Client Voices

“The Connor project was well worth the expenditure. We now have confirmation of the right-fit, full-pay potential in our market, are aware of weaknesses in our marketing, admission, and price-tiering strategies, and have a better understanding of what visiting families experience compared to our competitors.”

David Tilley
Former Head of School
Mount Paran Christian School
Kennesaw, GA

“Mike changed our paradigm. He is thorough with market research, then got everyone involved in marketing the School. Enrollment has increased every year. Mike is savvy, confident, relates well to Board and faculty, understands independent school culture, and is a man of integrity and strong values.”

Harry McKay
Former Head of School
St. Andrew's Episcopal School
Saratoga, CA

“Mike is engaging and his work made a big difference for us. He has respect for his clients and he delivers. He synthesizes information well, is very open, creates a vision, and holds people accountable to outcomes. A great listener...not arrogant!

Our enrollment has increased and has held steady over the past five years. We are more selective these days. Connor Associates provides unvarnished feedback in many areas. People are more forthright than when we tried to do this research in-house. They are timely, thorough, and yes, they are expensive. But being under enrolled is much more so.

At Bentley, we operate on a very tight budget. That said, it was well worth the cost.”

Arlene Hogan
Head of School
Bentley School
Berkeley and Lafayette, CA

Founding Head
The Archer School for Girls
Los Angeles, CA

“Our process with Connor Associates has truly had an impact on our organization as a whole – well beyond marketing. It has strengthened leadership, ensured integral connections for faculty around marketing efforts, and bolstered Board engagement. Mike and his team have absolutely lived up to his reputation. I can’t say enough about him.”

Regina Rodriguez
Former John G. Levi Advancement Officer
Francis W. Parker School
Chicago, IL

“When you met with our Board in March of 2014, you set the following goals for us:

Move from a 10-year average retention rate of 84% to 87% in three years. For the past three years our average retention rate has been 95%.

Increase our enrollment by 10% (144 students to 158 students) in three years. We will start the 2016-2017 school year at 168 or 169 and we will add about 7-10 students mid-year, an increase of 17% and well over 20% by January 2017.

Those changes would not have occurred without your fabulous guidance. Thank you so much!”

Dr. Robb Gaskins
Former Head of School
Beth Goodhart
Former Chair and Current Member, Board of Trustees
Benchmark School
Media, PA

“Connor’s work for us had a terrific and almost immediate effect on increasing enrollment in our Lower School and retention into our Middle School. I was so pleased I bragged about the outcomes he helped us create at the 2019 New York Heads Conference and the New York Admission and Marketing Association meeting. He has a way of getting congruence in the School around everyone’s role in supporting the School publicly.”

Andy Deyell
Former Head of School
Elmwood Franklin School
Buffalo, NY

“Of particular value for us was engaging in the external image audit. While it is nice to hear confirmation of the good work your school is engaged in, it is critical to a school’s success to hear about opportunities for improvement as well. Mike delivered an outstanding presentation to our Board with clarity, poise and care. Connor Associates was a worthy investment for Ravenscroft and we enjoyed the partnership!”

Doreen Kelly
Head of School
Ravenscroft School
Raleigh, NC

“Despite the wavering economy, our applications were up 50% this year, shadow visits up 128%, and mission-appropriate new student enrollment went up 32%. Through our process with Mike, we discovered our identity and a clear vision. He helped us develop our brand identity and what sets us apart from others. The process unified us.

We absolutely recommend him. Mike is a genuine and personable man who really cares about the schools he helps. He has great experience and knowledge and is always available when you need him. And he continues to stay in touch with us, long after the engagement was completed.”

Pamela Jordan
President
Idyllwild Arts Foundation, CA

Former Head
Chicago Academy for the Arts, IL

“Mike and his research associates did a great job for us, not only by conducting confidential research, but extrapolating from it both strategic and tactical suggestions. While there is strong demand for our program, it is important for all schools to listen carefully to those we serve in order to stay ahead of the curve in a highly competitive educational marketplace. Nearly all of Connor’s recommendations were adopted, from admission tips to curricular suggestions. His final presentation to the Board was highly actionable, pitch perfect, and helped get us all pulling in the same direction for the road ahead.”

