Undergraduate Admissions Counselor

Biola University, Inc.; La Mirada (CA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

Biola University seeks an Undergraduate Admissions Counselor to drive recruitment efforts for freshman and transfer students within a designated geographic territory. The role involves travel, outreach events, on-campus and off-campus presentations, and close collaboration with Ambassadors to engage prospective students.

The counselor coordinates admissions tasks, reviews applications, and supports enrollment goals under the Associate Director’s supervision.

Qualifications

• This position requires a Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university.
• Experience in college admissions or recruiting is preferred.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Plan, coordinate, and track recruitment strategies to reach prospective students within a territory.
• Coordinate outreach activities, travel, and events to support enrollment goals.
• Present information to prospective students and families on campus and off campus.
• Engage with applicants and students via multiple communication channels.
• Review applications and contribute to admissions decisions.
• Collaborate with campus departments in event planning and recruitment.

Skills

Biola Knowledge

Biola Faith Perspective

Influential Communication

Cross-Cultural Competency

Financial Aid Literacy

Campus Citizenship

Systems and Technology

Communication Skills

Decision Making

Other Skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

Undergraduate Admissions Counselor

Position Description

The Admissions Counselor will play a crucial role in building relationships, awareness, and enthusiasm for BiolaUniversity. The counselor will execute recruitment initiatives, cultivate relationships with relevant audiences, and advertise programming that attracts diverse populations of prospective freshman and transfer students. The counselor is responsible for creating and implementing strategies to recruit and enroll prospective students from a specific geographic area within both the Freshman and Transfer populations. Strategies will include recruiting travel, phone calls, emails, texts, interviews, on-campus appointments, tours, etc. The counselor will assist in coordinating special projects, work with designated student Ambassadors, review applications and make admissions decisions. The counselor will be the primary Biola point of contact for prospective students on all matters throughout the funnel relating to enrollment.

Other responsibilities may be assigned according to the counselor’s strengths and giftedness. Extensive travel throughout the region is required. Evening and weekend hours are required.

Primary Goal

The Admissions Counselor supports the university’s annual enrollment goals through strategic recruitment and support of prospective students.

Department

Traditional Undergraduate Admissions

Supervisor

Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions

Educational Requirements

This position requires a Bachelor's degree (B.A/B.S.) from a four-year college or university or three to five years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Work Requirements

Hours Per Week: 40
Months Per Year: 12

Physical Demands of the Work Environment

This position involves driving an automobile on public roads or highways and carrying and lifting light-to-medium-weight boxes (i.e. admissions materials and an admissions display).

Required Events and Commitments

• Biola Bound - January(Saturday morning/afternoon, Tuesday morning)
• Biola Preview Day - February, November
• Admitted Student Day - April
• Hello Biola - August
• New Student Orientation - August

Essential Duties

Territory Management

Effectively plan, coordinate, execute, and track strategies to reach prospects, applicants, and admitted students to achieve enrollment goals for a specified territory. Strategically analyze data in order to understand the needs of the territory and coordinate activities to effectively meet the needs of students and stakeholders in the territory.

Outreach & Travel

Coordinate and execute outreach activities and recruitment events to support territory and enrollment goals. Coordinate flight, rental cars, and mailings along with scheduling visits and appointments with schools and influencers in designated territory. Responsibly steward institutional funds for travel. Establish and cultivate relationships and networking with secondary contact targets such as pastors, guidance counselors and other influencers.

Event Participation and Management

Participate in and assist with optimizing on-campus and off-campus recruiting events, a responsibility that can require evening and/or weekend work. This may also require management responsibilities from the Admissions Counselor.

Presenting

Deliver informative presentations to prospective students, applicants, parents, counselors, etc., both on and off campus. Presentation topics can range from general admissions information to financial aid.

Student Engagement

Engage with prospects, applicants, admits, confirmed and parents about Biola University, admissions requirements, and next steps for admission and enrollment through in-person appointments, phone calls, email, texts, and direct mail communication.

Applicant Processing

Carefully review applicant files and make admissions decisions based on established criteria. The Admissions Counselor will manage a student application caseload of anywhere from 300-500 applications a year.

Campus Collaboration

Collaborate as needed with other departments, faculty, and staff across campus in event planning and the recruitment of new students.

Required Skills and Qualifications

Biola Knowledge

Demonstrate a strong working knowledge of Biola history, academic programs, financial aid, social opportunities, student outcomes, student services, and the student experience of the Biola student body.

Biola Faith Perspective

Demonstrate the ability to share Christian faith in an engaging way, explain the benefits of faith based colleges/universities, be able to discern a prospective student’s faith fit for Biola, and fairly represent Biola’s stances on social issues.

Influential Communication

Demonstrate the ability to build rapport through effective discovery questions and listening skills. Demonstrate the ability to articulate effectively and build value with concise, clear, and compelling messaging (key features, benefits, & differentiators of Biola University) to all audiences. Demonstrate the ability to communicate with confidence, credibility, and compelling messaging so as to inspire prospects and applicants to take action. Demonstrate the ability to cultivate relationships with all relevant audiences and articulate ideas and next steps effectively.

Cross-Cultural Competency

Demonstrate cultural humility and sensitivity in all communication and engagement with prospects, applicants, and students of Biola University. Create a welcoming environment for students of all ethnicities, race, abilities, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Financial Aid Literacy

Demonstrate the ability to comprehend and effectively communicate the cost of attendance, return on investment (ROI), options to pay for college, and the financial aid process with next steps. Demonstrate the ability to address parent and student questions and concerns effectively and consistently.

Campus Citizenship and Professionalism

Embrace the mission, vision and values of Biola University on a consistent basis, both on and off campus. Navigate change and adversity with optimism, positivity and adaptability. Demonstrate confidentiality, professionalism, respect, integrity and grace consistently. Demonstrate appropriate dress attire and grooming; maintain organized and presentable office setting. Foster positive relationships across campus and across all departments at Biola.

Systems and Technology

Demonstrate a strong understanding and use of technology in recruiting and territory management. Demonstrate proficiency in Biola’s CRM and utilize it efficiently for recording important student information, conducting territory research and personalizing contact with students.

Qualifications: Education and Experience

This position requires a Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university.

Communication Skills

This position requires excellent interpersonal communication skills; must be able to successfully interact with both students and adults, including staff, faculty, and parents. It also requires drafting correspondence; proofreading correspondence for spelling, grammar and content errors. Bilingual capabilities are preferred but not required.

Decision Making

The responsibilities of this position typically involve considerable planning ability, decision-making and evaluation of projects/assignments regarding a variety of procedures, plans and schedules.

Other Skills and Abilities

Experience in, sensitivity to, and understanding of effectively working with college-age and high school-age students, faculty, and staff. Demonstrate strong public and interpersonal communication skills. Attention to detail and organizational skills. Familiarity with the capabilities and uses of electronic data processes, report writing, and accounting.

Physical Demands of the Work Environment

Driving an automobile on public roads or highways. Carrying and lifting light-to-medium weight boxes of admissions materials and an admissions display.

Hiring Range

$24.33 - 27.07 per hour