Does anyone work in college admissions?

[rooster222]

A local liberal arts college is hiring for admissions counselor. I applied once before and did not get an interview. I currently work as a reading teacher at the elementary level, so I don't have specific higher ed experience.

I'm interested for a few reasons...
*Would like to explore careers outside of elem ed/better salary.
*I could get a graduate degree for free.
*My spouse & children could get free tuition.
*I truly like this school a lot, I attended a different liberal arts school that may be viewed as a competitor but this school is much nicer.

I have two questions...

Do you like working in higher ed? (I've heard some bad things.). What do I need to know about this kind of position?

How can I make my resume/cover letter stand out?

I typically interview pretty well but I need to get a chance at that.

Thanks for any advice!

*I've also applied at another institution for student access (office of disability) but no luck there either. Most of those positions want a masters though which I do not yet have.

[W.T.Faulkner]

I’m adjacent — I work with a lot of admissions reps, but I’m on the high school side. Many of the admissions counselors I’ve known from various colleges have left for jobs at the high school level. For them, the hours (lots of college fairs, weekend events, evenings) and the travel (driving all around to regional visits, etc.) were major drawbacks. A friend of mine who used to be an admissions counselor always says you’ll either do it for two to four (years) or forever.

I think it’s a great job if you like doing different things all the time, are very extroverted, believe in the school, and care deeply for the students you’re trying to recruit. When writing your cover letter, I would focus on what you like about the school and the relationships you’ve built with kids and families as a teacher, as well as any events you’ve planned.

[jennistarr1]

I do Disability work in higher ed...feel free to pm me.

[georgeglass]

Do they hire readers in their busy season? That may be a way for you to get some relevant experience and get your foot in the door.

[plutosmoon]

I work in higher ed in an admission adjacent department(fin aid, admissions is co-located and we are the same overall division)and enjoy it. I have been in higher ed for over 20 years, so I have a lot of flexibility at my higher level, that those in counselor positions don't always get. It can be hard to move up since offices can be small and higher level people tend to stay until they retire (our entry level jobs turn over a lot). Our benefits are very good, our tuition benefits are top notch and transferable. I had my master's degree mostly paid for as a result of working in higher ed.

Admissions counselor positions almost always go to recent alums at my employer, getting a position as a non alum is possible but rare. They flat out ask how you can represent an institution you didn't attend. Honestly, if a lot of alums apply it'll be pretty hard to stand out. When I got my current job, I had 10 years in fin aid (with the specific systems and formulas the college used) and was still second choice to an alum with zero experience.

At the college I work at the counselors travel a lot and can have pretty long hours during the busy recruiting and application reading seasons. There are weekend and evenings hours and the pay isn't great, when I was at the counselor level I worked more and made about the same as my exh did working as a elementary school teacher. I agree with PP, Reading admission application during the busy season is a great way to get your name noticed.

[sent]

Sept 22, 2024 5:42:15 GMT -5 georgeglass said:

Do they hire readers in their busy season? That may be a way for you to get some relevant experience and get your foot in the door.

I hope someone else knows the answer to this. I searched for this job last year on Indeed and saw barely any listings for it. Pre-COVID, there would be lots and lots of job listings for readers. 

[chickadee77]

I worked closely with admissions (in Registrar and advising capacities). Seems like admissions counselors have a high turnover due to lots of travel and weird hours - but if you're okay with that, I would play that up. Also emphasizing that you understand the HS side of it (that's where you are now, yes?) and could help students ease that transition by working with them early.

I realize every institution is different, but at the two where I've worked for 20+ years, those two things would be huge selling points.

I don't know your age, but a lot of times they want young people in those counselor jobs (not fair or legal, but they want people with whom they feel the kids can relate), so selling yourself on knowledge base and perhaps being able to help non-traditional students and/or help ease parental communication might also be effective.

Good luck!

[sarahsays]

I work in academic affairs now but I did work in enrollment management and oversaw the hiring of our admissions counselors. As someone else mentioned, we almost always hired alums. I actually can't think of a single time we hired someone who wasn't. These roles also do tend to trend to the younger side as the travel is extensive and the pay is not the best. That's not to say its impossible for you to get hired into admissions, but I'd probably try to focus on another area of the college.

I love working in higher ed for a lot of a reasons you listed but it can be a tough field to break into. I would try to network. Being recommended by someone who is already on the inside can go a long way when it comes to getting an interview.