Ms. Tracie Mallard is the Director of Admission for Jackson Prep. That means she oversees every aspect of prospective students and families that are interested in Prep. From the first contact to the admission office to the first day of school, she invests herself in every part of the matriculation process. 

Recently I asked Ms. Mallard some questions about how COVID-19 has had an effect on plans for the next school year. With all of the social distancing going on right now, Ms. Mallard has been FaceTiming, participating in conference calls, phone calls, and emails in order to keep in contact with the families that are thinking about enrolling their children in Prep. 

Although COVID-19 has kept students from being able to go to school, it doesn’t seem to be keeping people from wanting to come to Prep,  as Ms. Mallard’s office compiles enrollment numbers for the 2020-2021 school year. 

Ms. Mallard said, “We are very comparable to last year with respect to re-enrollment percentages and I am encouraged by the number of new students we have enrolled.  I feel very optimistic about our numbers!”

The process of admission is made up of three basic steps: Apply, take a tour, and take the test. However, the best “first step” for a family is to call Ms. Mallard and start the admission conversation.

Choosing a school is very much a family decision. While the percentage is low, sometimes families decline an offer of admission to Jackson Prep. According to Ms. Mallard, the hardest part about Ms. Mallard’s job is occasionally  knowing Prep is the right place for a student and still seeing them choose another school and not taking advantage of their potential at Jackson Prep. The easiest and best part about her job is getting to meet all the families and learning about each prospective student. 

Many schools do not offer the opportunities that Prep students are afforded. One of Prep’s taglines is “Discover Your Possibilities”, and Ms. Mallard loves seeing prospective and new students do just that.