What does an enrollment counselor do?
An enrollment counselor is primarily in charge of recruiting potential students for a college or university. Serving as the students' primary point of contact, their responsibilities involve developing recruitment strategies, conducting student interviews and assessments, gathering and validating applications, arranging appointments and schedules, and facilitating campus tours. They must also answer inquiries, address concerns, and update students on the status of their applications. Furthermore, an enrollment counselor must represent their university or college at recruitment events and college fairs, utilizing the opportunity to promote the institution and reach out to potential students.
Enrollment counselor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real enrollment counselor resumes:
- Utilize Salesforce to manage advertising programs for business owners.
- Handle personnel and other administrative hearings and supervise all litigation arising on the campus.
- Review documents and correspondence for HIPAA compliance.
- Administer all HIPAA rules, regulations and forms.
- Build financial packages base off of the FAFSA, scholarships, and loans.
- Perform all functions within compliance of the above restrictions as well as within FERPA compliance.
- Update inquiry records with applicable information obtain during the qualifying process and following all FERPA guidelines/GCU policies.
- Help the student fill out FAFSA information, military billing , 3rd party billing or cash plans.
- Certify academic eligibility to university and NCAA rules committee.
- Present information sessions using PowerPoint to groups of perspective students.
- Monitor associated reports and industry changes in healthcare & education.
- Develop marketing strategies to increase networking opportunities for undergraduates and alumni.
- Provide PowerPoint presentations of campus programs, curriculum and day-to-day student life.
- Ensure student satisfaction through oversight of the communication process with potential students.
- Tutor undergraduate students on a variety of study skills including time management and test-taking.
Enrollment counselor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 17% of Enrollment Counselors are proficient in Enrollment Process, Outbound Calls, and Inbound Calls. They’re also known for soft skills such as Compassion, Interpersonal skills, and Listening skills.
We break down the percentage of Enrollment Counselors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Enrollment Process, 17%
Advised undergraduate and graduate students regarding admissions and degree requirements * Arranged enrollment process for international students and created specialized graduation plans
- Outbound Calls, 15%
Make outbound calls to prospective students who are interested in Bachelor and Master degree programs in Business and Arts and Sciences.
- Inbound Calls, 11%
Receive inbound calls to improve benefits enrollment and administration efficiency while maximizing communication effectiveness.
- PowerPoint, 9%
Developed an innovative PowerPoint presentation used by the Office of Admissions to market executive support programs to potential students.
- Enrollment Services, 8%
Participated in multiple committees to improve processes between Enrollment Services and other departments within the University through cross departmental collaboration.
- Admissions Process, 5%
Provided customer service, information and administrative support to prospective students regarding university degree programs, admissions process and transcript evaluations.
Common skills that an enrollment counselor uses to do their job include "enrollment process," "outbound calls," and "inbound calls." You can find details on the most important enrollment counselor responsibilities below.
