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What does a college admissions counselor do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
Quoted expert
Lesley Casarez Ph.D.
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College admissions counselor responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real college admissions counselor resumes:

  • Manage Facebook updates to market events, brand FLC and create a virtual community for students.
  • Counsele students on their secondary study plans, including extra-curricular activities, in addition to their personal essays for college applications.
  • Provide prospective and enroll students with educational plans and career approach to ensure a successful college experience.

College admissions counselor skills and personality traits

We calculated that 29% of College Admissions Counselors are proficient in CRM, Recruitment Strategies, and Recruitment Events. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Interpersonal skills, and Listening skills.

We break down the percentage of College Admissions Counselors that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • CRM, 29%

    Streamlined communication strategies by collaborating with marketing departments and utilizing CRM tools.

  • Recruitment Strategies, 26%

    Developed recruitment strategies, social media plans, advised work study students and led special research topics.

  • Recruitment Events, 10%

    Provided directions and other information to visitors during Admission recruitment events.

  • Academic Programs, 10%

    Provided one-on-one consulting service to Chinese college and graduate school applicants applying to diverse academic programs (e.g.

  • Admission Decisions, 8%

    Review admission applications, evaluates credentials, and makes admission decisions.

  • Admission Applications, 6%

    Reviewed admission applications, evaluates credentials, and makes admission decisions.

Most college admissions counselors use their skills in "crm," "recruitment strategies," and "recruitment events" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential college admissions counselor responsibilities here:

Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for a college admissions counselor to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "school and career counselors and advisors interpret student records, schoolwide data, and assessments to match interests and abilities with potential careers. ." Additionally, a college admissions counselor resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "gathered admissions data and devised customized application strategies. "

Interpersonal skills. Another essential skill to perform college admissions counselor duties is interpersonal skills. College admissions counselors responsibilities require that "school and career counselors and advisors must be able to work with people of all backgrounds and personalities." College admissions counselors also use interpersonal skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "enhanced customer service and interpersonal skills. "

Listening skills. This is an important skill for college admissions counselors to perform their duties. For an example of how college admissions counselor responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "school and career counselors and advisors need to give full attention to students and clients in order to understand their problems." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a college admissions counselor: "listened to team members' phone calls and provided coaching on how to improve performance and other areas of opportunity. ".

Speaking skills. A big part of what college admissions counselors do relies on "speaking skills." You can see how essential it is to college admissions counselor responsibilities because "school and career counselors and advisors must communicate effectively with clients and students." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical college admissions counselor tasks: "gained strong public speaking skills by conducting college interviews, counseling, hosting admissions receptions organized and implemented minority student recruitment strategies"

Most common college admissions counselor skills

The three companies that hire the most college admissions counselors are:

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College Admissions Counselor Resume
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College Admissions Counselor Resume
College Admissions Counselor Resume
College Admissions Counselor Resume
College Admissions Counselor Resume
College Admissions Counselor Resume
College Admissions Counselor Resume
College Admissions Counselor Resume
College Admissions Counselor Resume
College Admissions Counselor Resume
College Admissions Counselor Resume
College Admissions Counselor Resume

Compare different college admissions counselors

College admissions counselor vs. Job coach

A job coach is responsible for evaluating people's skills and qualifications, advising them with career paths, helping with their aspirations, and promote employment opportunities. Job coaches help the clients build self-confidence and explore their maximum potentials to develop their professional growth. They provide counseling, understanding the clients' strengths and weaknesses, analyzing clients' personal goals, and guiding clients through job interviews and assessments. A job coach must have excellent communication, listening, and analytical skills to handle their clients' challenges and match their interests for the best career suited for them.

The annual salary of job coaches is $3,888 lower than the average salary of college admissions counselors.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between college admissions counselors and job coach. For instance, college admissions counselor responsibilities require skills such as "analyze data," "crm," "recruitment strategies," and "recruitment events." Whereas a job coach is skilled in "developmental disabilities," "cpr," "rehabilitation," and "customer service." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Job coaches earn the highest salaries when working in the education industry, with an average yearly salary of $38,362. On the other hand, college admissions counselors are paid more in the education industry with an average salary of $41,770.The education levels that job coaches earn slightly differ from college admissions counselors. In particular, job coaches are 11.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a college admissions counselor. Additionally, they're 1.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

College admissions counselor vs. Education internship

An education intern is responsible for assisting class activities, teaching students with various learning methodologies under a head instructor's supervision. Education interns create comprehensive lesson plans subject for the teacher's review and develop engaging activities and learning materials to create an active learning environment to monitor the students' personal and social development. They assist the students with their needs, such as identifying their areas of improvement, planning strategies to address those difficulties, and strictly adhering to the school policies.

