(On-site) Admissions Counselor - EM Student Experience

Reporting to the Assistant Director, this position covers the broad nature of the Office of Admissions Engagement and Outreach, servicing student recruitment, outreach, and in-person visitor traffic for the office. This is an important front-facing role working with prospective students and families interested in learning more about West Virginia University.

Benefits

• 37.5-hour work week
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year
• 18 sick days per year (for personal illness, caring for sick family, or medical appointments; family includes immediate relatives, in-laws, and household members)
• Range of health insurance and other benefits
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks
• Wellness programs

Responsibilities

• Counsel (in-person, telephone, and email) students and visitors on college admissions, financial aid, scholarships, housing, student accounts, registration, new student orientation, and admissions processes.
• Assist with on-campus and off-campus recruiting efforts and events, including open houses, high-ability events, awards nights, college fairs, new student orientation, and private high school visits.
• Coordinate, plan, and execute logistical event details, including scheduling reservations for event space, food and beverage, transportation, and audio/visual needs.
• Communicate verbally and electronically with faculty, staff, and group sponsors to ensure flawless execution of event tasks.
• Present to prospective students and families via twice-daily sessions at the Visitors Center, addressing questions about enrolling at WVU.
• Conduct one-on-one admissions meetings to counsel students and families on academic programs, admissions requirements, housing, cost and aid, and student life at WVU. Assist with completing applications, paying deposits, housing applications, federal aid applications, and registering for New Student Orientation.
• Counsel prospective students, families, counselors, and WVU administrators via telephone and email, providing accurate information using Banner and CRM systems.
• Assist students in understanding the transfer credit process, ensuring they are aware of all necessary steps.
• Document communications in the university-wide Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system for future outreach.
• Make outbound calls for event confirmations, incomplete applications, or other processing-related outreach.
• Manage projects to further recruitment efforts, including preparing recruitment materials, processing mail, logging demographic data, tracking electronic transcripts, and evaluating First Time Freshmen applications during peak times.
• Handle all external mailing requests from educational stakeholders and alumni to ensure appropriate materials are sent.
• Evaluate freshman applications by reviewing transcripts and calculating grade point averages to determine admission eligibility.
• Serve as a road-runner admission counselor, traveling to college fairs, high school visits, information nights, and university-hosted events to counsel prospective students and families.
• Fulfill backup territory management for vacant territories (e.g., maternity leave, extended illness, employment gaps).
• Aggressively follow up with students from initial contact through enrollment to ensure equal recruitment opportunities regardless of race, religion, or socioeconomic background.
• Create and analyze reports in CRM to support recruitment outreach and provide crucial student data management.
• Update student profiles, track changes, and ensure real-time accuracy across departments (admissions, academics, financial aid).
• Report on demographic data of visitors to the Office of Admissions Engagement and Outreach.
• Log all visitor meetings in the CRM system to document each step of the recruitment process.
• Report email, phone, and foot-traffic metrics regularly to leadership.
• Use Banner to provide clear, concise, and accurate information to prospective students.
• Generate reports on recruitment, student progress, campaign performance, and engagement metrics to inform decision-making.
• Support the WVU Visitors Center in creating and implementing a strategic yield enhancement plan, including targeted outreach via email, phone calls, and other tactics.
• Complete other projects and assignments as requested by leadership.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum of one (1) year of experience in college admission counseling, sales, marketing, public relations, advising, counseling, and/or event planning. Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience will be considered.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Ability to qualify for a university travel card (pass a credit check).
• Physical capability to transport materials weighing an average of 25-40 pounds.

Skills

• Excellent time management, attention to detail, and organizational skills.
• Ability to plan and manage events with creativity and efficiency.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills to relate to the concerns of prospective students and parents and counsel them effectively.
• Demonstrated excellent oral and written communication skills for advising students, parents, and high school counselors.
• Understanding of undergraduate curricular and co-curricular experiences at WVU or another major public institution in a college town environment.
• Commitment to social justice and ability to facilitate equal access to a WVU education.
• Ability to travel extensively (often overnight) and work extended hours and weekends on short notice.
• Flexibility to work late spring and summer hours as needed.
• Professional behavior and image to represent WVU to constituents.
• Positive attitude and ability to work well with others.
• Ability to rapidly learn WVU admission requirements, timelines, and basic housing and financial aid regulations.
• Ability to operate a motor vehicle.

About WVU

West Virginia University is a place of purpose and community, committed to the personal and professional growth of its employees. With campuses in Morgantown (flagship R1 research), Keyser (WVU Potomac State), and Beckley (WVU Tech), WVU’s contributions resonate across the state. The university fosters a supportive community that values work-life balance, collaboration, and core values of service, curiosity, respect, accountability, and appreciation. Join WVU to make a lasting impact.