Carmen Johnson

Carmen Johnson is Director of Admissions, Marketing and Communications at North Broward Preparatory School, bringing over 20 years of experience in enrollment management across higher education and independent schools. Her approach to admissions leadership is grounded in team investment, family experience and a commitment to mission-aligned enrollment.

The Principles that Shape Every Admission Decision

Over two decades of experience in higher education and independent schools has given Carmen Johnson the opportunity to guide families through one of the most personal decisions they will make for their child: choosing the right school. It built in her a conviction to keep the family perspective at the core of the process. Schools that have not kept pace with these generational shifts are where families disengage.

Johnson leads her admissions team on two principles that shape how every family is served. First, invest in people who work directly with the families; not only through compensation but through recognition, autonomy and genuine development. When a team feels connected to the bigger mission, the loyalty that comes with it will carry them through the periods of pressure that admissions work produces. Second, anticipate what families need. Millennial parents shifted toward whole-child expectations years before most schools adjusted their messaging, and the admissions leaders who moved early built a lasting advantage.

Building an Admission Experience Around Every Child

Those principles shaped how Johnson approached enrollment growth directly. When she arrived at North Broward Preparatory School, enrollment was below capacity. She began with data, understanding what was working and where the conversion gaps were before making any changes. The first major factor was the campus visit experience. The team engaged all five senses for every family to make the experience memorable—something they could not get from reading a brochure. This measurably increased the number of families moving from a mere campus visit to application. From there, Johnson mapped every pipeline stage separately, because a family’s needs at inquiry differ from their needs at application, acceptance and enrollment. Data helped identify exactly where families were dropping out and why.

“ The people-first principle only works when you know the work well enough to back it up. ” 

At North Broward Preparatory School, students from over 45 countries make up a community that Johnson and her team refer to as global learners. In order to ensure that the school’s global character is not restricted to those who can afford premium education, this strategy includes a comprehensive review and financial support for students who cannot access the school through conventional means.

The same commitment to intentional design extends to rethinking what already exists to improve it. Johnson questioned whether the high school applicant statement was surfacing the right students or had it become a routine. The team eliminated the statement and replaced it with a different admission experience that yielded significantly more insight into both student and family. This year, the school increased its conversion from applicant to enroll goal, a result Johnson traces directly to that change.

When Experience Outlasts the Decision

Rising tuition has created a challenge beyond affordability. Families with the means to pay for private education are increasingly unwilling to commit without knowing that the school genuinely values their child. Johnson’s response is a campus-wide ideology: unreasonable hospitality. It means anticipating what families need before they ask and designing every touchpoint around to make them feel seen. If a student loves the saxophone, the music teacher reaches out before the visit. The experience is built around that specific child. Parents whose students do not gain a favorable admission decision still leave as promoters, recommending the school based on how the process felt, not how it concluded.

Johnson’s advice to anyone entering admissions leadership is direct. Know your leadership style before you are handed a team, and volunteer for every role under your supervision. At the University of Miami, she made it a point to learn every role—from name purchasing to campus visit design to market strategy. Her team felt valued, and she earned the depth to lead at every level. The people-first principle only works when you know the work well enough to back it up.