Admissions Director Job Description

In this article, we will provide the information about the job of admissions director.

We will cover their salary, and day-to-day duties as well as training and qualifications required for the job.

Admissions directors work with students applying to college offering guidance and support.

They deal with looking over the applications coming every year as well as managing the admissions board.

They are the ones deciding on who receives the acceptance letter.

Admissions directors need to hold a master’s degree as well as possess strong organizational skills.

What Does an Admissions Director Do

The buildings on campuses are open only during particular hours, so admissions directors work only these hours.

They can be employed at any school that receives applications, including high schools, private preschools, community colleges, etc.

Admissions directors usually work in an office or in other places on the campus.

Job Duties

• Make a list of requirements for students who apply to the school.
• While using specific criteria, evaluate the applications to determine who is accepted to the school.
• Convey letters to the financial aid department, so the students who need financial assistance can get help.
• Manage the admissions boars and make sure they follow regulations.
• Cooperate with various departments on campus to get in touch with prospective students.
• Fulfill representative duties for the school during admissions and networking events.
• Plan and host the recruiting events to encourage students’ applications.
• Occasionally interview the students planning to apply.
• Answering students’ questions via phone, email, or in person.
• Coordinate with other departments and professionals before upcoming events on campus.

Essential Skills

Leadership:

Admission directors should run the entire admissions department, so they need to possess strong leadership skills.

They have to manage and monitor the work of the others.

Communication:

Communication is one of the most crucial parts of the admissions director work.

They need to communicate efficiently with students, department heads, and other employees.

Organizational:

Admissions directors have to track all the admission policies as well as create new ones.

They also organize the incoming applications and track the notes made at the admissions meetings.

How to Become an Admissions Director

Despite the workplace, an admissions director needs at least a master’s degree.

Many people start as administrators to gain more experience before they apply to become an admissions director.

Qualifications and Training

You need both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees to become an admissions director.

With a major in business, you can develop good leadership and organizational skills as well as learn how to manage employees.

In the senior year, you can apply to graduate school. For most of their programs, you need to take and submit the GRE scores.

The GRE is a type of graduate examination similar to the SAT.

You will need to do some type of fieldwork or an internship to get a graduate degree.

You will be assigned to a school by the university, where you can work in an admissions or administrative office.

You can gain the same amount of experience throughout the healthcare management programs as you work on an MBA or a degree of similar type.

The difference is that you will work in a hospital or something similar instead of a school.

Experience

Professional experience is crucial for getting a job as an admissions director.

Apart from the internship and a graduate degree fieldwork, you need practical experience as well.

Before you can become an admissions director, you will have to work for a few years in the admissions department and a few years on the admissions board.

By working there, you’ll learn the processes of the admissions department, what schools look for in applicants, and how the departments work together.

Working Hours

The schedule of an admissions director usually incorporates set hours on weekdays.

The work on weekends is a very rare occurrence.

Only some directors may have to occasionally work on weekends to recruit new students and host programs.

In a healthcare facility, there may be more work on the weekends involved as, unlike schools, they are open on the weekends.

The payment in this position is in salaries, so no overtime work is included, even if you work over 40 hours a week.

A 40-hour workweek is standard for the admissions directors.

So it’s better not to delay tasks going into after-hours work.

Career Outlook

The position of an admissions director is upper-management, so there are not many positions above it.

The directors working in colleges may become dean or president of the school with more experience in the admissions.

It’s not a big change of the job, but the pay can be significantly higher.

As the BLS reports, the median salary of post secondary education administrators stands at $90,760 which makes it more than $40 per hour.

Even though you don’t get overtime, you have a nice package of benefits.

Directors are eligible for paid vacation time, paid time off, and health insurance.

It is also projected that the employment rate will grow by 9%.

According to PayScale, the median salary of an admissions director is $55,000, while the 10% of all directors reported to be making $85,000 plus.

Conclusion

Admissions directors have to keep a list of admissions criteria and check all the incoming applications to find the students meeting them.

Common workplaces of admissions directors include colleges, vocational schools, preschools, elementary schools, and retirement homes.

Admissions directors deal with hosting the recruitment events and cooperate with different departments on campus.

To become an admissions director, you need extensive experience in admissions and a master’s degree.

However, the pay is quite decent and starts at $50,000 a year.