Organized by Trevor Waddington, Founder & President, Truth Tree
It’s that time of year again when school and education AdMarCommEn (Admission, Marketing, Communication, and Enrollment) pros analyze the tea leaves on what the next year has in store.
And hopefully, they’re a bit more skilled than Ronald Weasley in Divination Class.
Without further ado, let’s get to it!
Evan Harris, President
Today, few independent schools can point to an example of AI positively impacting their bottom line. 2025 is the year that changes. For MarCom, this means new and compelling narratives to share with major stakeholders like prospective families, donors, and alumni. For example, I’ve referred a number of my client schools to a company called Timely. They’re using the latest in scheduling optimization technology to save their district partners millions and cut registrar workloads in half. That’s the kind of story that can shift attitudes across a school community and generate momentum for further organizational change.
Heather Burchfield,
Director of Partner Success
I think the need for authentic, organic, even gritty content will continue to be important. The generation of parents coming into our schools are digital natives and they can see through shiny, expensive marketing videos and content. Mar/Comm offices should lean into iPhone content and student-generated content. It’s real and parents LOVE that!
Peter Baron, Founder
In the coming year, I believe we’ll see schools really leaning into building structured systems to set priorities, track meaningful progress, and empower their teams to work more effectively. Running an independent school gets more complex every year, and many leaders are realizing that success takes more than just listing goals or relying on individual initiatives. Instead, we’re likely to see a deliberate shift toward building an organizational operating system—an internal framework that guides decisions, aligns teams, and ensures every effort moves the school closer to its long-term vision.
Rebecca Malotke-Meslin,
Women’s Leadership Coach
Data shows that retaining top talent is a significant concern for independent school leaders, yet more needs to be done to address it. I predict that Heads of Schools and administrators will collectively begin to discuss industry-wide solutions regarding reducing burnout for women, hiring Gen Z, creating more inclusion for staff representing marginalized groups, and succession planning. But I fear they won’t take noticeable action towards solutions for another year or two.
Rachael Land,
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
In 2025, successful school marketing will blend cutting-edge technologies like AI with traditional approaches such as parent ambassadors, creating a multifaceted strategy that resonates across generations. While AI will enable schools to predict trends in enrollment, identify shifting family preferences, and anticipate potential challenges like attrition, parent ambassadors and similar experience-based programs with genuine, relatable insight are powerful advocates for schools, providing the authenticity that AI cannot replicate. By combining innovation with trusted practices, schools can build strong connections with families, foster trust, and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape.
Dale Seabury,
Owner and Founder
For schools striving to meet enrollment goals, adopting a growth-oriented mindset and investing strategically in marketing will be essential. Research demonstrates that every dollar invested in student recruitment can yield an average of $7 in tuition revenue, underscoring the importance of viewing marketing as a strategic investment rather than an expense. Effective investment in marketing begins with fully resourced marketing and communications teams—through hiring, external partnerships, leveraging technological tools like AI, or, ideally, a combination. Schools equipped with professionals and tools to expertly manage campaigns, analyze data, and craft compelling, authentic narratives will be best positioned to foster retention and drive sustained enrollment growth in 2025.
Whitney Retzer,
Director of Engagement
With an increasingly fractured media appetite, understanding the value proposition and unique identifiers of your school will be more important then ever. Families are primed for systemic innovation including learner-driven and customized education enabled by technology.
Madison Carr,
Creative Director
As the market becomes more and more competitive in 2025, schools will be able to find an edge by giving care and thought to their entire brand. Families are facing more choices when it comes to where and how their children receive an education. The school that can talk about the pain points and solutions in a compelling way is the school that will emerge ahead. In 2025, I believe we’ll see an increased value for schools that give thought to their brand. Consistency in messaging and appearance will be vital. You need more than a snappy tagline or a punchy headline. Prospective families are doing deeper research and weighing more options. Having a consistent and winsome brand, from corner to corner, will be a key factor in winning over families.
Trevor Waddington,
Founder
Advanced communication from home to school is a fast-rising value driver. Therefore, expect a surge in schools prioritizing advanced, AI-powered communication platforms for the current community and enrollment marketing purposes. For example, admission tours can be scheduled through conversational AI, parents will be able to order lunch via text, and student counselors will be alerted in real time when a student has fallen behind across classes.
What do you say?
Do you have a prediction for 2025 or beyond? Drop us a line and we’ll work to add it into this compilation.
Want to peruse the predictions for 2023 and 2024? Hindsight is always 20/20.
Not Sure Where to Focus Your Efforts?
What are you already doing? What is your goal? What are the most impactful approaches?
