Admissions

Admissions Team: please enter your database wish list here and also the types of reports you would like to generate. Also collect hard copies of the reports you generate now. Click **Edit this Page**, make your entry then click **SAVE** in the upper right.

For the last 10 years Admissions has been using one FileMaker database residing on an in-house server. In addition, I use 2 databases that reside (I guess) in my own folder, perhaps also on my hard drive. One database is for information on referring nursery and elementary schools which I use mainly for mass mailings, letters, labels and invitations. The other database is essentially my "rolodex".

I also create a FileMaker database each year for Karen McDonald to record her evaluations of PK and Kindergarten applicants. I populate it with the applicant children's names and the relevant data by exporting and then importing. I have to email this database to Karen and she inputs testing and observation data for each applicant.

Each summer I create a clone of last year's Admissions db. (Paul has to put a copy of the the previous year's Admission db on my desk top since I don't have that privilege). I revise and edit it for use in the upcoming admission season. That usually means changing the "look" of the main page so there won't be any confusion about which one we're looking at. I may also tweak it to include new layouts or new information on a specific layout. Occasionally, the need for a new field arises and I'll add that on a specific page. It is somewhat inconvenient to have the database reside on a server. I don't have a laptop and it would be helpful to be able to email the data to my home computer to work on there. There are also other aspects of the data (like importing records or portions of records ... see above) that I don't have access to since it's on the server. However, overall it's worth the inconvenience to have the data backed up and secure.

From each of these dbs I generate letters, evaluation forms, lists of all kinds, labels, envelopes, etc. There are about 60 layouts in my main Admission database (I'm sure you don't want copies of each of these), but very few scripts. Nothing very fancy, but the scripts we do run are crucial to many of the reports I generate.

Technical support has not been an issue for Admissions since our database has not really required it over the last 10 years. However, good technical support, that is easy for everyone to access and cost-effective to use is obviously something that should be a consideration in our selection.

 From each of the databases Admissions generates the following reports, etc.:

letters (mail merge is not an issue with FileMaker since it is built in to whatever layout you create) evaluation forms for observing and testing children monthly statistical information to general reports lists of all kinds, both to be printed or just to refer to while on a phone call status reports labels of varying sizes envelopes Create monthly statistical reports

 My dream database would:

• be easy to use ... allow for simple data input • spell check on the fly • allow for multiple users at the same time, but not necessarily remotely • provide great consistency when performing searches and sorting • avoid having to create a unique "query" for every search • allow Admissions to create a new version each year for that Admission season, design their own layouts as needed with out having to use other proprietary software, or go back to the original developer to create what we need. • __Most importantly__ ... There is a script I would like to have, but there never seems to be enough time to design them ... particularly given my limited skills. I'd like to be able to include various salutations, within the same letter, to families with different last names,i.e., Ms. Jane Smith and Mr. Larry White. Right now this seems almost impossible to achieve with the version of FileMaker that we use. Maybe v9 has solved this problem.