Looking back at this past year, we in SMUS Admissions can liken our efforts to running a four-ring circus — a well-timed and successful show on the outside, with backstage being more strategic, involving heavy planning. I took the liberty of adding an extra ring because between our Junior School, Middle School, Senior School and boarding admissions efforts, we have seen more applications to SMUS than ever before. Most notably, this year will mark the first time SMUS has reached peak enrolment well before the summer months. As a department that has a (healthy) obsession with closely monitoring statistics, we can attribute this strong demand to several factors, including family referrals, improved technological change, and of course, the excellent work consistently performed by our faculty and staff throughout the school year.
There is also strong evidence that the appeal of SMUS was bolstered by how well we juggled the ever-changing demands and constraints imposed by the pandemic. It would not be hyperbolic to say we were one of the few boarding schools able to keep the show on the road throughout the many lockdowns and closures experienced by schools in other provinces and countries.
One of the additional tightrope acts Admissions had to walk this year involved balancing the unprecedented high demand for space while conforming to one of the key tenets of Floreat, the school’s 10-year strategic plan. Through Floreat, SMUS Admissions was tasked with containing enrolment to ensure the quality of education and school experience that has allowed SMUS to retain its reputation as a leading international day and boarding school.
That we are a leader in international education circles is not a boastful statement. This year, we are celebrating our 10th anniversary working in partnership with the Takatuf Scholars Programme, sponsored by the Sultanate of Oman. SMUS is one of only a handful of boarding schools in the world, and the only CAIS school, selected by the Takatuf Scholars Programme. This highly selective and far-sighted initiative is designed to prepare Oman’s youth for personal and academic success with the goal of developing future leaders for Oman. The SMUS community can be very proud of this partnership as we have seen our Omani students accepted to some of the world’s leading post-secondary programs — including Computer Science at Stanford University, notable for its single-digit-percentage acceptances each year. More importantly, however, it reinforces that we are a thriving urban-based community of diverse cultures with high expectations, varied opportunities, and a mission that recognizes that the most important thing we can do for our students is support them to build strong character skills and a sense of identity that will serve them well into adulthood.
Looking to September, we cannot wait to see our new SMUS community members come together before we launch ourselves into the next recruitment year. When one thinks of a circus, they may think of chaos or disorder; however, if you really think about it, nothing could be further from the truth. Just like a circus with many moving parts, SMUS’s admissions process is choreographed, controlled, and orderly. Our advice to families exploring SMUS for next year is to contact us as soon as possible and apply early!
