The ripple effect caused by the pandemic has witnessed many a disruption in different spheres of the world. The education sector has also been one of these. However, as Robert Scoble puts it, “Change is inevitable, and the disruption it causes often brings both inconvenience and opportunity.” From an uncertain terrain to seamless adaptability, the sector of education has produced a transformation, right from admissions to teaching delivery.
Let us look at some of the changes brought about by the pandemic to the admissions process in schools:
1. Online application forms and document submission
Many schools in Mumbai have switched over to online application forms over physical forms. The benefits of digital application forms are far too many. The form could be purchased and filled at one’s convenience, without the hassle of physically picking up the application from school. It thereby reduces the strain of braving the scorching heat or rainfall in serpentine queues. It also eliminates the chances of human error in reading illegible handwriting. The admission decision can also be conveyed via the software through the acceptance letter. The use of digital signatures further reinforces the validity of the admission. The payment of admission fees is also taken care of by various online payment modes. Furthermore, fee receipts can also be generated through the system itself.
Although many international schools adopted the online application form, the document submission would yet require physical copies. An efficient admissions management software can also take care of digital document submission. Paper saving is not only ecologically beneficial, but this shift also eliminates the need for physical storage. The system can also easily generate admission reports, thereby enabling the tracking of admissions.
Realizing the manifold benefits, many schools have now strengthened their online admissions by upgrading to the latest technologies to provide a seamless end-to-end experience from enquiry to fee receipts.
2. Applicant Profiling
The applicant shortlisting has also undergone some changes. Institutes are aware that the transition from physical to virtual schooling has not been easy for students. The absence of graded exams, effects of the pandemic through disturbed psychosocial behavioural patterns could have affected the overall performance. Institutes are cognizant of these constraints, and therefore consider various other parameters of the applicant with due fairness.
Many institutes overseas have also decided to eliminate standardized testing like the ACT / SAT. The difficulty in scheduling physical exams called for this move, which consequently saw a sharp increase in applicants from diverse backgrounds.
The elimination of test scores and exams resulted in admission officers scrutinizing transcripts, letters of recommendation, extra-curriculars, achievements, essay questions, soft skills, etc. with greater depth. Creative and athletic talents, involvement in community service projects are reviewed with considerable significance as well. This, in turn, expands the applicant demographics and diversity.
3. School Tours
Guided School Tours / Open Days are some of the features a school includes during its admissions process. However, physical school tours are now replaced by virtual tours. A parent can now view the school from any geographical location. It eliminates the physical distance and creates an interactive experience for the parent and student.
Potential applicants and parents are also encouraged to connect with the Admission officers, schedule virtual meetings, and get acquainted with the school and admission process.
4. Orientation Sessions Most international schools conduct Orientation sessions, wherein parents visit the school and are briefed about the courses, facilities, admission procedure, etc. However, physical orientation has now been replaced by webinars and virtual information sessions. The virtual engagement sessions facilitate the inclusion of a maximum number of participants, that were earlier restricted by physical seating capacity.
5. Applicant Interviews The applicant interviews now delve deeper into the applicant repertoire. Virtual interviews have become advantageous in allowing flexibility, cutting the travel, and becoming more convenient for the applicant and the interviewer. The applicant and the family are now no longer required to travel to the school. Various platforms like Zoom, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams have now replaced the physical visit. Parents who are in different geographical locations can also attend sessions together.
6. Online Entrance Tests Many international schools conduct an entrance test as one of their requirements. Schools now rely on exam software to conduct their entrance tests and school exams, as well. Most of the available software is equipped with security features, attendance, auto marking, creation of exam papers, etc. It can drastically reduce the administrative tasks of running the exams. The rapid adoption and integration of technology into education also explains the boom in EdTech companies during the pandemic. This growth is here to stay.
7. Parental Mindset As per the latest trends by ISC Research, the demand for international schools has remained consistent, albeit with some gains and losses. One of the driving factors for this is the renewed parent mindset. Providing quality education for their children remains the decisive factor in choosing the school. Admission enquiries now reflect questions like the implementation of pedagogical tools, experiential learning, life skills training, safety and security, hygiene, technological practices, digital literacy, etc. While parents now seem to be comfortable with the online mode of learning, queries about the screen time exposure also pose an important question during the admission process.
The psychosocial behavioural repercussions have also got the parents to query about the ability of the school to deal with the emotional well-being of the student. The importance of values like resilience and empathy cannot be stressed enough. The Minds Matter curriculum run by the Aditya Birla World Academy is the first school-based mental health curriculum in India. This curriculum is woven into the classroom timetable and incorporates mental health literacy. It aims to encourage pro-social behaviour amongst the learners, promotes social, emotional, and psychological well-being to help build resilience and healthy coping mechanisms, help-seeking behaviours, etc.
In summation, it is safe to concur that the manner in which international schools in Mumbai have adapted their admission processes and systems to facilitate the dynamic educational needs testifies to the quality delivered by them. The pandemic, along with being a force of disruption, has ushered in many positive and permanent changes. In retrospect, these changes were required, but somehow got relegated to the background. With no choice but to adapt, international schools have begun to realize that incorporating changes will present a multi-pronged sustained growth and benefit for the school, parent, applicant, and learner.
