Template: OpenApply Applicant Communication Planner
A printable PDF planning document that maps every communication your school sends to applicant families across the admissions pipeline - ensuring nothing gets missed and ownership is clear before the season opens.
Families expect timely, accurate communication throughout the admissions process. When schools operate without a documented communication plan, emails go out late, templates contain outdated information, and different staff send inconsistent messages to the same family. The Applicant Communication Planner gives your admissions team a single reference document that maps every touchpoint from initial enquiry through to enrolment.
It is designed to be completed before the admissions season opens and reviewed annually - not written once and forgotten.
From the OpenApply team: The most common cause of family complaints during admissions season is not a system issue - it is a communication gap. Either a message was not sent, it was sent too late, or it contained incorrect information. This planner is designed to eliminate all three.
What the Planner Covers
The PDF is structured in three parts:
- Part 1 - Pipeline Communication Map - a table covering 19 communication touchpoints across every stage from enquiry to declined or withdrawn, with columns for timing, channel, and owner notes. Add or remove rows to match your school's pipeline.
- Part 2 - Pre-Season Review Checklist - 10 items to confirm before the season opens, covering automated template accuracy, mobile formatting, reply-to addresses, and sign-off by the Admissions Director.
- Part 3 - Communication Ownership Register - records who owns each type of communication, when the plan was last reviewed, and when the next review is due.
How to Use This Template
- Complete Part 1 as a team - bring the Admissions Director and anyone who manages OpenApply together for one session to map every communication; this surfaces gaps and inconsistencies faster than reviewing individually
- Use the planner as a pre-season checklist - work through Part 2 four to six weeks before the season opens and confirm every automated email template is accurate before applications start arriving
- Update after every season - note any communications that were added, changed, or removed during the season and update the planner before filing it
- Share with all admissions staff - everyone handling applicant queries should know which communications go out at each stage and who owns them
Download the Template
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OpenApply Applicant Communication Planner PDF - review annually before admissions season |
Download PDF |
In Summary
- Complete Part 1 as a team before the season opens - mapping every touchpoint surfaces gaps that individual review misses.
- Use Part 2 as your pre-season sign-off checklist four to six weeks before applications open.
- Update the planner after every season and file it as a record of how communications were managed.
The OpenApply Support Team can assist with automated email template setup and trigger configuration.