External Admissions Reader (4511U) Office of Undergraduate Admissions #87387

About the role

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of California, Berkeley is seeking an External Admissions Reader to independently review first-year undergraduate applications. This position requires a comprehensive understanding of educational processes and a high level of integrity and professionalism.

Responsibilities

• Performs holistic evaluation of all available applicant information for domestic first year undergraduate applications.
• Evaluates information encompassing academic, socioeconomic, geographic, ability/disability, talent, extraordinary circumstances, school and family context, and personal achievement factors.
• Uses holistic review to make comprehensive recommendations on each applicant.
• Affirmatively assesses applicants for motivation, initiative, leadership potential, work/life experience, extracurricular involvement, socioeconomic status, ability/disability and educational/personal hardship.
• Attends and participates in all training and norming sessions.
• Contributes to group discussions on sample applications.
• Provides feedback on the overall training/norming process.
• Mets specified weekly and cycle numerical reads completed goal.
• Uses professional judgment to review complex applications for admission recommendations to the University.
• Reviews mixed record applicants, applicants to special programs, homeschool applicants, and non-traditional first-year domestic applicants.
• Acquires and maintains knowledge of systems used for the reading process, including Slate, Google Suite, Zoom, Slack, and Canvas.
• Assesses each applicant's overall record and experience for final admission recommendation.

Required Qualifications

• Working knowledge of academic programs, including curricula, and admissions requirements.
• Thorough knowledge of secondary school policies and practices, particularly as related to curriculum, standardized testing, extracurricular activities, transcript issues, etc.
• Ability to read and score applications online.
• Maintain awareness of own scoring patterns in relation to normed scoring patterns, and adjust scoring practices as required.
• Demonstrate high level of discretion and sensitive judgement and utilize professional knowledge to interpret guidelines.
• Superior communication, analytic, time management, decision-making and interpersonal skills.
• Attend norming and training sessions, meet workload deadlines and work independently.
• Thorough knowledge and experience working with a diverse student population.
• Ability to interpret policy and apply it to practice.
• Adept at setting up a home office with access to the internet and problem-solving a variety of issues (including both technology and procedural) independently.
• High proficiency with technology and web-based applications as all applicant files are reviewed electronically via an online platform.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of and/or sensitivity to issues related to the multiple identities students come with and may write about in their application.
• Knowledge of K-14 higher education issues.
• Previous experience as a UC Berkeley undergraduate application reader, or an application reader for another institution or program.

Departmental Overview

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions must provide a fair opportunity for every applicant to obtain admission to the University, operate in a professional manner that ensures positive staff morale and values hard work and dedication, communicate and collaborate effectively, present a coordinated effort to standardize procedures and document best practices, offer a variety of methods for professional development, and provide first-class customer service in a cost-effective and transparent manner.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is: July 28, 2026. For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date.

Salary & Benefits

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website. The budgeted hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $25-$27. This is a non-exempt, bi-weekly-paid position. This is an 4-month, part-time (20 hours/week), limited position that is eligible for UC benefits.

How To Apply

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.

Other Information

• This position is eligible for up to 100% remote work within the United States.
• Candidates May Not Be Concurrently enrolled as a UC Berkeley student.
• Candidates May Not Be Concurrently employed by the University of California.
• Candidates May Not Be Concurrently employed by another college or university.
• Candidates May Not Be Concurrently reading applications for another college or university.
• Candidates May Not Be Working as an independent admissions counselor/consultant.
• This position is not a visa opportunity.
• This position does not include sponsorship of a new consular H-1B visa petition that would require payment of the $100,000 supplemental fee.
• Candidates Must Attend a multi-day, synchronous virtual Reader Training is required in early November 2026 (exact dates and times will be confirmed no later than October 2026).
• This is not a reference check opportunity.