For most colleges, especially those with strict qualification guidelines, an admissions counselor is a crucial figure. This person will be responsible for recruiting students and communicating with referral sources, so he must possess strong interpersonal and interviewing skills. Because he will speak with different people and groups, travel to different areas, and work different shifts to get work done, the admissions counselor must also be able to adapt to change. The counselor will most likely need organizational skills to keep everything in order. If the college has stringent admissions requirements, the counselor must be able to spot talent, skill, and, in some cases, intangibles that the college is looking for in prospective students.
Speaking with people is one of an admissions counselor’s primary responsibilities. He must speak with people to learn about specific events or students; he must speak with students to determine their qualifications, recruit them, and gain an understanding of their character; and he must speak with parents to persuade them that the college is the right fit for their child. This emphasizes the importance of the counselor’s interpersonal and interviewing skills. He must be good with people, or else this will be a difficult career for him.
A career as an admissions counselor is rife with change, and anyone interested in this field should be comfortable with it. Depending on the recruiting season, the counselor may be required to work long hours, night and weekend shifts, or a combination of shifts in order to complete the work. Each person with whom the counselor communicates will be unique, and he must adjust accordingly in order to communicate effectively. It’s also important for him to travel to different areas to attend college fairs or other events where he can find students to recruit.
Because of the travel and schedule changes, it’s easy to get lost or forget something. Organizational skills are essential. To ensure that everything gets done, an admissions counselor should be able to organize workloads, dates, and events. Reports on recruiting activity will be required by the college, so the counselor must be organized enough to prepare and deliver reports on time.
While some colleges have general acceptance guidelines, such as requiring students to be in a certain grade range, others have specific acceptance guidelines that students may find difficult to meet. If there are specific guidelines, the admissions counselor should be able to identify both a person’s specific qualifications and any intangibles that might distinguish that student from a crowd of students who meet the same basic qualifications. Looking through records, speaking with referral sources, and speaking with students and teachers are all ways to find out. If the counselor is unable to accomplish this, good recruits may be passed over or students who do not fit the college’s mold may be recruited.