How to hire an assistant director of admissions

How to hire an assistant director of admissions, step by step

Here's a step-by-step assistant director of admissions hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an assistant director of admissions job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new assistant director of admissions
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an assistant director of admissions do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The assistant director of admissions hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect assistant director of admissions also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of assistant directors of admissions and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Assistant Director Of Admissions	Description	Hourly rate
   Assistant Director Of Admissions	Postsecondary education administrators oversee student services, academics, and faculty research at colleges and universities. Their job duties vary depending on the area of the college they manage, such as admissions, student life, or the office of the registrar.	$18-32
   Dean	A dean is responsible for overseeing the educational operations of the assigned department, enforcing school policies, and monitoring the students' progress by coordinating with the teachers and setting up procedures to improve teaching methods. Deans administer educational training and programs for the students, as well as extra-curricular activities to develop the students' social behavior, maximize their potentials, and increase their self-confidence... Show more	$23-72
   Co-Chair	A co-chair is responsible for supporting the duties and responsibilities under the supervision of a chair. Co-chairs help with the implementation of effective plans and programs that would benefit the organization... Show more	$10-167

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • CRM
   • Admissions Process
   • Financial Aid
   • Student Recruitment
   • Excellent Interpersonal
   • Enrollment Management
   • Recruitment Efforts
   • Open Houses
   • Recruitment Strategies
   • Student Services
   • Conduct Interviews
   • Recruitment Events
   • Educational Programs

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage, effectively track and recruit potential student groups with the use of a client relationship management (CRM) tool.
   • Lead implementation and training on CRM and inquire database system for a team of 30 admissions and support staff in 2015.
   • Collaborate with insurance providers, including Medicare and Medicaid, to facilitate accurate and timely disbursement of payment funds.
   • Provide information to resident and family members on financial assistance, Medicare, Medicaid and third party reimbursements as necessary.
   • Coordinate the PSAT administration to the high school students.
   • Recruit and cultivate current students and alumni as program ambassadors.

   More assistant director of admissions duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the assistant director of admissions job description is a good way to get more applicants. An assistant director of admissions salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an assistant director of admissions in New Mexico may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level assistant director of admissions. Additionally, an assistant director of admissions with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average assistant director of admissions salary

   $52,146yearly

   $25.07 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level assistant director of admissions salary

   $39,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 30, 2026

   Average assistant director of admissions salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$61,491	$30
   2	Massachusetts	$59,168	$28
   3	Ohio	$55,831	$27
   4	New York	$54,890	$26
   5	Colorado	$54,532	$26
   6	Florida	$54,154	$26
   7	Illinois	$53,959	$26
   8	North Carolina	$53,755	$26
   9	Idaho	$53,341	$26
   10	District of Columbia	$52,998	$25
   11	Pennsylvania	$52,373	$25
   12	Maryland	$51,701	$25
   13	Minnesota	$51,676	$25
   14	Connecticut	$51,280	$25
   15	Virginia	$50,725	$24
   16	Indiana	$49,522	$24
   17	Washington	$49,394	$24
   18	Arizona	$49,166	$24
   19	Tennessee	$48,432	$23
   20	Utah	$47,206	$23

   Average assistant director of admissions salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	California College of the Arts	$68,133	$32.76
   2	Otis College of Art and Design	$68,058	$32.72
   3	Central State University	$67,314	$32.36	1
   4	Utica College	$66,606	$32.02
   5	UMass Lowell	$65,478	$31.48	3
   6	Viterbo University	$65,007	$31.25	2
   7	University of Massachusetts Boston	$64,515	$31.02
   8	Kimball Union Academy	$64,097	$30.82
   9	Alfred University	$63,752	$30.65
   10	Endicott College	$63,284	$30.43
   11	Dublin School	$63,264	$30.42
   12	University of Illinois Springfield	$63,100	$30.34	1
   13	New Jersey Institute of Technology	$63,043	$30.31	1
   14	Middlebury College	$62,826	$30.20	3
   15	The Bear Creek School	$62,768	$30.18
   16	Claremont Graduate University	$62,526	$30.06
   17	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	$61,620	$29.63
   18	Colorado Christian University	$60,930	$29.29
   19	Russell Sage College	$60,671	$29.17
   20	PSEA	$60,650	$29.16	4

4. Writing an assistant director of admissions job description

   An assistant director of admissions job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an assistant director of admissions job description:

   Assistant director of admissions job description example

   Work type: Full Time
   School/Department: Columbia Business School Grade: Grade 11 Categories: Stdnt Affairs/Educational Admn Job Type: Officer of Administration Bargaining Unit: Regular/Temporary: Regular End Date if Temporary: Hours Per Week: 35 Salary Range: Commensurate with experience Position Summary
   
   Reporting to the Associate Director, the Assistant Director, Recruitment, assists the MBA admissions program and supports other administrator staff in the planning, development, and implementation of recruitment initiatives, focusing on enrolling a high-quality, diverse student body that enhances the reputation of Columbia Business School.
   
   Responsibilities
   Coordinates recruitment and yield initiatives and events across all degree and special programs using Technolutions Slate templates, communications, forms, events, queries, etc., and supports Slate system and its office use more broadly. Serves as a member of the Admission Committee. Evaluates and recommends applicants. Duties may include reading and evaluating applications and conducting interviews. Organizes recruitment details for on-campus visits and events, and virtual events, as well as off-campus domestic and international events. Executes duties as assigned by travel invitations projects subcommittee (TIPS) for event planning. Promotes and markets the degree programs. Gains a thorough understanding of our MBA and EMBA programs in addition to all special programs at the School. Coordinates and delivers on and off-campus presentations, hosts receptions, and participates in other general recruitment activities as determined by their supervisor. Plans and executes recruitment events for diverse populations including, but not limited to, under-represented minorities, LGBTQ, female, and military prospective students.Supports the back-end processing of Consortium applications. Cultivates and maintains relationships with current students, alumni, faculty, and administrators and solicits their participation in various events. Performs other relevant duties as needed and assigned.
   Minimum Qualifications
   
   Bachelor's degree and/or equivalent experience required. A minimum of 2-4 years related experience required.
   
   Excellent presentation, interpersonal, written and oral communication and computer skills required (proficiency with MS Office Suite). Ability to travel (domestic and international) and work evenings and weekends required. Candidate must possess strong skills in diplomacy, tact, and discretion.The ability to work independently in a dynamic environment with changing priorities and multiple responsibilities is an asset.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran
   
   Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.
   
   Applications open: Sep 09 2022Eastern Daylight Time
   Applications close:

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find assistant directors of admissions for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your assistant director of admissions job on Zippia to find and attract quality assistant director of admissions candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit assistant directors of admissions, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new assistant director of admissions

   Once you've decided on a perfect assistant director of admissions candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new assistant director of admissions first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an assistant director of admissions?