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Counselor vs admissions counselor

The differences between counselors and admissions counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an admissions counselor has an average salary of $39,298, which is higher than the $36,225 average annual salary of a counselor.

The top three skills for a counselor include patients, crisis intervention and substance abuse. The most important skills for an admissions counselor are customer service, patients, and social work.

Counselor vs admissions counselor overview

CounselorAdmissions Counselor
Yearly salary$36,225$39,298
Hourly rate$17.42$18.89
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs77,53643,413
Job satisfaction2-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age4442
Years of experience--

What does a counselor do?

Often, counselors are known to be the go-to person in times we are in need of emotional and psychological support. They help people to manage and overcome the issues which affect their mental health and well-being. Counselors face different kind of situations which may involve trauma, addiction, disabilities, abuse, suicide, anger management, career, and even personal relationships. They provide care, counseling, rehabilitation, and support services. Every counseling requires collaborative effort both from the counselor and client to become effective.

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.

Counselor vs admissions counselor salary

Counselors and admissions counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

CounselorAdmissions Counselor
Average salary$36,225$39,298
Salary rangeBetween $19,000 And $67,000Between $30,000 And $50,000
Highest paying City-San Rafael, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNew Hampshire
Best paying company-School of Visual Concepts
Best paying industryEducationProfessional

Differences between counselor and admissions counselor education

There are a few differences between a counselor and an admissions counselor in terms of educational background:

CounselorAdmissions Counselor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common majorPsychologyBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Counselor vs admissions counselor demographics

Here are the differences between counselors' and admissions counselors' demographics:

CounselorAdmissions Counselor
Average age4442
Gender ratioMale, 38.5% Female, 61.5%Male, 38.6% Female, 61.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 15.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 3.5% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 3.7% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage9%11%

Differences between counselor and admissions counselor duties and responsibilities

Counselor example responsibilities.

  • Maintain a safe program through ongoing CPI training.
  • Utilize de-escalation skills (CPI) when necessary.
  • Instill confidence, improve all components of writing and reading, and study strategies.
  • Arrange ESL tutoring and perform as liaison between students, parents, and school administrators.
  • Advise students into their major field of study, and assisting them with choosing the correct curriculum.
  • Operate a full service litigation office that evolve from general litigation to criminal litigation to federal criminal trials.
  • Show more

Admissions counselor example responsibilities.

  • 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.
  • Show more

Counselor vs admissions counselor skills

Common counselor skills
  • Patients, 13%
  • Crisis Intervention, 12%
  • Substance Abuse, 12%
  • Social Work, 10%
  • Community Resources, 4%
  • CPR, 4%
Common admissions counselor skills
  • Customer Service, 14%
  • Patients, 13%
  • Social Work, 8%
  • Admissions Process, 6%
  • Phone Calls, 4%
  • Financial Aid, 4%

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