We conducted an Open House for prospective applicants recently. These things interest me. As a former admission officer, I'm fascinated by Proctor's position within the independent school market, and how we are seen by prospective families.


The program begins with a highly successful introductory overview delivered by Chris Bartlett. This talk quickly captures key general concepts (academic rigor balanced with support; experiential modes of learning; non-adversarial structures, etc.) illuminated by highly specific examples. This approach--general demonstrated by specific--yields a degree of believability that is rare in school marketing, where overused claims of "excellence" and "close relationships" are the norm.


Next, we break the crowd into manageable groups, introduce tour guides, and send them off to see for themselves.


We bring them right into classes in action, so the notion of experiential learning is, well, experienced.









Finally, we reconvene in the theater for Q & A with a panel dominated by students in their third and fourth years at Proctor. This is where the deal is sealed. 


One visiting parents observed later, "No matter where you look....no matter what class you duck into....no matter what question to ask a student, you see the same thing. Everywhere, it's the same thing. You see people who are happy to be here."




That truth doesn't come by trying to be like any other school. It comes from being so unique that the right people--students and teachers--can find us.