7 Registration Pitfalls Programs Can Fix Before Spring

Registration is your first impression. If it’s clunky, families feel it and staff pay for it all season. The good news: you still have time to tighten things up before spring.

Below are seven pitfalls we see most often—plus quick, practical fixes you can put in place now.

1) One-size-fits-all forms

What goes wrong: Every family answers the same long form, so parents abandon halfway and staff sift through noise to find what matters.

Fix it before spring

  • Build program-specific forms; only ask for what that session needs.

  • Use conditional questions (e.g., show asthma plan fields only if “asthma” = yes).

  • Add required fields only where safety or billing depends on them.

Pro tip: Review last year’s forms. If staff never used a question, cut it.

2) Health data lives in a different silo

What goes wrong: Registration is in one system, health info in another, and staff copy/paste to keep up. Check-in day becomes a hunt for allergy details.

Fix it before spring

  • Decide where the source of truth for health data will live.

  • Set a simple flow: registration → health forms → pre-camp review.

  • If systems don’t integrate, standardize import/export templates and assign one owner for weekly syncs.

Upgrade move: A camp EHR that pulls forms together with rosters and flags meds/allergies reduces first-day chaos.

3) Manual follow-ups (and the endless chase)

What goes wrong: Staff spend hours emailing parents for missing waivers or immunizations. Deadlines slip. Lines grow.

Fix it before spring

  • Turn on automated reminders (email and SMS) with clear due dates.

  • Add a “forms ready” status families can see.

  • Use one final “all clear” message the week before opening day.

Checklist to copy: Reminders at: registration +7 days, 30 days out, 10 days out, 3 days out.

4) Payment friction and unclear policies

What goes wrong: Parents get confused by fees or can’t use the payment options they expect. Finance teams struggle to reconcile.

Fix it before spring

  • Show fees clearly at checkout (and in confirmation emails).

  • Offer common options: deposits, installments, sibling or group registration.

  • Map revenue to GL codes so reconciliation isn’t a detective job.

Quick audit: Click through your own checkout on mobile. If it’s confusing, families will bail.

5) Capacity and waitlists managed by hand

What goes wrong: Over-enrollment, under-filled sessions, or messy manual waitlists that frustrate families.

Fix it before spring

  • Set hard capacities per session and age group.

  • Turn on auto-waitlists with clear rules for holds and payment windows.

  • Publish dates for when waitlists close or roll to the next session.

Bonus: Use real-time dashboards so staff see what’s filling and where you’re light.

6) No contingency plan at check-in

What goes wrong: Wi-Fi hiccups or a platform issue stalls check-in. Staff can’t pull rosters, meds, or emergency contacts.

Fix it before spring

  • Prepare an offline packet: downloadable rosters with allergy/med flags and pickup authorizations.

  • Assign a “med line” lead with eMAR access and a backup paper log—just in case.

  • Practice the flow. A 20-minute drill will save you an hour on day one.

Rule of thumb: Two taps to key info. If it’s more, redesign the view.

7) Security and permissions as an afterthought

What goes wrong: Too many staff see everything, or no one has what they need. Risk goes up, accountability goes down.

Fix it before spring

  • Set role-based permissions (director, program lead, counselor, health staff).

  • Require MFA for staff accounts.

  • Confirm your vendors align with SOC 2, HIPAA, and FERPA.

  • Turn on audit trails for sensitive actions (meds, health logs, refunds).

One-hour task: Review who has admin access and prune it.

A two-week tune-up (steal this plan)

Week 1

  • Day 1–2: Trim and rebuild forms by program; add conditional logic.

  • Day 3: Map your registration → health → check-in flow; assign owners.

  • Day 4: Switch on reminders; load the schedule (30/10/3-day cadence).

  • Day 5: Audit checkout on mobile; fix unclear fees and policies.

Week 2

  • Day 6: Set capacities and auto-waitlists; publish rules.
  • Day 7: Build offline packets; run a 20-minute check-in drill.
  • Day 8: Lock down permissions; require MFA; confirm vendor compliance.
  • Day 9–10: Spot-check everything with two “mystery shopper” registrations.

Put this into action

You don’t need a full rebuild to make a big difference before spring. Small, targeted changes—the kind above—pay off fast in shorter lines, fewer parent emails, and better-prepared staff.