An interview with Peter Gilbert, Salisbury School Director of Admissions and Financial Aid

School: Salisbury School
Location: Salisbury, CT
Type of School: Boys’ Boarding and Day School
Grades: 9 -12
Started Using the SAO: 2013-2014
Exclusive User: 2014-2015

Challenge 

Before we switched exclusively to the SAO, our office was fielding numerous calls from applicants still using our paper application. We also were challenged by the lack of standardization across the applications we received and by the time our staff had to spend manually entering the information from these applications into our database (increasing the possibility for error). 

What benefits did the SAO deliver for families and for the Salisbury admission team?

A simplified process with less anxiety for families 

Families like that they can go online to their account and immediately see which parts of the application have been submitted and which are outstanding without calling the office. We often hear from families that the SAO is easy to use, the application can’t get “lost,” and collecting recommendations is less burdensome. 

An easier, more efficient process

We pride ourselves on running a lean and efficient office that embraces new technologies. The SAO allows us to spend more time evaluating applications without being consumed by the minutiae of the application process. And thanks to the SAO’s API, the data integrates seamlessly with our database. 

Reclaiming time

We’ve gained back significant hours in our weeks. Now, we can go right to our Member Access Portal (MAP) and see exactly what’s coming in, what’s finished, and what’s still outstanding. We can check our numbers and download instantly. We can read applications remotely or at the same time as our colleagues. Most importantly, the SAO has given us more time to spend connecting with students and families.

Increasing volume

This is our second year using the SAO, and our first year using it exclusively. As of January, we were up 70% in applications. We believe that it should not be easy to get into Salisbury, but it should be easy to apply.