A college admission counselor assists students in the selection of the right program and applies to schools of their choice.
It is a difficult task to complete the application process for young students who are willing to get admission to one of the top-ranking colleges. The position helps them through the process smoothly and successfully.
The admission process usually involves essay writing, filling out application forms, and the like.
To become a successful college admission counselor, one must be proficient in admission essay writing and familiar with the application form filling and submission process.
Following are some tips on becoming a college admissions counselor.
How to Become a College Admissions Counselor?
Since this position requires to aid the students in the admission process, it is mandatory to possess at least bachelor’s or a higher degree.
A successful admissions counselor must have had at least two or three successful application experiences along with an internship in the field. Other skills and qualifications that need to be developed for the position are as follows:
1. Gain professional experience and certifications
The more experience you have of applying to various schools for admission, the better counseling services you will be able to provide. Gain as much professional experience as possible. Apply at colleges for the internship as an admissions counselor or work privately as a college admission consultant to gain experience in the field. There are also many additional certifications if you are looking to enhance your formal qualifications or to specialize in the field.
2. Develop an Alumni network
The key to succeeding as a college admissions counselor is to develop and maintain an alumni network for your own, personal guidance regarding how the college admission process works. Learn about the admission experiences of the alumni and guide the fresh students seeking admissions accordingly.
3. Participate in student visit programs
Colleges hold student visit programs twice a year to facilitate the fresh students, seeking admission to colleges. Keep on the lookout for such events and make it a point to attend as many as possible.
4. Guide students in filling application forms and composing admission essays
Some of the challenging tasks regarding admission applications include writing admission essays and filling out complicated admission application forms. As an admissions counselor, it would be your job to assist the students in these tasks and facilitate them by all possible means, by providing sample admission essays and briefings on form filling. Therefore, you need to practice these to become a successful College Admissions Counselor.
5. Counsel students through the admission application and submission process
A successful college admission counselor guides the students from the point of deciding the subject line and colleges to apply at till the last step of application submission.