NewsUpper SchoolStudent LifeFaculty/StaffAlumniAdvancementServiceAcademics
Darlington finds a niche, or two and maybe more, to call its own
Aug 1, 2003 8:00 AM
By Stefan Eady - Faculty
Much of a student’s growing up process is about finding something he or she is good at and enjoys doing, i.e., finding a niche, that place or position in life for which the student feels most suited. Darlington instructors, coaches, and residential staff work very hard to help each student stretch and grow towards finding his or her niche at school and in life. Likewise, School administrators have been hard at work in search of the School’s niche among other college preparatory institutions.
Darlington’s latest foray into niche marketing came to fruition this summer with Darlington Summer Camps. By all accounts, this niche has proven to be successful for the School. The 15 camps offered this summer have brought 973 young people to Darlington’s campuses. The admission staff presented information about Darlington’s resident program and gave campus tours to every middle school camper. “Clearly, the success of our summer camps in this inaugural year will be a wonderful springboard for expanding our applicant base,” Casey Zimmer, director of admission, said. “These camps are drawing academically curious and athletically driven students who fit the Darlington profile.”
Camps offered this summer included Adventure Darlington, Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, Golf, Nature, Rockets and Robotics, Softball, Total Football, National Kicking Service, Southern Tennis Academy, No. 1 Soccer, Nike Volleyball, Delightascope, Camp Darlington, and Artistic Expressions. “The results of this inaugural season are beyond my expectations, as great creative and cooperative strides have been made in less than a year's time to get this program off the ground,” Gordon Hight, director of Summer Camps, said. “Darlington has seen eight, fun-filled weeks where the campus has been inundated with young people. I have repeatedly seen a genuine interest in the School take root amongst many of our campers.”
A second niche, Darlington School three-day eventing, is also being marketed with the goal of enrolling at least 10 additional boarding students by January 2004. Kingston Downs, owned by Carl Bouckaert and named earlier this year as the newest of three sites worldwide for four-star Concours Complet Internationale (CCI) competitions, will operate a world-class equestrian program for Darlington School. “Already, with minimal marketing and the three-day eventing school still in a formative stage, we have seen a large influx of inquiries to the Admission Office. It is quite clear that eventers are very interested in this program, and we are hearing feedback from many of them that this program Is unlike anything they have ever seen. The three-day eventing school is an exciting thing to talk about right now in our office,” Zimmer said.
In addition to Darlington’s boarding tuition of $27,500, parents whose children are accepted into the three-day eventing program will pay an additional $25,000 for a team of specialists to train students throughout the school year in all three-day events: dressage, jumping, and cross-country. Students will use facilities at both Kingston Downs and Chatsworth Farm, also owned by Carl Bouckaert. Chatsworth Farm in Murray County, Ga., hosted the 1991 Pan American Equestrian Championships and is the site of the annual Beaulieu Classic three-star CIC.
The concept of niche programs has already proven successful enough to encourage Darlington to look at other programs in which it can specialize.
Darlington’s latest foray into niche marketing came to fruition this summer with Darlington Summer Camps. By all accounts, this niche has proven to be successful for the School. The 15 camps offered this summer have brought 973 young people to Darlington’s campuses. The admission staff presented information about Darlington’s resident program and gave campus tours to every middle school camper. “Clearly, the success of our summer camps in this inaugural year will be a wonderful springboard for expanding our applicant base,” Casey Zimmer, director of admission, said. “These camps are drawing academically curious and athletically driven students who fit the Darlington profile.”
Camps offered this summer included Adventure Darlington, Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, Golf, Nature, Rockets and Robotics, Softball, Total Football, National Kicking Service, Southern Tennis Academy, No. 1 Soccer, Nike Volleyball, Delightascope, Camp Darlington, and Artistic Expressions. “The results of this inaugural season are beyond my expectations, as great creative and cooperative strides have been made in less than a year's time to get this program off the ground,” Gordon Hight, director of Summer Camps, said. “Darlington has seen eight, fun-filled weeks where the campus has been inundated with young people. I have repeatedly seen a genuine interest in the School take root amongst many of our campers.”
A second niche, Darlington School three-day eventing, is also being marketed with the goal of enrolling at least 10 additional boarding students by January 2004. Kingston Downs, owned by Carl Bouckaert and named earlier this year as the newest of three sites worldwide for four-star Concours Complet Internationale (CCI) competitions, will operate a world-class equestrian program for Darlington School. “Already, with minimal marketing and the three-day eventing school still in a formative stage, we have seen a large influx of inquiries to the Admission Office. It is quite clear that eventers are very interested in this program, and we are hearing feedback from many of them that this program Is unlike anything they have ever seen. The three-day eventing school is an exciting thing to talk about right now in our office,” Zimmer said.
In addition to Darlington’s boarding tuition of $27,500, parents whose children are accepted into the three-day eventing program will pay an additional $25,000 for a team of specialists to train students throughout the school year in all three-day events: dressage, jumping, and cross-country. Students will use facilities at both Kingston Downs and Chatsworth Farm, also owned by Carl Bouckaert. Chatsworth Farm in Murray County, Ga., hosted the 1991 Pan American Equestrian Championships and is the site of the annual Beaulieu Classic three-star CIC.
The concept of niche programs has already proven successful enough to encourage Darlington to look at other programs in which it can specialize.
