Admissions Counselor, Undergraduate Admissions

About the role

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions at the University at Buffalo invites applications for Admissions Counselor positions based locally in the Buffalo area with recruitment responsibilities within New York State and out-of-state domestic markets. UB is seeking candidates who are motivated self-starters who can contribute in meaningful ways to the recruitment and enrollment of a diverse undergraduate community at the University at Buffalo. As a member of the admissions team, the Admissions Counselor role helps to plan and implement student recruitment activities that are in line with office-wide strategic goals. They serve as an information and student-centered advisor, interpreting university admission requirements, academic policies and student service procedures for students, parents, and counselors.

Responsibilities

• Recruitment
  • Participate in extensive US recruitment travel within identified regions to represent the university and its programs at events, including high school and college visits, college fairs, community-based organizations, receptions, interviews, information sessions, and group presentations in addition to participating in virtual recruitment initiatives.
  • Manage assigned territories and assist in data analysis to measure effectiveness.
  • Build and cultivate key relationships and partnerships with constituents, such as secondary school communities, community-based organizations, alumni, and professional organizations.
  • Develop a recruitment plan for assigned territories; scheduling and participating in virtual and in-person recruitment activities including but not limited to high school visits, college fairs, and planning/hosting area events.
  • Build and strengthen relationships with high schools, community colleges, community organizations and independent counselors to help increase undergraduate enrollment at UB.
  • Develop new markets to broaden qualified applicant pool.
• Admissions Counseling and Customer Service
  • Serve as a liaison between prospective students and the Office of Admissions.
  • Aid throughout the admissions cycle with incoming and outgoing phone and email communications, text messaging, virtual appointments, and in-person consultations.
  • Contribute to both small and large scale on-campus and off-campus admissions events.
• Evaluation and Decision Making
  • Assist with all phases of application processing, monitoring files for completeness, data entry, and fielding questions from applicants.
  • Review and make admissions decision recommendations regarding freshmen and transfer applications.
  • Become well versed with university admissions requirements for all programs and application and enrollment processes.
• Territory Management
  • Build knowledge of application activity and individual schools in assigned geographic regions.
  • Maintain application data within assigned regions.
  • Report on progress and continually analyze and adjust recruitment efforts as needed throughout the cycle, being cognizant of overall enrollment goals and corresponding data throughout the admissions cycle.
• Reporting
  • Contribute to the development of annual plans and provide accurate data to make informed decisions.
  • Continuously provide and contribute to ROI data and feedback on areas of success and challenges.
  • Continue to update awareness of social media, technology, and admissions systems and its potential uses in the context of assigned projects.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree with 2 years of experience. (Paraprofessional work in admissions can be considered)
• Prior experience handling an array of customer services duties is required.
• Knowledge of college admissions and recruitment practices in higher education.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and presentation skills are necessary.
• Enthusiasm for higher education and college access is crucial.
• Demonstrated experience working with or in diverse populations.
• Ability to work in a team environment and independently.
• Strong work ethic and time management.
• Experience working in virtual environment providing outreach services.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree and prior high school or college advising experience.
• Prior experience executing a high-volume travel schedule.
• Ability in the proper use of a second language, bilingual (Spanish or Mandarin preferred but open to others).
• Experience doing outreach to the youth.