How a small shop re-invented the enrollment process by focusing on experience design and relationship building in a mid-size K-8 school (approx 335 enrollment) with a diverse community of learners. As we navigated admissions during the pandemic, we examined our enrollment experience to think about how our prospective families would “feel Montcrest” through the process. Our school had done significant Professional Development around a relationship-based approach to education (The Third Path, Dr. David Tranter). We used this idea as our “why” to elevate our enrollment process and enable the development of impactful relationships with prospective parents and students from inquiry to enrolled (and beyond)! We will explore, with clear examples and tangible take-away ideas, how to shift the process so each touchpoint furthers the relationship. This results in deeply connected families and students, impacting engagement once enrolled. We will examine the following aspects of our enrollment experience and share how we transformed to a relationship-based approach for each: Inquiry Admissions Events Ambassadors Assessments Communicating Admissions Decisions Onboarding After Enrollment Attendees will come away with clear examples of ways to elevate relationships in their enrollment experience for families and students.