Amelia Baldwin
Role: Admissions Director/Leader at Alpha Schools Met Date: 2025-05-14 (Zoom call about Alpha admissions funnel) Last Interaction: 2025-05-14
Contact Information
- Email: [Update if available]
- Phone: [Update if available]
- Based in: Currently in Colorado, transitioning to Austin by July 1, 2025
Personal Background & Development
- Has children who will be starting at Alpha Schools in Austin in Fall 2025
- Moving from Colorado to Austin during Summer 2025 (plans to be fully moved by July 1)
- Willing to travel to Austin for events before her full relocation
Professional Background
- Works in admissions leadership at Alpha Schools
- Deep knowledge of admissions processes for both established and expansion schools
- Collaborates with Dmitry Bakaev on funnel automation and process improvements
- Focuses on lower funnel processes (after leads are generated)
Current Projects & Plans
- Transitioning to Austin by July 1, 2025
- Implementing admissions automation to improve conversion rates
- Developing a "Find My Match" widget to better qualify leads upfront
- Working on the summer camp program that integrates shadow days for prospective students
- Plans to be in Austin for info sessions during summer camps
Areas of Expertise
- Admissions processes for both established and new "expansion" schools
- Understanding differences between various Alpha School locations
- Converting interested families into enrolled students
- Setting up "roadshows" and shadow days for student evaluation
- Qualifying families to ensure fit with Alpha's philosophy
Notable Connections
- Dmitry Bakaev: Works together on admissions funnel and automation
- Joe Liemandt: Direct communication/reporting relationship
- Rachel Goodlad: Collaborator on expansion schools
- McKinsey: Referenced as handling social media and marketing
- Jason Applebaum: Separate department (marketing) that interfaces with admissions
Interaction Style & Perspectives
- Straightforward and process-oriented
- Clear about what falls within her domain vs. marketing's responsibilities
- Emphasizes the importance of qualifying leads properly
- Values streamlining the process to remove bottlenecks
- Open about challenges in the current system
Recent Interactions
- 2025-05-14: Participated in call with Gary Sheng, Tim Joo, Spencer Chubb and others about the Alpha admissions funnel. Explained the process from lead generation through enrollment, highlighting differences between established and expansion schools.
Potential Collaboration Areas
- Developing streamlined admissions processes for new schools
- Creating events that effectively convert interested parents into applicants
- Setting up shadow day experiences during non-school periods
- Coordinating info sessions and tour opportunities
Notes
Amelia has a clear understanding of the admissions process and has been working to automate and improve it. She distinguishes between the responsibilities of admissions (her domain) and marketing (Jason Applebaum's team). She expressed frustration about marketing-related issues that impact admissions but are outside her control.
She noted that most private school enrollment decisions happen by March/April, making summer a challenging time to recruit new students unless they are families moving to the area or coming from public schools. She's open to collaborating on events if they help generate qualified leads, and has implemented summer camp shadow days as a creative solution for evaluating students during summer months.
Transcripts
| Transcript ID | Date | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-14-alpha-schools-admissions-funnel-discussion | 2025-05-14 | Alpha Schools Admissions Funnel Discussion |