Kimberly Zaidberg
Head of School
Seattle Country Day School
Seattle, WA

“After interviewing numerous Connor Associates’ clients, we heard countless success stories and it was clear they would be the best partner to support our framework for success. We're excited to partner with them to build on our values and bring our mission and vision to reality.“

Lynda Sailor
Co-Founder and Business Officer
Aspen Academy
Denver, CO

“Thank you, Mike, for bringing your energy, professionalism, and endless passion for your craft to our Admission Program (April 2017)! The VAIS school leadership valued your expertise - a depth and breadth of experience in the areas of brand communication and enrollment management. You are a leader in the field!”

Kimberly E. Failon
Director of Communications and Professional Development
Virginia Association of Independent Schools, VA

“Mike Connor has excellent independent school experience and understands in a deep and comprehensive way what makes our schools thrive (the critical "levers") and what stands in the way of progress and achieving full potential. That's a shorthand way of describing the great value he and his team bring to the process. We are in our strongest position since we moved into our Red Cedar campus 12 years ago. Working with Mike was a great experience; it enriched and inspired me to lead the school through the next years which were greatly challenged by COVID, as were all schools. We had our highest opening enrollment (326) ever this year, and have 2 candidates in the process now for immediate enrollment. I spent several months last year pushing our bank for a loan modification. We got it – without a refinance process! It’s saving us $95K a year. It was an honor and pleasure to work with you, Mike!”

Randy Hollister
Head of School
Loudoun Country Day School
Leesburg, VA

“You have a wonderful presentation style and the content of your presentation was excellent. You have given our Board Chairs some very useful information to take back to their Board and I thank you for that.”

Bethany Di Napoli
Executive Director
Independent Schools Chairpersons Association

“All of us at ISTP are looking forward to working again with Connor Associates. They were an invaluable resource for us in the past and allowed us to better understand our demographics and market. Their analysis of the results helped us to transform and better position our marketing program and materials.”

Philippe Deitz
Head of School
International School of the Peninsula
Palo Alto, CA

“I want to thank you again for such a wonderful week when you visited to report on your findings! I’ve received so many positive responses regarding your presentation and visit. I also appreciate your encouraging words and your positioning of next steps to hopefully help us keep the momentum going! We are very grateful to you for a productive engagement!”

Miriam Leshnock
Assistant Headmaster of Finance and Operations
St. David's School
Raleigh, NC

“Following our work with Connor Associates, we rewrote our mission statement, core values, and defined our academic program. That work led to the creation of a new strategic plan. Enrollment is at the highest it’s been in six years. Applications are at an all-time high. (2018).”

Josh Stern
Head of School
St. Paul's Episcopal School
Oakland, CA

“I'm so grateful for the expert work you did in this comprehensive study of parents, alumni, our external constituents, and community influencers. Again, thank you! Count me as a big Net Promoter of Connor Associates!”

Trip Darrin
Head of School
Blue Ridge School, VA

“Mike is a marketing and enrollment strategist with a brilliant reputation for making private school marketing easier and effective. He possesses amazing insight, draws from previous classroom experience, is guided by in-depth research, and delivers results. Mike is a true pro in the private school community, with a stellar reputation and years of experience both working at and for schools. He also is a seasoned speaking veteran, having presented around the world on a range of topics.“

Rob and Liza Norman
Founders
InspirED School Marketers
(Resource for School Marketing Professionals), PA

“As we headed into the next phase of Strategic Planning in 2021, Connor Associates was the go-to for us. As was the case six years ago, Connor Associates provided professional, thorough, and thoughtful service. We know exactly where we want to be and have valuable insight on how to get there! We now have confirmation of the right-fit, full-pay potential in our market, are aware of opportunities in our marketing, admission, and price-tiering strategies. We have a better understanding of what visiting families experience compared to our competitors.”

Kelly Monaco
Dean of Admission
’Iolani School
Honolulu, HI

“ I want to write to thank you both for your incredible work on behalf of the NCCS CFOO search. I felt great partnership from you, both listening to me and pushing me at the right times. This was not a straightforward search given the dynamics here and in the marketplace, and yet your recruiting was excellent and you shepherding of the candidates exemplary. I am beyond delighted...”

