10 Fresh Ways to Talk About Academic Rigor

Nearly 100% of the private schools we talk to tell us about their excellent academic programs (as we’d hope!). But if every school tells us that their academic offerings are what sets them apart… and conventional marketing wisdom advises not talking about aspects of your product or service that are “table stakes” in the market… and we also know that prospective parents care deeply about the quality of your academics… how can we make sure this message truly stands out in the educational landscape?

Academic rigor is something schools should be proud of (and it’s something parents want to hear about), so we can’t NOT talk about it. Finding ways to message academics that are unique to your school community is key to be able to stand out from – and stand above – your competitors. 

At your school, it could look like students who are engaged in the learning process, or students who are engaged in critical thinking and problem solving. Your school could prioritize collaboration with others, or practicing written and oral communication. And, just like learning, homework could be measured by quality, not quantity. All of these ways that your school practices academic rigor could be unpacked just a teeny bit more to make your academic program stand apart. As most parents want, it’s important to talk about the how rather than the what.

Here are 10 ways to position and message your school’s academic programs – in a way that’s unique to you. 

Keep in mind that creating an environment where students are expected to learn at high levels and where they are supported at high levels is key to achieving success. 

1. Talk about your unique advanced coursework (IB/AP) offering

Ensure that prospective families know about your curriculum – and that they can understand it. Think about adding this type of information into a viewbook, or as a page on your website to really dive into what you offer, how it’s unique, and why it’s important.

Consider highlighting a teacher or two that you hear constant praise about – specifically those who teach high level courses. Hearing real anecdotes about their course, their students, and their discoveries help families answer the “so what?” when talking about advanced courses.

2. Find ways to promote your well-rounded curriculum 

Showcase some of your current students and their multifaceted talents – like your star basketball player, who also happens to be a part of the choir and is pursuing research alongside their faculty advisor. Many parents find it important that their child is exposed to a wide variety of things at your school to help them develop new skills and bolster their university applications. These stories can be told on your website, through your social platforms, in your email newsletter, in your viewbook, and beyond.

3. Find ways to show students engaged in the learning process

Parents care about the HOW just as much as the WHAT (maybe even more). Capture content where students are engaging and participating in class activities and share it as posts, stories, and videos on your social media platforms or school’s website. 

Tip: Set a reminder to send out quarterly communications to your team of faculty to ask what cool projects, activities, or experiments they’re planning. Then pencil these into your calendar so you can make sure to capture great footage!

4. Highlight problem solving and critical thinking skills 

Highlight successes (like a design course that challenges students to develop sustainable ways to help reduce plastic waste in their community) in a blog post on the school website or social platforms. Long-form content has an audience – and a home – in your digital marketing mix, and can provide depth to your shorthand content.

5. Put your school’s specialty and extracurricular programs on display

Add a dedicated section to your viewbook, website, or social media highlights that showcases various clubs and sports. You’ll be surprised at how many academic overlaps you can find in these activities – like the robotics club entering their creation to an engineering competition where they attended and won. Not only will your audiences feel more secure in the strength of your academic breadth, but you may pique interest in your peripheral offerings you aren’t otherwise spending the time to platform.

6. Highlight your school’s prioritization of wellness and academics

Emphasize, whether on your website or in a viewbook, that your school offers mindfulness workshops, a dedicated counseling team, or yoga workshops during exam periods to help students manage stress and focus on their wellness. It might be a good idea to add a student testimonial from attending these workshops and how they’ve found balance and success in their academic courseload as a result.

7. Don’t be afraid to flex your school’s impressive stats

Every prospective parent likes to hear about outcomes. At high schools, this may mean university acceptances, scholarships, or alumni success stories. At a lower school, this may mean leadership opportunities or high school placements. It’s important to make the most out of this content – and include real data such as the percentage of students accepted into top-tier universities, scholarship amounts awarded to graduates, and the range of prestigious institutions attended by alumni. You can always incorporate graphics to help potential families easily understand your data, or turn this into an alumni relations initiative to obtain user-generated content (think: “where are they now?” pieces).

8. Talk about your school’s unique opportunities

What does your school offer that none of your competitors do? Think about your custom STEM/STEAM curriculum, the fact that every child learns an instrument, unique language and travel opportunities, and anything else that sets you apart – then center those programs.

9. Underscore your school’s established student support

Create a dedicated spot on your website that allows current and prospective students and parents to access information on tutoring supports, mental health counseling, college counseling, and study groups. Parents want to know that there are trusted adults in place to help students when they need to be pushed – or when they need to slow down and ask for help.

10. Highlight your school’s success stories 

Create themed posts across your platforms highlighting alumni from your school. Talk about their journey, and where they found courage when facing challenges, and how the school prepared them for higher education and beyond – with a focus on how your academic program set them up for success. This content does well in longer-form blog content, user generated content geared for social media, or incorporated into your admissions events. Parents and students alike gain trust in your school when there are individuals who have come out on the other side who are willing and enthusiastic about getting others involved. 

These examples are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to finding ways to highlight your academic rigor in unique ways – and the best ones to try are the ones that tie back to the core of your brand, are the most authentic to who you are, and are the most differentiated compared with other schools prospective families might be considering. Finding ways to integrate them into your marketing mix will take your positioning to the next level – while avoiding academic jargon that doesn’t pack a punch. If you need help finding ways to do this – specifically tailoring it to your audiences – we’d love to help. 

At Metric Marketing, we develop measurable and practical strategies to help private and independent schools like yours to make the most of your marketing efforts. We'd love to discuss your private school's marketing requirements with you. Contact us today to speak with our marketing professionals or use the form below to sign up and receive more marketing tips in your inbox.