How to Conduct a Parent/Student Intake
Tone: Warm, calm, curious, hopeful, nonjudgmental. This is a map, not a script. The big difference from the first parent call is that the student is usually in the room, so your first job is to win the student, not to fill out a form. Cover what matters in your own voice, follow where the conversation goes, and treat the sample language below as spirit, not lines to recite.
Key Takeaways
- This is not just information gathering. It is the first real moment of trust.
- Your first job is to win the student, not to fill out a form.
- Help the student feel hopeful, not judged. Many arrive assuming this is one more adult about to tell them what to do.
- Talk directly to the student whenever you can. Ask about their goals, interests, and what frustrates them.
- Listen for the coach match throughout. Personality, interests, learning style, and what the student needs are the details that help leadership match intentionally.
- Close with a real recommendation tied to what you heard, aimed at the student as much as the parent.
Purpose of the Intake
The intake is not just information gathering. It is the first real moment of trust. The goal is to help the student feel seen, help the parent feel heard, assess fit, and gather the details needed for a strong coach match.
This Is the Most Important Goal of the Intake
Help the student feel hopeful, not judged.
Expect some resistance. Many have already cycled through tutors, planners, reminders, rewards, punishments, therapy, school supports, or parent-run systems, so they may walk in assuming this is one more adult about to tell them what to do.
“We are not here to fix you. We are here to figure out what works for your brain, build systems that make school easier to manage, and help you hit your own goals with more confidence and less stress.”Talk Directly to the Student Whenever You Can
Ask about their goals, interests, what frustrates them, what they are good at, and what they wish adults understood.
If the student is shut down or barely talking, do not push. A few genuine questions about their life outside school usually open the door faster than anything about grades.
Listen for the Coach Match
A strong coach match is one of the most important things Untapped does, and this call is where it starts.
As you talk, listen for the details that help leadership match intentionally instead of just placing the student with whoever is open. Pay attention to:
- Personality: quiet, outgoing, skeptical, anxious, competitive, funny, serious
- Interests: sports, music, gaming, art, the outdoors, academics, tech, social life
- How they learn: visual, verbal, movement-based, structured, flexible, hands-on
- What they need: accountability, confidence, organization, planning, study skills, regulation, self-advocacy
- Coach style that would land: calm, high-energy, direct, encouraging, highly structured, relatable
- Logistics: location, virtual or in-person, Homework Center needs, schedule
The goal is to match this student with someone they will actually trust, listen to, and want to see each week.
Explain Executive Function Coaching, Briefly
The key thing to land for a nervous student or parent is that these skills are learnable, not fixed traits or a character flaw.
Executive function skills are the skills behind the skills: the planning, organizing, starting, and following through that schools expect but rarely teach. Coaching gives the student structured support to build a toolbox of strategies they can eventually use on their own in school, college, work, and life.
What Makes Untapped Different
The core is the REP model:
Relationships
Students make progress when they trust the person helping them. We lead with connection before correction.
Executive Function Skills
We explicitly teach the skills that help students manage school, build independence, and follow through.
Personalization
Every student is different, so we adjust the style, tools, systems, and goals to fit this student.
When it is useful, a few specifics parents tend to value:
- One of the few research-based EF coaching programs, with our own peer-reviewed study behind it
- Coaches are trained in executive function and get ongoing professional development
- Movement and brain breaks are built into sessions
- Homework Center is included, not an add-on, with unlimited access five days a week
- A real balance of confidence-building and accountability, aimed at long-term habits rather than quick fixes
What You Need to Know Before the Call Ends
Before the call ends, make sure you understand the following.
- Student basics: name, grade, school, and current academic situation.
- Parent concerns: what prompted the family to reach out now.
- Student perspective: what the student is struggling with, frustrated by, or hoping will get easier.
- Academic risk: current grades, missing assignments, failed classes, probation risk, or major school concerns.
- Learning profile: diagnoses or learning differences such as ADHD, anxiety, dyslexia, autism, or other relevant challenges.
- What has already been tried: tutoring, therapy, school supports, parent systems, medication, coaching, or other interventions, and what did or did not work.
- Student strengths and interests: personality, hobbies, motivation, goals, and anything that could help with coach matching.
- Level of buy-in or resistance: how open the student seems to support and where the resistance may be coming from.
- Logistics and next steps: schedule availability, location, virtual or in-person preference, Homework Center needs, ideal coach style, and whether the family is ready to schedule the student intake.
Document the relevant pieces in HubSpot afterward, with enough detail for whoever makes the coach match.
What to Avoid
The fastest ways to lose the room:
- Talking only to the parent while the student sits there silent.
- Calling the student lazy, unmotivated, or difficult, or letting that framing go unchallenged.
- Criticizing what the family has already tried or making them feel blamed.
- Diving into program details, coach names, or promises before you understand the student and confirm availability.
- Focusing only on grades while ignoring confidence, stress, family tension, independence, and long-term skill building.
Close With Clarity and Hope
End with a real recommendation tied to what you heard, and aim it at the student as much as the parent.
“Based on what you've shared, I think Untapped could be a strong fit. The next step is matching you with a coach who fits your personality, goals, and the support you need. Early on we focus on some quick wins, then on building systems that actually work for you, and over time on helping you run them more on your own.”The best intake leaves the parent thinking, "They understand my child," and the student thinking, "This might actually help."
What Could Be Captured in HubSpot
Student-Centered Language
These are not scripts. Use them as examples of tone, direction, and language you can adapt in your own voice.
Quick Reference
What this is: The first real moment of trust with the student and parent together.
Most important goal: Help the student feel hopeful, not judged.
How to talk to the student: Directly. Ask about their goals, interests, and what frustrates them. If they are shut down, try questions about life outside school instead of grades.
What to listen for: Personality, interests, learning style, what they need, coach style that would land, and logistics, so leadership can match intentionally.
How to close: A real recommendation tied to what you heard, aimed at the student as much as the parent. Confirm next steps, scheduling, and any worries about starting.
What to leave them feeling: Parent: "They understand my child." Student: "This might actually help."