The Contract Season Guide

Derek Nichols · November 2022

As we approach another Contract Season, things are about to get busy. To assist with navigating this hectic time, here's our three-part guide to having a successful Contract Season.With November now here, many schools will be entering “Contract Season” if they haven't yet already done so. Regardless, this is typically a very busy time for the Admissions staff, with a lot of moving parts and important elements to remember. As such, we developed a three-part guide last year to help support those in Admissions.

Ultimately, the goal of this Contract Season series was essentially to highlight some important elements as well as offer tips and tricks. Better yet, each section was released with details pertinent to when schools would likely need them for that phase of contracts. With the season again approaching for many schools, there's no better time than now for re-releasing this all-in-one recap in case you missed any of the parts. Good luck!

Part 1 – Setup and Preparation
Originally released back in November 2021, the first part of our Contract Season series focused on the setup, data verification, and things to keep in mind. This phase is critical to avoiding headaches later, so ensuring that not only your data is ready to go, but your system is set up correctly can save tons of effort and time.

This blog covers all the things to watch out for, specific data points to verify, and even covers what to do with integrated contracts. Take a look at the full post here.

Part 2 – Communication
In January 2022, we turned our focus to communication and how to effectively get what you need from families. This covers topics like making sure to set clear deadlines, setting expectations, and other “gotchas” that may crop up.

In addition, part 2 also covered additional data fields that should be prioritized for validation like School Programs, which have a higher likelihood of changing after initial setup. The post also features a ton of additional resources to check out, so make sure to have a look.

Part 3 – Getting Support
Look, we understand that you can’t plan for everything. Even through best efforts and preparation, you may run into trouble. So, for Part 3, we looked at the most common errors and issues that can come up during Contract Season and how to fix them.

Obviously, not everything is solvable through a blog, and that’s where our support team comes in. While the team is always standing by to assist, there are some things you can do before calling in that will not only be a massive help but may solve your issue quicker. This blog puts together a list of information to gather before calling in, such as when the issue started, who or what is it impacting, and more. Check out the final part right here.

We hope this information came in handy for you this season. Best of luck, thanks for reading, and we’ll see you next week!

The Contract Season Guide

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