Inclusive Admissions

The admissions process comprises the journey a candidate takes from interested prospect to enrolled student. Admissions is, in many ways, the lifeblood of an independent school, as it is a fundamental component for achieving organizational goals and financial targets. This stage is the first point at which potential students and their families are introduced to the Branksome Hall community, so adhering to best practices with regard to DEI is essential.

KEY FINDINGS:

• Student Application Process: Branksome Hall does a considerable amount to ensure families have a good understanding of how to apply to the school. An area of growth, with regard to supporting DEI objectives, is that demographic data should be collected during the application process—a process that impacts all stages that follow, from selection to orientation. Branksome could also improve accessibility by providing more translation accommodations for families throughout the process.

• Student Application Criteria: The school currently does not disclose its criteria for successful applicants or how the criteria are determined. More could be done to provide prospective students with additional information.

• Student Interview Process: The school has developed a robust process that invites a holistic appreciation of applicants and their families. This process could be improved by collecting demographic information and providing translation services for families.

• Selection Decisions and Tools: The current evaluation tools, though detailed and easy to follow, include multiple opportunities for unconscious biases related to race/ ethnicity, culture and socioeconomic status to be activated (i.e., questions about “family fit” and “eye contact”). Range of student development is also a consideration at the Junior school level.

• Admissions Team and Training: The team has received some basic DEI training and recognizes the importance of incorporating DEI into their work. They need to increase knowledge about applying the DEI learning to their responsibilities and the admissions process as a whole and increase diversity on the team.

• Student Onboarding: Available information, though comprehensive, is dispersed across multiple channels, so new students and their families are left to piece together information from various sources. Information in one source would support those students and families who are new to the independent school context.