Selling Collegiate
Andrew Stanley spends much of his time each day selling the virtues of Collegiate.
“Sell,” though, might be a bit of a misnomer for what our associate director of admission actually considers his role.
You see, when the Baltimore native meets with prospective families and walks them around campus, it’s his opinion that the school really sells itself.
“All I do,” Stanley said, “is put people in a position to see all the great things Collegiate has to offer.”
“Sell,” though, might be a bit of a misnomer for what our associate director of admission actually considers his role.
You see, when the Baltimore native meets with prospective families and walks them around campus, it’s his opinion that the school really sells itself.
“All I do,” Stanley said, “is put people in a position to see all the great things Collegiate has to offer.”
A Gilman School and Randolph-Macon College graduate, Stanley has led hundreds of tours during his eight years in the admission office, and he brings a depth and breadth of experience to each assignment.
Since he arrived on North Mooreland Road in the fall of 1996, he has served as a Lower School assistant and third grade teacher, taught 5th grade math, and coached cub football and JV wrestling. He’s been involved with boys’ lacrosse all 14 years and has headed the program since April 2005. He’s also in his second year as an associate director of athletics.
One morning recently, Stanley and I sat down in his office and discussed his years at Collegiate, his observations, and his perspectives.
Say a family is coming from out of town. A friend has told them to check out Collegiate. What do you tell them?
It’s a consumer’s market, and the overarching thing we try to show them is why Collegiate is worth their investment.
The academic opportunities are almost always understood.
People are willing to invest when they understand the other areas of preparation that kids leave here with.
The hidden curriculum?
Yes, the community, the environment, the interaction.
What specific questions do families ask?
Concrete questions about class size, length of periods, length of days, the role of athletics, art, music, the traditional extra-curricular offerings.
They want to know that their child won’t be anonymous.
Because we have such a high retention rate, people always ask how new students acclimate in this environment.
How do you allay their concerns?
By telling them that this place is welcoming. People who join this community and get involved in something – a fall sport, a club, a theater production – typically hit the ground running, find a niche, and keep rolling.
There’re great opportunities here.
You can get “there” from “here.” It’s up to you where “there” is.
What do you tell folks who ask you to compare Collegiate to other schools?
We don’t compare. We focus on what we do well.
One thing we do really well is the depth of relationships that people develop over time.
The culture is in place for a high level of faculty-student interaction. Teachers are accessible. They come in early. They stay late. They help kids. That connection makes people feel secure about sending their children here.
Our facilities are outstanding. I’m sure they make an impression on families considering the school.
It’s easy to sell the facilities.
We try very hard to explain how they impact our teachers’ ability to connect with the kids on such a deep level.
When you have top-flight facilities, kids get fired up. They delve into their passions more freely and completely. When the kids are passionate about what they do, teachers and coaches can be more effective.
Collegiate has had a lot of success, but no one gets complacent. You convey that, I assume.
Of course. What I love about working here is that we’re not a stuffy old prep school that says, “We’ve been doing things this way for a long time; therefore, we aren’t going to change.”
But Collegiate doesn’t change for the sake of changing.
When there’s a reason to look in the mirror and say, “I wonder if I can do better,” there’s support from the top down.
We continue to improve.
If you can find a new way to attack a practice…a lesson plan…a meeting…that’s coaching, that’s teaching, that’s life.
If you get stuck in 20 years ago, you’re 20 years behind.
-- Weldon Bradshaw
Back
Since he arrived on North Mooreland Road in the fall of 1996, he has served as a Lower School assistant and third grade teacher, taught 5th grade math, and coached cub football and JV wrestling. He’s been involved with boys’ lacrosse all 14 years and has headed the program since April 2005. He’s also in his second year as an associate director of athletics.
One morning recently, Stanley and I sat down in his office and discussed his years at Collegiate, his observations, and his perspectives.
Say a family is coming from out of town. A friend has told them to check out Collegiate. What do you tell them?
It’s a consumer’s market, and the overarching thing we try to show them is why Collegiate is worth their investment.
The academic opportunities are almost always understood.
People are willing to invest when they understand the other areas of preparation that kids leave here with.
The hidden curriculum?
Yes, the community, the environment, the interaction.
What specific questions do families ask?
Concrete questions about class size, length of periods, length of days, the role of athletics, art, music, the traditional extra-curricular offerings.
They want to know that their child won’t be anonymous.
Because we have such a high retention rate, people always ask how new students acclimate in this environment.
How do you allay their concerns?
By telling them that this place is welcoming. People who join this community and get involved in something – a fall sport, a club, a theater production – typically hit the ground running, find a niche, and keep rolling.
There’re great opportunities here.
You can get “there” from “here.” It’s up to you where “there” is.
What do you tell folks who ask you to compare Collegiate to other schools?
We don’t compare. We focus on what we do well.
One thing we do really well is the depth of relationships that people develop over time.
The culture is in place for a high level of faculty-student interaction. Teachers are accessible. They come in early. They stay late. They help kids. That connection makes people feel secure about sending their children here.
Our facilities are outstanding. I’m sure they make an impression on families considering the school.
It’s easy to sell the facilities.
We try very hard to explain how they impact our teachers’ ability to connect with the kids on such a deep level.
When you have top-flight facilities, kids get fired up. They delve into their passions more freely and completely. When the kids are passionate about what they do, teachers and coaches can be more effective.
Collegiate has had a lot of success, but no one gets complacent. You convey that, I assume.
Of course. What I love about working here is that we’re not a stuffy old prep school that says, “We’ve been doing things this way for a long time; therefore, we aren’t going to change.”
But Collegiate doesn’t change for the sake of changing.
When there’s a reason to look in the mirror and say, “I wonder if I can do better,” there’s support from the top down.
We continue to improve.
If you can find a new way to attack a practice…a lesson plan…a meeting…that’s coaching, that’s teaching, that’s life.
If you get stuck in 20 years ago, you’re 20 years behind.
-- Weldon Bradshaw
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