We get it. Your school already has a beautiful admissions packet. It’s been through ten rounds of board edits, includes every detail, and has a lovely serif font on the cover. So you post it on your website as a PDF and call it a day.

But here’s the problem: Most prospective parents won’t read it.

In fact, many won’t even open it.

If your most important enrollment information is locked in a downloadable file, you’re unintentionally adding friction to your admissions funnel. And in 2025, friction = lost families.

Why PDFs Are a Problem for Parents

• They don’t load well on mobile. Most families visit your site on their phones, and PDFs aren’t mobile-friendly. And that matters, because as of February 2025, over 63% of web traffic is on a mobile device.
• They require an extra step. Clicking, downloading, pinching to zoom—it all adds cognitive load.
• They’re not searchable or scannable. Parents can’t skim for what matters. They have to commit to reading.
• They feel like work. And no parent browsing at 9:30 PM after putting kids to bed wants more work.

The result? Your well-written content gets skipped, and your admissions team gets fewer inquiries than it should.

Put It on the Page Instead

We’re not saying to throw out your packet. But the key elements—your admissions steps, tuition info, FAQs, and scheduling links—should live as real content on your website.

HTML pages load faster, rank better in search, and are far easier to navigate—especially on mobile. They also make your site feel more open, accessible, and parent-friendly. From an ADA perspective, they’re the better choice too. If a visitor struggles with small text or visual processing, burying critical information inside a hard-to-read PDF can feel like a wall, not a welcome.

For a full guide to how your website should be structured for enrollment, see this post.

Still Want to Include the PDF?

No problem. Just don’t make it the only option. Instead:

• Convert the core content into a landing page
• Use the PDF as a supplemental download for parents who want to go deeper
• Include your call to action—like scheduling a tour or requesting more info—on the landing page itself. If you still offer the PDF, make sure it’s secondary, not the main path forward.

We cover how to present tuition and value clearly on your website in this post, which pairs perfectly with your admissions packet.

Need Help Turning Your Packet Into a Page?

If your PDF is packed with great content but hidden from the people who need it, we’ll help you transform it into a high-converting admissions landing page—fast.

Request a free quote and let’s make your admissions content actually work for you.