Case Study: Woodward Academy boosts authentic, diverse admissions engagement with Graduway's PeerPal

Word-of-Mouth, Authenticity, and Diversity in Admissions Using PeerPal

Woodward Academy is a large independent PK–12 college-preparatory school in the Atlanta area (2 campuses, ~2,525 students, 56% students of color) that prides itself on a diverse, small-school atmosphere. Their admissions challenge was to give prospective families authentic, peer-to-peer access to current parents—especially millennials who value authenticity—while managing volume, sensitive questions, and ensuring the ambassadors reflected the school’s diversity.

Woodward implemented PeerPal from Graduway, carefully curating volunteer parent ambassadors (about 10 highlighted) and embedding the widget across admissions pages, then using ambassador summaries and platform analytics to guide follow-up. The result: streamlined, authentic conversations that showcased DEI in practice, improved lead quality and follow-up efficiency, and greater trust and word-of-mouth referrals without compromising ambassador authenticity.

Woodward Academy

Nija Majmudar Meyer

Vice President for Enrollment Management