Five Consecutive Years! InAmerica Live from Enroll26: Decoding New Admissions Rules in the AI Era

InAmerica Attends Enroll26 (formerly EMA Conference) as a Diamond Sponsor

Engaging in global dialogue on U.S. private boarding and day school admissions policies and future trends!

From September 23 to 26, Enroll26—the annual flagship gathering for U.S. independent school admissions officers—convened in vibrant, sunny San Diego, California.

Invited for the fifth consecutive year as a key participant, InAmerica Education stepped onto the global stage as a Diamond Sponsor. Alongside admissions directors and educational leaders from more than 1,400 top-tier U.S. high schools and independent private schools worldwide, our team gathered to explore new horizons and strategic breakthroughs in K-12 admissions.

What Is Enroll26?

The Enrollment Management Association (EMA), known for developing the SSAT, is one of the largest private school associations in the United States. Meanwhile, ERB (Educational Records Bureau) has long specialized in independent school academic assessment as the organization behind the ISEE.

This year, the two organizations merged into a new entity: E3n (Enroll, Educate, Excel). Under this unified framework, services related to both ISEE and SSAT are consolidated within one ecosystem. However, the two exams remain distinct with no changes to test content, and the annual conference proceeded as planned under its rebranded title: Enroll26.

This year’s summit focused on innovation and transformation across the enrollment ecosystem: how AI is reshaping admissions, how schools evaluate institutional fit, and where future application trends are heading.

Each year, the conference brings together admissions deans and international education experts from hundreds of leading private independent schools and top universities worldwide. Through hundreds of specialized lectures, workshops, and industry report releases, educational leaders discuss core issues ranging from admissions policy adjustments and financial aid strategies to AI-driven educational evaluations and holistic admissions criteria.

Enroll26 serves not only as a comprehensive recap of global admissions over the past year, but also as a definitive bellwether forecasting admissions policies and selection preferences for top-tier institutions over the next 1 to 3 years.

(Image Source: EMA Official Website)

Deep Strategic Connections: Delivering Family Voices directly to Admissions Offices

At Enroll26, InAmerica brought our signature corporate culture and core values directly to the frontlines of U.S. private school admissions offices. As Founder Lilly Yu shared during her conference address, our goal is to guide applicant families in gaining a deep understanding of each school’s culture, core values, and signature programs, ensuring every student finds their ideal institutional fit. InAmerica firmly believes that the application journey holds greater intrinsic value than the acceptance letter itself, as the process allows students to discover an environment where they can truly belong and thrive.

Unlike undergraduate admissions, U.S. K-12 admissions rely heavily on mutual trust and in-depth communication. By engaging in face-to-face dialogues with admissions offices, InAmerica captures first-hand insights into evolving admissions policies, interview preferences, and exclusive recruitment tips. These strong, collaborative partnerships lay a solid foundation for our students' success in reaching their dream schools.

Onsite, the InAmerica K-12 team conducted in-depth, face-to-face exchanges with admissions officers from dozens of top-tier U.S. boarding and day schools, including:

• Phillips Exeter Academy

• The Lawrenceville School

• 'Iolani School

• St. Mark's School

• Episcopal High School

• The Ethel Walker School

• Mercersburg Academy

• The Frederick Gunn School

• Princeton Day School

• Indian Mountain School

• Pomfret School

Key Conference Takeaways: Admissions Rules in the AI Era

Influenced by macroeconomic cycles, information gaps, and evolving institutional goals, the mindsets of international applicant families continue to shift. InAmerica adapts dynamically to these trends, sharing deeper, more precise, and highly actionable insights grounded in frontline admissions realities.

The impact of AI on K-12 admissions emerged as one of the summit’s central topics. Preliminary data indicates that nearly half of applicant families have utilized AI tools during their application process—ranging from school research and interview preparation to test prep. Admissions offices themselves are also leveraging AI to boost operational efficiency, primarily in market analysis and brand optimization. However, schools unanimously emphasized that while AI is an efficient tool, it cannot replace human connection, authentic expression, or holistic judgment.

Addressing this key theme, Nicolas Edwards (Director of K-12 Admissions Consulting at InAmerica) and Echo (Senior Advisor) took the stage to share insights into strategic responses to AI-driven transformations in U.S. private school admissions. They analyzed how schools identify "authenticity" within application materials to select high-caliber students who align with the school's mission and will make long-term, positive contributions to the campus community.

Admissions officers continue to view academic consistency, standardized test scores, course rigor, extracurricular engagement, letters of recommendation, and personal character traits as key indicators for predicting academic success. Furthermore, interpersonal and social skills play a crucial role in a student’s overall performance.

They also reiterated that the admissions process—including the interview—is designed to uncover a student’s untapped potential. Nicolas reminded families that asking thoughtful, well-researched questions during interviews helps demonstrate deeper intellectual capacity and a genuine eagerness to learn.

InAmerica at Enroll26: Looking Ahead

InAmerica’s mascot, Dr. Frog, was as popular as ever at Enroll26! Symbolizing Prosperity, Growth, and Positivity, Dr. Frog shared our long-standing values with conference guests from around the world.

From last year’s theme of "Embracing Change" to this year’s deep dive into AI empowerment, tuition affordability, equitable strategies, and retention management, the landscape of independent school admissions is undergoing unprecedented evolution.

As a dedicated advisory team that has empowered over 2,000 families worldwide to achieve their dreams at top private schools, InAmerica remains at the forefront of the industry. We know that every time we advocate on behalf of our families on the international stage, and every time we build a trusted bond with top admissions offices, we convert those connections into invaluable competitive advantages for our students during application season.