Founded in 2008 and located in the small town of Cham in Kanton Zug, Switzerland, the International School of Central Switzerland (ISOCS) is a small international school serving local and international families in the area.

ISOCS is one of a few schools in the area authorised to offer the IB Primary Years Programme. It is also a candidate school for the Middle Years Programme and plans to have its first Diploma Programme class graduate in June 2018.

Why OpenApply

The ISOCS admissions team began looking for an admissions solution when they realised there was a step missing in their admissions process. A high number of local and international families were showing interest in the school, and taking tours, but not following through with an application. The ISOCS team believed that the large amount of paperwork required for an application was deterring families.

ISOCS uses ManageBac for planning and reporting in the PYP and MYP. At a ManageBac information session, OpenApply was introduced to the school’s administration and IT team. The school eventually implemented OpenApply in March 2014, in an effort to make the admissions process more appealing and accessible to local families and ones abroad.

Implementing OpenApply

In March 2014, ISOCS began using OpenApply for all incoming applications. As part of the transition, the team reviewed and re-evaluated their admissions process, and also eliminated several file cabinets filled with paper.

In the summer, the ISOCS admissions team moved all of their student data into OpenApply and created a tab on the school Web site that directed new, interested families to the online portal. All staff involved in this process were trained in its execution and decided how the admissions process would flow — from the initial expression of interest through to enrolment.

ISOCS began its new school year in August 2014 with an information session for the parents of enrolled students. The school gave all parents access to OpenApply so that instead of sending paper forms to the admissions team, parents could update their children’s records on OpenApply. This reduced the risk of mistakes in student information.

Key Benefits of OpenApply, according to ISOCS:

• Ensures accountability for admissions staff by making it easier to monitor pending applications and track correspondence with families from the beginning to the end of the application process, regardless of enrolment
• Provides a clear understanding of current and potential student demographics
• Serves as a central, convenient method of collecting student data