singular application, provided via the Enrollment Management Association (EMA), ensures students only need to submit their personal and academic information, essays, documentation, and recommendations in just a single instance online. Once completed, this application is conveniently ready for use with any of the nearly 500 member schools.
Ravenna: End-to-End Admissions
An application, however, remains only one side of the admissions process. Once complete, administrators must gauge applicant fit, determine financial aid needs, and conduct interviews to arrive at a final list of enrollees.
These manual workflows can add weeks to the application process, but with Ravenna’s end-to-end admissions, schools are able to efficiently automate much of the paperwork so administrators can redirect efforts to more impactful tasks, while families quickly hear a decision.
Comprehensive data and actionable analytics across each stage of the student journey give administrators the opportunity to make informed decisions, ensuring the best-fit students have the best opportunity to thrive. This granular data provides insights into recruitment efforts, allowing for pinpoint targeting and an expanded range of applicants. These data-powered tactics are instrumental in promoting diversity by helping identify trends and disparities, ensuring educators promote equity.
Schools can also attract and retain families with personalized communications that build relationships and encourage action. With the ability to segment audiences based on demographic data, admissions teams provide each family a true one-to-one experience, resulting in higher engagement and conversion rates.
Combining the Two
With seamless integration between both solutions, admins can manage all applications directly within Ravenna, regardless of source. This allows the inclusion of all families in bulk email communications, eliminates hours of manual record creation, and merges information from the Standard Application Online with Ravenna data tools.
Let’s walk through what this integration looks like.
- There’s an option to view the SAO Matching feature on the lefthand navigation menu.
- This page will return all the entries from SAO applications. Choose to either Create a new record from an application or Match with an existing record.
- Review and accept files, either in bulk or after individual review.
Integration is that easy! Why spend valuable time uploading manually to a standalone solution or having to create records one-by-one?
EMA 2024: What to Expect
In the same way Ravenna and the Standard Application Online combine for the best admissions experience for both administrators and families, VenturEd Solutions is once again joining forces with private education leaders to bring you the best insider knowledge at EMA AC24! The annual conference will be held in Boston this year during September 18-20 and will feature opportunities to expand leadership skills and learn new admissions and enrollment strategies.
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We hope that you will come to our VenturEd Solutions’ sessions listed below:
Strategic Evolution: Tackling K-12 Admissions in the Wake of Supreme Court Challenges
- Date/Time: Thursday, September 19 at 10:30-11:30 a.m. ET
- Location: Commonwealth (3rd Floor) at Sheraton Boston Hotel
- The Supreme Court’s recent decision to suspend the use of race-based affirmative action in collegiate admissions has murky consequences for K-12 schools nationwide. With cases already in court poised to tackle this very issue, administrators need to ensure their DEIJ programs remain robust enough to continue serving your school’s mission no matter what, if any, changes might impact schools in the future. Join VenturEd Solutions’ panel with experts from Berkley Carroll School, Eastside Preparatory School, The Lovett School, and EMA Standard Application Online, as we discuss practical strategies to future-proof admissions’ diversity efforts.
Navigating the Shifting Legal Landscape in School Admissions
- Date/Time: Friday, September 20 at 11:30-12:30 a.m. ET
- Location: Kent (3rd Floor) at Sheraton Boston Hotel
- Between DEIJ initiatives, IDEA compliance, and FERPA adherence, admissions directors have many legal considerations to juggle. Join VenturEd Solutions and Bentley School for a lively discussion on how to relay the correct messaging to families while balancing emerging legal concerns.
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Be sure to also visit the VenturEd Solutions booth located across from the registration desk!
If you can’t attend the conference, don’t worry. You can still learn why educators love the ease of the Ravenna and its many integrations!
