Running admissions: from application to enrolled student

New students reach your school through the student application — a family applies on your website, you approve, and the student can enroll. TeachHero creates a default application for every school, and the application page is always live — there's no switch to turn it on. So this guide is mostly about tailoring it to your process and keeping the pipeline moving.

Approved applicants don't count toward your active student total until they actually enroll, so there's no cost to keeping admissions open year-round.

Step 1: Decide — review every application, or auto-approve?

Open Enrollment → Applications → Application settings, and find the Approval Process section.

Review on (the default) — every application waits for you to approve or deny it. Choose this if you vet families or have limited seats.
Review off — applications are approved the instant they're submitted, and the family can start enrolling right away. Choose this if the "application" is really just intake paperwork.

Either way, write the acceptance (and optional denial) email here so families hear back without you lifting a finger.

Step 2: Ask for the right information

On the same settings page, working top to bottom:

Add Application Instructions (optional) — deadlines, what to have ready, who to contact.
Tick the parent and student fields you need (date of birth, address, photo, and so on). Keep it minimal; every extra required field slows families down.
Under Step 3: Additional Forms, attach forms for anything else — health details, references, agreements. Turn on Required once per family for forms one parent should only fill in once, no matter how many children apply.

Deep dive: Customizing the Student Application

Step 3: Charge an application fee (or don't)

To charge one, click Add application fee in the Application Submission section, pick a fee type and amount (minimum $1), and choose the accepted payment methods. The fee is paid online before the application can be submitted — no chasing. Connect Stripe first.

To keep applications free, simply don't add a fee — families get a plain Submit application button.

Deep dive: Application Fees

Step 4: Make the application easy to find

Families apply at yourschool.teachhero.com/portal/application. Add that link to your website's navigation (see Portal Navigation) and to your admissions emails. Parents sign in passwordlessly with an emailed code, and progress saves automatically after each step, so they can finish later.

Step 5: Review and decide

Turn on the New Applicants notification (Settings → Personal profile → Notifications) so applications never sit unnoticed.
Work the New pill on Enrollment → Applications: open an application to see the family's answers, attached forms, and fee receipt.
Click Approve or Deny — tweak the email in the confirmation modal if needed.

Approving creates the student and parent contacts with the right roles, and the family can begin enrollment immediately.

Deep dive: Reviewing Applicants

Step 6: From approved to enrolled

Approved families continue on your website: they register for a term and pick classes — collecting your registration fee, tuition, and enrollment forms along the way (see Enrollment Process). If a family stalls, you can enroll the student directly from the Admin panel.