Education internship positions earn lower pay than college admissions counselor roles. They earn a $6,680 lower salary than college admissions counselors per year.A few skills overlap for college admissions counselors and education interns. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "professional development," "facebook," and "promotional materials. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, college admissions counselor responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "analyze data," "crm," "recruitment strategies," and "recruitment events." Meanwhile, an education internship has duties that require skills in areas such as "education programs," "classroom management," "curriculum development," and "community outreach." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Education interns may earn a lower salary than college admissions counselors, but education interns earn the most pay in the government industry with an average salary of $43,410. On the other hand, college admissions counselors receive higher pay in the education industry, where they earn an average salary of $41,770.In general, education interns achieve lower levels of education than college admissions counselors. They're 8.0% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for college admissions counselors in the next 3-5 years?

Lesley Casarez Ph.D.Lesley Casarez Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Director, Quality Enhancement Plan Program Coordinator, M.S. Professional School Counseling Associate Professor, Curriculum and Instruction, Angelo State University

Graduates will need to learn to use technology in which virtual platforms are taking place and web conferencing platforms. Numerous platforms are being used, so the particular platform itself is not as crucial as being well-versed in how virtual education differs from face-to-face environments. Typically, the instructional role in online learning is more of a facilitator, as the educator guides the students to think critically, integrate, and apply new knowledge. This may be difficult for educators who would rather stand in front of a classroom and pass on their knowledge through lecture-based formats. Additionally, being well-versed in various web conferencing platforms will benefit graduates, as they move into a career that is currently requiring communication in virtual environments.

College admissions counselor vs. Peer mentor

A peer mentor is an individual who builds a relationship with another person or mentee who is new to the career or at the same level. Peer mentors must serve as a social role model and educate mentees on various resources and services. They coordinate and facilitate social programs and training and discuss any mentee concerns with the top management. Peer mentors are also required to maintain confidentiality with any shared information between mentors and mentees.

On average, peer mentors earn lower salaries than college admissions counselors, with a $12,844 difference per year.By looking over several college admissions counselors and peer mentors resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "financial aid," "professional development," and "academic support." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, college admissions counselors are more likely to have skills like "analyze data," "crm," "recruitment strategies," and "recruitment events." But a peer mentor is more likely to have skills like "mental health," "role model," "mathematics," and "gpa."

Peer mentors make a very good living in the non profits industry with an average annual salary of $30,162. On the other hand, college admissions counselors are paid the highest salary in the education industry, with average annual pay of $41,770.Most peer mentors achieve a lower degree level compared to college admissions counselors. For example, they're 14.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

College admissions counselor vs. Academic adviser

An academic adviser is responsible for managing the students' educational goals and future career aspirations by encouraging them to join scholastic activities, conducting one-on-one discussions to identify their challenges and areas of improvement, and developing educational plans to address possible difficulties. Academic advisers also monitor the students' interests and abilities for a career setting, track the students' progress, and create engaging activities to observe the students' personal and social behavior. An academic adviser must have excellent communication skills and extensive knowledge of teaching principles and disciplines to handle different personalities.

Academic advisers average a higher salary than the annual salary of college admissions counselors. The difference is about $5,469 per year.According to resumes from college admissions counselors and academic advisers, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "academic programs," "financial aid," and "professional development. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between college admissions counselors and academic advisers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a college admissions counselor might have more use for skills like "analyze data," "crm," "recruitment strategies," and "recruitment events." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of academic advisers require skills like "customer service," "student services," "support services," and "excellent interpersonal. "

In general, academic advisers earn the most working in the government industry, with an average salary of $52,873. The highest-paying industry for a college admissions counselor is the education industry.In general, academic advisers hold higher degree levels compared to college admissions counselors. Academic advisers are 6.0% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.6% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of college admissions counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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