Compassion. The most essential soft skill for an enrollment counselor to carry out their responsibilities is compassion. This skill is important for the role because "school and career counselors and advisors often work with people who are dealing with stressful and difficult situations, so they must be able to empathize with their clients and students." Additionally, an enrollment counselor resume shows how their duties depend on compassion: "provide at-risk youth with therapeutic and compassionate services. "
Interpersonal skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling enrollment counselor duties is interpersonal skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "school and career counselors and advisors must be able to work with people of all backgrounds and personalities." According to an enrollment counselor resume, here's how enrollment counselors can utilize interpersonal skills in their job responsibilities: "exercised strong interpersonal communication skills with customers and department personnel while developing superior customer service. "
Listening skills. enrollment counselors are also known for listening skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to enrollment counselor responsibilities, because "school and career counselors and advisors need to give full attention to students and clients in order to understand their problems." An enrollment counselor resume example shows how listening skills is used in the workplace: "resolved unsatisfactory student issues by effectively communicating and calmly listening to issues of importance. "
Speaking skills. For certain enrollment counselor responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "speaking skills." The day-to-day duties of an enrollment counselor rely on this skill, as "school and career counselors and advisors must communicate effectively with clients and students." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what enrollment counselors do: "addressed potential barriers in the enrollment process and initiated steps resulting in resolution. "
Analytical skills. A commonly-found skill in enrollment counselor job descriptions, "analytical skills" is essential to what enrollment counselors do. Enrollment counselor responsibilities rely on this skill because "school and career counselors and advisors interpret student records, schoolwide data, and assessments to match interests and abilities with potential careers. ." You can also see how enrollment counselor duties rely on analytical skills in this resume example: "analyze student's motivation and educational background to provide students best options in obtaining a degree or certificate program. "
The three companies that hire the most enrollment counselors are:
- Pearson99 enrollment counselors jobs
- Molina Healthcare4 enrollment counselors jobs
- Laramie County Community College3 enrollment counselors jobs
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Compare different enrollment counselors
Enrollment counselor vs. Admissions advisor
The admissions advisor's work involves meeting with potential students and organizing recruitment events in the admissions offices of colleges and universities. Their tasks also include informing students and families about the application process, requirements for admission, financial aid, and enrollment steps. Moreover, they can answer frequently asked questions about the school to help potential students decide whether it is a good fit. In addition, they may also leave campus to help in promoting the school at college and university fairs.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, enrollment counselor responsibilities require skills like "good judgment," "enrollment services," "financial options," and "health insurance." Meanwhile a typical admissions advisor has skills in areas such as "customer service," "professional work," "criminal justice," and "culinary." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Admissions advisors really shine in the education industry with an average salary of $52,662. Comparatively, enrollment counselors tend to make the most money in the non profits industry with an average salary of $41,353.admissions advisors tend to reach similar levels of education than enrollment counselors. In fact, admissions advisors are 1.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Enrollment counselor vs. Career services advisor
The job of a career services advisor is to work with groups and individuals in determining skills and strengthen recruitment potential. Career services advisors maintain web and print resources for employers and students. They administer the career evaluations of individuals, and teach them about resume writing and interviewing for jobs. They make a resolution for issues associated with employment. Their job involves developing and managing parent volunteer groups implementing an assessment process for feedback from students and speakers.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real enrollment counselor resumes. While enrollment counselor responsibilities can utilize skills like "enrollment process," "outbound calls," "inbound calls," and "good judgment," career services advisors use skills like "career services," "alumni," "customer service," and "data entry."
On average, career services advisors earn a higher salary than enrollment counselors. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, career services advisors earn the most pay in the education industry with an average salary of $47,666. Whereas enrollment counselors have higher pay in the non profits industry, with an average salary of $41,353.career services advisors earn similar levels of education than enrollment counselors in general. They're 1.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for enrollment 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
Enrollment counselor vs. Career advisor
A career advisor inspects the clients' career uncertainties, concerns, and aspirations and guides them through the adjacent test completion, personality, and aptitude test completion. They review the clients' educational undertaking and personal undertakings and how their manifestation can affect their job choices. Besides proposing career options congruent with the clients' substantiated insights, career advisors also inform clients about their potential skill set shortcomings and devise strategies to correct these shortcomings. Moreover, career advisors advise clients on the right way to compile and present their resumes.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an enrollment counselor is likely to be skilled in "enrollment process," "good judgment," "enrollment services," and "admissions process," while a typical career advisor is skilled in "customer service," "career development," "social work," and "career services."
Career advisors earn the best pay in the government industry, where they command an average salary of $43,122. Enrollment counselors earn the highest pay from the non profits industry, with an average salary of $41,353.Most career advisors achieve a similar degree level compared to enrollment counselors. For example, they're 2.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Enrollment counselor vs. Admissions counselor
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.
Types of enrollment counselor
Updated January 8, 2025
