Tallulah Falls School's Open House for Prospective Students, held on Monday, January 18 was an unqualified success. Turnout was fantastic, with a full house of students and families in attendance. Parents and students alike came away from the session with valuable information about what Tallulah Falls School is all about, where the school is heading in the future, and how their child could potentially be part of that future.
"Our greatest advantage in admissions is providing prospective families the opportunity to visit the campus. Once they come to Tallulah Falls School, our people, our programs, and our facilities sell themselves," said Kelly Woodall, Dean of Enrollment Management for Tallulah Falls School.
Parents and prospective students exploring a private independent school education have different agendas. "Generally, parents are looking for strong academics, quality instruction, and a nurturing, safe environment," Woodall said.
"Prospective students, especially the middle school and high school students we serve, want most of all to feel accepted by their peers, and they want to be challenged in their academic classes," Woodall added. The Open House is designed to give parents and prospective students a taste of what they will experience as a student at Tallulah Falls School.
After greetings and a tour of the classroom building, prospective students are matched with current Tallulah Falls School students for class shadowing, giving them a chance to attend classes and get to experience first-hand what being a Tallulah Falls School student is like. Small classes, personal attention, and cutting edge technology make the learning experience very individualized. School uniforms level the playing field across socioeconomic strata and contribute to the unity of the group and a sense of belonging.
"I really like the size of the classes and the interaction with the teachers," one visiting young lady said. "It will be much easier to get the help I need with only 12 to 15 students in a class," she added.
While prospective students shadow classes, their parents meet with school administrators for an information session. "Small classes, highly qualified and dedicated teachers, a well balanced college preparatory curriculum, and our commitment to innovation make Tallulah Falls School a leader in independent school education in the Southeast," said Larry Peevy, President of Tallulah Falls School.
Other school administrators discuss the separate middle school and high school programs, the boarding program, extracurricular activities and trips, and college counseling and testing. "Our goal is to produce intelligent, caring, and well-rounded students who will succeed in the finest colleges and universities in the nation," Peevy added.
After shadowing and the information session, parents and prospective students rejoin for campus tours. "The facilities are first class. We absolutely loved the student center and dining hall," said one parent. Other stops on the tour include the dormitories, the theater, music classrooms, and the gymnasium.
"We will break ground on our new expanded Academic Complex this summer," Peevy said. When completed, the new facility will house additional classrooms and will facilitate planned enrollment growth. "Because of increased demand, we will begin limiting our enrollment for next year," Peevy added.
After completing their campus tours, prospective families return to Federation Hall for lunch. "I really enjoyed the food and the dining hall," one visiting boy said. "It was more like eating at home than in a school cafeteria," he added.
As Open House comes to a close, prospective family members, with both their heads and stomachs full, load the shuttle buses to return to their vehicles. "Mom, this is really a neat place," one young girl said as she clutched her parting gift, a Tallulah Falls School t-shirt, and climbed on the shuttle bus.
"It was just a great, great day," Woodall said.
Another Admissions Open House is scheduled for President’s Day on Monday, February 15th. "We already have a number of families committed to the February Open House. We encourage interested families to contact us as soon as possible as space is limited for next year’s classes at all levels," Woodall said.
The question is often asked "When should I apply for admission?" Since space for new students for next year is limited, Woodall encourages families to apply now. "While we are growing our student body next year, that growth is grade specific, and some grades are filling up quickly," Woodall said.
For additional information about Tallulah Falls School, visit www.tallulahfalls.org or call 706-754-0400.
