Undergraduate Admissions Counselor

Position Description The Admissions Counselor will play a crucial role in building relationships, awareness, and enthusiasm for Biola University. 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

(Events typically involve weekend work) 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.

E VENT 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/Qualifications

Through training and experience on the job, Admissions Counselors will be expected to develop the key competencies listed below.

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.