Aaron Cooper
Head of School
New Canaan Country School
New Canaan, CT

“Your work and report have launched us into some big and important strategic work for Havern. It’s very exciting for the School’s future and your work was the first step for us on this journey. Thank you!”

Molly Buttitta
Head of School
Havern School
Littleton, CO

“Mike Connor, Thom Greenlaw, and the Connor Associates team have been outstanding partners as we embarked on our compensation benchmarking analysis. Thom and the team have gone above and beyond to meet each deadline and deliver strategic research-based and data-driven recommendations. As a result, EBI is poised to make informed decisions that will enable us to retain and recruit top talent in an ever-changing market, while also prioritizing sustainable financial modeling for organizational resilience. Importantly, we have developed a long-lasting partnership that will continue to serve our school in years to come.”

Paola Clark, Ed.D
Directora de la Escuela/Head of School
Escuela Bilingüe Internacional
Oakland, CA

“Connor Associates helped the school complete a strategic marketing plan and a financial review. Ultimately, since our work ended, enrollment has grown, the strategic marketing plan is in place and being utilized, and we just settled on a major bond issue. With the help of Mike Connor, Thom Greenlaw and Emily Griffiths, WFS is moving forward with confidence. I would highly recommend their work and would definitely use them again.”

William Baczkowski
Associate Head for Finance and Operations
Wilmington Friends School
Wilmington, DE

“As a young school following Covid, we needed to focus on our core values, mission, vision, and what our community was telling us in order to chart a path for the future. Mike, Emily, and Thom of Connor and Associates, brought their years of independent school experience, to research and gather data designed to move us forward. They conducted an enrollment feasibility study which helped to fine tune our market, an Image Audit which helped give us a clear picture of how we view ourselves as well as how others view us. They interviewed Stakeholder groups, parents, alums, and board members, as well as conducted an in-depth tuition elasticity and financial assessment. With their support we have been able to move forward with confidence as our enrollment numbers continue to grow.”

Barry Davis
Head of School
St. Anne’s Episcopal School
Middletown, DE

“I've been impressed with the team approach from Connor, and the way that each person seems determined to meet and exceed our expectations. Our meetings have reassured me that we are in good hands, with experts who have deep knowledge and commitment to the independent school community.”

Craig Sellers
Interim Head of School
Idyllwild Arts Academy
Idyllwild-Pine Cove, CA

“We did not approach Connor Associates as a struggling K-8 school. Our marketing campaigns were filling our seats. But we knew we had to look further down the road. Mike and his experts pulled in data sources we might have never accessed on our own. The value was both short- and long-term. The study gave the board a better understanding of where we wanted to focus enrollment efforts to strengthen the diversity of our student body. But it also highlighted specific areas in our market where we might establish campuses to accommodate potential high school students in the future. Precision, good judgment, and actionable recommendations were key. We got that from Mike Connor and his team.

Our Board is finalizing our next strategic plan with confidence!

Mike Silva
Head of School
Foothill Country Day School
Claremont, CA

“You are one of my professional role models. I learned more in one conference with you than a dozen with other presenters, and I carry those lessons with me today.

The Admissions and Enrollment Management presentation that you gave at Cary Academy years ago inspired me to espouse a more resilient and adaptive mindset toward my professional endeavors. I most admire how you humanize metrics to highlight the pivotal, personal interactions that lie just beyond the data.

I cannot emphasize enough my respect for your work, your insight and your visionary business model. ”

Olivia Webb
Director of Communications
North Carolina Association for Public Charter Schools
Asheboro, NC

“Michael and his team at Connor Associates delivered solid and actionable information with the Current-Year Enrollment Feasibility Study and Five-Year Enrollment Forecast. His expertise in various school markets gave my board assurance that we were all fulfilling our fiduciary responsibilities with aggressive vision. In addition, my administrative team has already started acting on the low hanging fruit he recommended to adjust our marketing campaigns.

Now, we are looking forward to the Image Audit results this summer. We want to know how our reputation is perceived with missionally-focused citizens in our area. From those two different studies, I hope to enhance our programs and take our mission even more thoroughly into the homes of San Diego..”

Rod Gilbert
Head of Schools
Santa Fe Christian Schools
Solana Beach, CA