Also read,
https://www.adityabirlaworldacademy.com/blog/how-online-learning-in-an-international-school-facilitates-the-overall-development-of-students
https://www.adityabirlaworldacademy.com/blog/5-steps-to-select-the-best-a-level-school-in-mumbai
Let us look at some of the changes brought about by the pandemic to the admissions process in schools:
1. Online application forms and document submission
Many schools in Mumbai have switched over to online application forms over physical forms. The benefits of digital application forms are far too many. The form could be purchased and filled at one’s convenience, without the hassle of physically picking up the application from school. It thereby reduces the strain of braving the scorching heat or rainfall in serpentine queues. It also eliminates the chances of human error in reading illegible handwriting. The admission decision can also be conveyed via the software through the acceptance letter. The use of digital signatures further reinforces the validity of the admission. The payment of admission fees is also taken care of by various online payment modes. Furthermore, fee receipts can also be generated through the system itself.
Although many international schools adopted the online application form, the document submission would yet require physical copies. An efficient admissions management software can also take care of digital document submission. Paper saving is not only ecologically beneficial, but this shift also eliminates the need for physical storage. The system can also easily generate admission reports, thereby enabling the tracking of admissions.
Realizing the manifold benefits, many schools have now strengthened their online admissions by upgrading to the latest technologies to provide a seamless end-to-end experience from enquiry to fee receipts.
2. Applicant Profiling
The applicant shortlisting has also undergone some changes. Institutes are aware that the transition from physical to virtual schooling has not been easy for students. The absence of graded exams, effects of the pandemic through disturbed psychosocial behavioural patterns could have affected the overall performance. Institutes are cognizant of these constraints, and therefore consider various other parameters of the applicant with due fairness.
Many institutes overseas have also decided to eliminate standardized testing like the ACT / SAT. The difficulty in scheduling physical exams called for this move, which consequently saw a sharp increase in applicants from diverse backgrounds.
The elimination of test scores and exams resulted in admission officers scrutinizing transcripts, letters of recommendation, extra-curriculars, achievements, essay questions, soft skills, etc. with greater depth. Creative and athletic talents, involvement in community service projects are reviewed with considerable significance as well. This, in turn, expands the applicant demographics and diversity.
3. School Tours
Guided School Tours / Open Days are some of the features a school includes during its admissions process. However, physical school tours are now replaced by virtual tours. A parent can now view the school from any geographical location. It eliminates the physical distance and creates an interactive experience for the parent and student.
Potential applicants and parents are also encouraged to connect with the Admission officers, schedule virtual meetings, and get acquainted with the school and admission process.
4. Orientation Sessions Most international schools conduct Orientation sessions, wherein parents visit the school and are briefed about the courses, facilities, admission procedure, etc. However, physical orientation has now been replaced by webinars and virtual information sessions. The virtual engagement sessions facilitate the inclusion of a maximum number of participants, that were earlier restricted by physical seating capacity.
5. Applicant Interviews The applicant interviews now delve deeper into the applicant repertoire. Virtual interviews have become advantageous in allowing flexibility, cutting the travel, and becoming more convenient for the applicant and the interviewer. The applicant and the family are now no longer required to travel to the school. Various platforms like Zoom, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams have now replaced the physical visit. Parents who are in different geographical locations can also attend sessions together.
6. Online Entrance Tests Many international schools conduct an entrance test as one of their requirements. Schools now rely on exam software to conduct their entrance tests and school exams, as well. Most of the available software is equipped with security features, attendance, auto marking, creation of exam papers, etc. It can drastically reduce the administrative tasks of running the exams. The rapid adoption and integration of technology into education also explains the boom in EdTech companies during the pandemic. This growth is here to stay.
7. Parental Mindset As per the latest trends by ISC Research, the demand for international schools has remained consistent, albeit with some gains and losses. One of the driving factors for this is the renewed parent mindset. Providing quality education for their children remains the decisive factor in choosing the school. Admission enquiries now reflect questions like the implementation of pedagogical tools, experiential learning, life skills training, safety and security, hygiene, technological practices, digital literacy, etc. While parents now seem to be comfortable with the online mode of learning, queries about the screen time exposure also pose an important question during the admission process.
The psychosocial behavioural repercussions have also got the parents to query about the ability of the school to deal with the emotional well-being of the student. The importance of values like resilience and empathy cannot be stressed enough. The Minds Matter curriculum run by the Aditya Birla World Academy is the first school-based mental health curriculum in India. This curriculum is woven into the classroom timetable and incorporates mental health literacy. It aims to encourage pro-social behaviour amongst the learners, promotes social, emotional, and psychological well-being to help build resilience and healthy coping mechanisms, help-seeking behaviours, etc.
In summation, it is safe to concur that the manner in which international schools in Mumbai have adapted their admission processes and systems to facilitate the dynamic educational needs testifies to the quality delivered by them. The pandemic, along with being a force of disruption, has ushered in many positive and permanent changes. In retrospect, these changes were required, but somehow got relegated to the background. With no choice but to adapt, international schools have begun to realize that incorporating changes will present a multi-pronged sustained growth and benefit for the school, parent, applicant, and learner.
Also read,
https://www.adityabirlaworldacademy.com/blog/how-online-learning-in-an-international-school-facilitates-the-overall-development-of-students
https://www.adityabirlaworldacademy.com/blog/5-steps-to-select-the-best-a-level-school-in-mumbai
