From time to time, districts reassess their enrollment technology and explore newer platforms on the market, such as Avela.
That kind of evaluation is healthy. And expected.
What’s telling, though, is what happens next: many districts that try alternative enrollment systems ultimately return to SchoolMint Enroll, the leading K-12 enrollment system for 12+ years.
The most common reasons? They encounter limitations around:
- Unable to handle complexity
- Poor scalability
- Poor SIS Integrations
- Long-term reliability
- Over-promised customer support
If you’re currently comparing enrollment solutions, here are the reasons why, in the past year, we’ve experienced an influx of districts returning to SchoolMint Enroll.
1. Built for District Complexity
Enrollment isn’t new to us; it’s been our entire business since the beginning. SchoolMint has spent more than a decade building and refining the leading student enrollment management software.
We know what schools and districts need in a high-functioning system, and that’s why SchoolMint Enroll easily handles:
- Choice and magnet programs
- Common/universal online application processes (aka MultApply)
- All enrollment workflows: Pre-K, ECE, CTE, before/after care, etc. (basically, if you have a process that requires an application or registration, SchoolMint Enroll can be configured to accommodate it)
- Inter/intra-district transfers and permits
- Complex lotteries (regardless of type: score-based, tiered, etc.), automated waitlist management, multi-round placements, etc.
Our experience allows us to solve problems before they reach your families or staff. This maturity is a major reason why districts who try newer platforms eventually return.
2. District-Grade SIS Integrations (Including the ONLY Official PowerSchool SIS Partnership)
This is one of the biggest enrollment software differentiators for districts. SchoolMint Enroll is:
- The only enrollment platform with an official API partnership with PowerSchool SIS
- Deeply integrated with Aeries
- Fully aligned with Qmlativ
- Designed to support district-scale data flows, not just single-school syncs
Districts cite the following when they return:
- More accurate data sync
- Fewer mismatched or missing records
- Reliable student information updates
- Real technical guidance on complex configurations
Enrollment data is the backbone of state reporting, staffing plans, budgeting, and school operations. You need a system that treats SIS alignment as mission-critical, not optional.
3. Complete Admin Control
SchoolMint Enroll gives districts ownership and visibility over every step of the enrollment process. That includes:
- Merging duplicate applications
- Submitting applications on behalf of families
- Editing lottery placements and waitlists
- Auto-accept tools
- View of offers + waitlists in the same dashboard
- Full history of placements
- Flexible permission settings for different staff roles
- Customizable cutoffs, logic, and rules directly in the UI
Our philosophy is simple: districts should be empowered to manage their own system, not be stopped by it.
4. A Multilingual, Mobile-First Family Experience
Districts choose SchoolMint Enroll because it offers families a seamless experience from any device, any time. Features include:
- Fully mobile-first design (in fact, families don’t even need an email to apply, accept/decline lottery offers, or register/re-enroll; all they need is a phone number)
- Multilingual navigation (17 built-in fully translated languages as well as Google Translate integration for all others)
- Clean, intuitive workflows
- Saved progress that doesn’t require re-submitting pages
- Real-time status tracking
- Easy document upload via mobile
SchoolMint has processed millions of applications across every community type, from highly connected urban environments to mobile-only rural regions. The platform is built around real families, not idealized scenarios.
5. Real-Time Dashboards and Insights
SchoolMint Enroll provides:
- Live dashboards for applications, offers, and acceptances
- Equity and access reporting
- Real-time demand trends
- Filters for subgroups, schools, and programs
- Tools to identify drop-off points
- Data to forecast enrollment and staffing needs
6. Support That Understands District Reality
Our support teams are specialists in K-12 enrollment, not generalist SaaS staff. Districts rely on:
- Dedicated CSMs
- Enrollment operations expertise
- Guidance on process simplification and best practices
- Seasoned implementation managers
- A fully staffed support team during peak seasons
- Quick, knowledgeable troubleshooting
- Strategic recommendations, not just reactive fixes
Many districts who try alternatives tell us they realized quickly, “We didn’t just need software. We needed a partner.” And that’s exactly what SchoolMint provides.
The Bottom Line
Some vendors position themselves as “modern alternatives” to SchoolMint. But districts who actually experience both systems tell a consistent story:
- They want strong SIS integrations
- They want more control
- They want more mature functionality
- They want better support
- They want a platform that’s fully built and battle-tested
- They want an enrollment partner who understands district complexity
That’s why they come back to SchoolMint. And that’s why SchoolMint Enroll continues to be the most trusted enrollment system for districts and large charter networks nationwide.
If you’re exploring enrollment solutions, don’t settle for what’s “new.” Choose what’s proven: SchoolMint Enroll.
See the system in action for yourself in this brief self-guided tour!
