What does an Admissions Counselor do?
An admissions counselor is the primary point of contact between a university or college and their potential students. One of their primary responsibilities is to represent the school during various events for recruitment purposes, discuss the admission procedures to the students and their families through calls or appointments, and facilitate university tours and orientation among prospective students. Furthermore, they must gather applicants' requirements, verify their authenticity, and determine if they are qualified for the institution. They may also decide student admissions, all while adhering to the college's policies and guidelines.
Admissions counselor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real admissions counselor resumes:
- Manage applicant and student files electronically within CampusVue software.
- Verify insurance HMO, Medicare or Medicaid.
- Assist in PV's marketing efforts by reaching out to alumni and community.
- Evaluate transcripts, convert quarterly hours to semester hours as necessary, and calculate the GPA.
- Receive and execute hundreds of phone calls and e-mails daily from students and parents inquiring about CSU.
- Give campus tours to prospective students and families; make phone calls to incoming students for CSU events and admissions follow-up.
- Plan, prepare and execute PowerPoint presentations.
- Create relationships with various multicultural groups on campus.
- Counsele students with GPA deficiencies and monitor academic progress.
- Streamline communication strategies by collaborating with marketing departments and utilizing CRM tools.
- Create and maintain temporary prospective-student files and permanent enrolled-student files in CRM.
- Conduct numerous and ongoing PowerPoint presentations and information sessions to promote enrollment.
- Maintain awareness of new departments in field alumni conferences and professional development classes.
- Promote BGSU to prospective multicultural students facilitating panel discussions, and interpersonal communication.
- Accept students into the university, award scholarships, prepare unofficial transfer evaluations and financial aid award letters.
Admissions counselor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 14% of Admissions Counselors are proficient in Customer Service, Patients, and Social Work. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Listening skills, and Speaking skills.
We break down the percentage of Admissions Counselors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 14%
Generated personal referrals by securing new inquiries from current students, through continuous customer service in alignment with multiple instructional departments.
- Patients, 13%
Maintain personal professional development plan to ensure continuous quality improvement Provide support to patients and families throughout the admission process.
- Social Work, 8%
Orchestrated admissions to facility with physicians, nurses, social workers and discharge planners per RCF state regulations.
- Admissions Process, 6%
Contacted prospective students and walked them through the admissions process with encouragement and organized and properly filed student information into database.
- Phone Calls, 4%
Managed an average of 100 phone calls including appropriate internal documentation to identify patterns and trends demonstrated by prospective students.
- Financial Aid, 4%
Worked collaboratively with related departments to ensure that successful student enrollment, registration, and financial aid processes were completed.
Most admissions counselors use their skills in "customer service," "patients," and "social work" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential admissions counselor responsibilities here:
Analytical skills. One of the key soft skills for an admissions counselor to have is analytical skills. You can see how this relates to what admissions counselors do because "school and career counselors and advisors interpret student records, schoolwide data, and assessments to match interests and abilities with potential careers. ." Additionally, an admissions counselor resume shows how admissions counselors use analytical skills: "completed and exceeded daily data entry quotas of 75+ admissions applications, utilizing banner data management system. "
Listening skills. Another essential skill to perform admissions counselor duties is listening skills. Admissions counselors responsibilities require that "school and career counselors and advisors need to give full attention to students and clients in order to understand their problems." Admissions counselors also use listening skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "communicated with and advised prospective students throughout the application and enrollment processes. "
Speaking skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of admissions counselors is speaking skills. This skill is critical to many everyday admissions counselor duties, as "school and career counselors and advisors must communicate effectively with clients and students." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "presented and ran undergraduate admissions events for more than 2,000 people. "
Interpersonal skills. admissions counselor responsibilities often require "interpersonal skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "school and career counselors and advisors must be able to work with people of all backgrounds and personalities." This resume example shows what admissions counselors do with interpersonal skills on a typical day: "enhanced customer service and interpersonal skills. "
The three companies that hire the most admissions counselors are:
- Acadia Healthcare22 admissions counselors jobs
- Grand Canyon University22 admissions counselors jobs
- Universal Health Services12 admissions counselors jobs
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Compare different admissions counselors
Admissions counselor vs. Student recruiter
A student recruiter is in charge of developing strategies to recruit potential students for graduate or undergraduate programs at colleges and universities. Although the extent of their duties depends on their institution of employment, it typically includes developing promotional materials such as PowerPoint presentations and brochures, participating in college fairs and similar gatherings to represent the institution and reach out to students, handing out contact information, answering inquiries, and communicating with high schools. Moreover, a student recruiter may facilitate campus tours and assist students in filling up forms and other procedures.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between admissions counselors and student recruiter. For instance, admissions counselor responsibilities require skills such as "customer service," "patients," "social work," and "recruitment territory." Whereas a student recruiter is skilled in "alumni," "brand awareness," "public speaking," and "local schools." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Student recruiters earn the highest salaries when working in the education industry, with an average yearly salary of $40,389. On the other hand, admissions counselors are paid more in the professional industry with an average salary of $41,517.The education levels that student recruiters earn slightly differ from admissions counselors. In particular, student recruiters are 3.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an admissions counselor. Additionally, they're 1.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Admissions counselor vs. Elementary school counselor
An elementary school counselor is primarily in charge of providing support and counseling to students as they navigate through their academic, social, and personal lives. Their responsibilities typically revolve around developing and executing programs for students' welfare, conducting student evaluations and interviews, mediating on various issues, and assisting students in preparing and processing scholarship applications. Furthermore, there are instances when an elementary school counselor must refer students and parents to social services and conduct interventions when necessary. Should there be any signs of abuse or neglect, It is essential to report to the authorities right away.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that admissions counselor responsibilities requires skills like "customer service," "patients," "admissions process," and "phone calls." But an elementary school counselor might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "professional development," "crisis intervention," "math," and "community resources."
In general, elementary school counselors achieve higher levels of education than admissions counselors. They're 10.5% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Admissions Counselors in the next 3-5 years?
Lesley Casarez Ph.D.
Director, Quality Enhancement Plan Program Coordinator, M.S. Professional School Counseling Associate Professor, Curriculum and Instruction, Angelo State University
Admissions counselor vs. Student support counselor
A student support counselor is responsible for identifying the students' strengths and challenges through one-on-one counseling and establishing solutions to help them overcome difficulties and achieve their educational goals and aspirations. Student support counselors assist the faculty in determining appropriate programs and activities to develop the students' capabilities, especially as a way of preparing them with their career objectives. They also coordinate with the students' families for extended guidance and support for their growth and development.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from admissions counselor resumes include skills like "customer service," "patients," "social work," and "admissions process," whereas a student support counselor is more likely to list skills in "student support," "mental health," "crisis intervention," and "professional development. "
Student support counselors earn the best pay in the education industry, where they command an average salary of $44,149. Admissions counselors earn the highest pay from the professional industry, with an average salary of $41,517.When it comes to education, student support counselors tend to earn similar degree levels compared to admissions counselors. In fact, they're 0.8% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Admissions counselor vs. Career counselor
A career counselor specializes in assisting clients in their career-related decisions. Utilizing their expertise in career development, they typically meet with clients to discuss their short-term and long-term goals, identify their needs and concerns, conduct different aptitude tests and examinations, organize skills assessment procedures, and provide strategies to improve or enhance their skills and abilities. Aside from providing consultations, a career counselor may also assist clients in processing and establishing their resumes, supporting them every step of the way.
Types of admissions counselor
Updated January 8, 2025
