Admissions Counselor I

Columbia Southern University, Inc.; Orange Beach (AL); On-site; USD 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbia Southern University, Inc. in Orange Beach, AL seeks an Admissions Counselor I to provide customer-service oriented phone and email support in a high-volume environment, guiding prospective students through admissions and enrollment.

The role requires flexibility, attention to detail, and the ability to manage competing priorities. It is non-exempt with overtime; onsite hours are Mon–Thu 8:00 AM–5:00 PM CT; Fri 8:00 AM–5:00 PM CT with Saturday rotation.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Ability to perform essential duties with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; customer-service oriented.

Responsibilities

• Manages a high volume of inbound/outbound calls and heavy email communication with prospective students in a timely, professional, customer-focused manner.
• Proactively reaches out to prospective students to provide guidance and encourage progression through admissions and enrollment.
• Guides prospective students through admissions by helping assess skills, education, and career goals to select appropriate programs.
• Builds and maintains positive relationships with prospective students to support engagement and enrollment outcomes.
• Answers inquiries regarding applications, admissions requirements, enrollment steps, payment methods, and university policies.
• Assists students throughout the first enrollment process, ensuring documentation is received, reviewed, and submitted on time.
• Reviews new student records for completeness and compliance with university requirements.
• Documents all interactions in internal databases with accurate contact and enrollment details.
• Follows internal processes while meeting productivity, quality, and customer service standards.
• Supports admissions process improvements by identifying trends and barriers.

Skills

Problem solving

Quality & accuracy

Dependability

Adaptability

Time management

Communication

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

Outlook

Blackboard

Internal database systems

Job description

Department:Admissions
Reports To:Admissions Supervisor
FLSA:Non-Exempt

Hours:Monday–Thursday 8:00 AM–5:00 PM CT; Friday 8:00 AM–5:00 PM CT (extended hours as requested)with a scheduled Saturday rotation
Location:Orange Beach, AL

Job Summary

Under the direction of the Admissions Supervisor, the Admissions Counselor I, performs a full range of customer-service-oriented telephone and email support activities in a high-volume, fast-paced environment. This role is heavily focused on inbound and outbound calls, email communication, and proactive outreach to prospective students. The Admissions Counselor I guides prospective students through the admissions process, builds strong relationships, supports enrollment processing, and ensures accurate tracking and submission of students through their first enrollment at Columbia Southern University.

Qualified applicants must be flexible, adaptable, detail-oriented, and comfortable managing competing priorities. This position is non-exempt and eligible for overtime.

Additional duties may be assigned.

• Manages a high volume of inbound and outbound calls and heavy email communication with prospective students in a timely, professional, and customer-focused manner.
• Proactively reaches out to prospective students to provide guidance, answer questions, and encourage progression through the admissions and enrollment process.
• Guides prospective students through the admissions process by helping them assess their skills, education, and career goals to select the most appropriate academic program, in compliance with departmental and university standards.
• Builds and maintains positive, professional relationships with prospective students to support engagement, trust, and successful enrollment outcomes.
• Answers inquiries regarding applications, admissions requirements, enrollment steps, payment methods, academic programs, course descriptions, and university policies and procedures.
• Assists students throughout the first enrollment process, ensuring required documentation is received, reviewed, tracked, and submitted accurately and on time.
• Reviews new student records and enrollment information for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with university requirements.
• Logs into and out of phone rotations as scheduled, makes required callbacks, and responds promptly to internal and external communications via phone, email, and chat.
• Accurately documents all interactions, notes, and required information in internal database systems, including contact details, academic information, and enrollment status updates.
• Follows all internal processes and procedures while meeting productivity, quality, and customer service standards.
• Supports admissions process improvements by identifying trends, barriers, and opportunities to better assist prospective students

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements below represent the knowledge, skills, and abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

Knowledge

• English Language: Knowledge of structure, content, grammar, spelling, and professional written communication.
• Computer: Proficiency in basic computer functions, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook), email, and web-based systems.
• Clerical: Knowledge of administrative procedures, recordkeeping, data entry, and documentation management.
• Customer and Personal Service: Understanding of customer service principles, needs assessment, quality standards, and satisfaction evaluation in a service-driven environment.

Skills

• Problem Solving: Identifies issues, gathers information, and resolves concerns effectively and professionally.
• Quality & Accuracy: Demonstrates attention to detail, thoroughness, and consistency; applies feedback to improve performance.
• Dependability: Adheres to schedules, meets deadlines, follows instructions, and takes accountability for responsibilities.
• Adaptability: Adjusts priorities and maintains professionalism in a changing, high-volume environment.
• Time Management: Effectively manages time and workload to meet performance expectations in a fast-paced setting.
• Communication: Comfortable engaging with prospective students via phone and email for extended periods of time.

Abilities

• Written Expression: Clearly communicates information in writing so others understand.
• Oral Expression: Effectively communicates information verbally with clarity and professionalism.
• Oral Comprehension: Listen to and understand spoken information and instructions.

Education & Experience

High school diploma or equivalent is required. Bachelor’s degree preferred.

Equipment Used

• Office equipment including computers, telephones, printers, and copiers.
• Software includes Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Blackboard, and internal database systems.
• Secure and reliable internet access is required.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The position is onsite and when working remotely the employee should have a designated workspace free from distractions and noise. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.This position requires working in an office setting with the use of fluorescent lighting. Candidates should be comfortable working in an environment with fluorescent lights, which may be present throughout the workspace.

Supervisory Responsibilities

There are no supervisory responsibilities for this position.

Pay Transparency Statement

In accordance with applicable state and local pay transparency laws, applicants who reside in a jurisdiction with designated pay transparency requirements and for whom this position is available on a remote basis may be entitled to receive additional information regarding the compensation range and benefits associated with this role. Such information will be provided upon request, as required by law. Please contact [e-mail].