Title: Admissions Counselor

Executive Area: Academic Affairs

College/School/MBU: Social & Behavioral Sciences

Department: School of Public Policy

Work Location: Amherst

Schedule: Full Time

Work Arrangement: Hybrid

Job Summary

The School of Public Policy’s (SPP) Admissions Counselor supports all aspects of the multi-deadline application and pre-enrollment processes for the School’s graduate programs, supporting the conversion of domestic and international applicants to enrolled students.  

Essential Functions

Supports the student application completion process and serves as the admission and financial aid advisor for prospective and newly accepted students. Maintains admission process tracking data and works with partners to provide student services and communications during the pre-enrollment lifecycle of a student. 

Serves as an interface between multiple university offices to provide student services that leads to a high rate of application completion and enrollment conversion. 

Creates and maintains admissions procedures for the graduate programs. Evaluates domestic and international students’ academic records including foreign transcript review.  Reviews admission documents for completeness. Follows up regularly with the applicants on required documents for timely completion of the application. 

Manages application triage and renders admissions decisions when appropriate based on established criteria or coordinates with admission committees for review and decisions about admissions and financial aid support to applicants. 

Tracks and manages admissions offers and deposits to optimize established enrollment yield goals. Facilitates student record creation and communicates application status and decisions.   

Facilitates visa document issuance to international students. 

Trains and supervises student staff. Supports and participates in admissions and yield related events as required. 

Other Functions

Supports special projects based on the needs of the School and other duties as assigned by supervisors.

Serves in a back-up role for other School staff as appropriate and needed.  

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree and 1 year of administrative experience.   

Excellent interpersonal communication skills with the ability to create and maintain harmonious relationships with a diverse population of staff, faculty, students and off-campus constituents and work both independently and to be part of an effective team.   

Flexibility to work with initiative and willingness to take on a variety of tasks related to the successful operation and administration of the unit. Ability to work effectively under pressure and varying situations with independence, competent judgment and discretion.      

Extensive organizational skills and attention to detail with the ability to complete assignments in a timely manner, balancing the demands of concurrent and potentially competing projects.   

Excellent writing skills with the ability to effectively communicate critical messaging to a student audience.   

Ability to collect data from multiple sources and create new reports that add value to program goals. Excellent computer usage skills including email, spreadsheets (including formulas), word processing, and databases.   

Ability to investigate a situation, seek out additional information, and resolve discrepancies. Ability to think through problems, organize information, identify key factors and underlying causes to generate solutions.   

Ability to read, understand, apply and explain rules, regulations and policies/procedures related to duties. Ability to understand and follow complex oral and written instructions and create effective and efficient work processes. Ability to exercise sound judgment and maintain confidentiality.   

Preferred Qualifications

Experience working in higher education. 

Experience in admissions and application processing. 

Familiarity with international academic documents. 

Customer service experience. 

Experience working CRM application management process.

Working Conditions

Work is performed in a standard office or indoor university environment and involves minimal physical exertion.

Work Schedule and Work Arrangement

Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Required to work some nights and weekends.

This position has the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule, which is defined by the University as an arrangement where an employee’s work is regularly performed at a location other than the campus workspace for a portion of the week. As this position falls within the Professional Staff Union, it is subject to the terms and conditions of the Professional Staff Union collective bargaining agreement.

Salary Information

Pay Grade: PSSAP Grade 25

Click here to view the Professional Staff Hiring Ranges

Special Instructions for Applicants

Along with the application, please submit a resume. References will be checked at the finalist stage. Please be prepared to provide contact information for three (3) professional references.

This position will remain open for the time period required by any applicable collective bargaining agreement and will continue until a suitable candidate pool is identified. Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early.