With all the time I’ve spent researching schools, writing essays, and haunting CC, I’m starting to think this is my calling! :rolleyes:
But seriously, what do these people do in college themselves? Do they go to the university they end up working for? Go to a specific school that teaches how to compose student bodies? Major in Public Relations? I bet that’s it. I was just thinking.
<p>They probably major in communications or other fields that focus on personal relations. And they likely go on to work for their alma maters, I would guess. I know that when I visited Macalaster the admissions lady that I met with was an alumna of the school.</p>
<p>I'd love to do that, but I think it would get pretty boring after a few years</p>
<p>Pay ain't great but it's sure a fun job!</p>
<p>I plan on at least working in the admissions office of my college--that is, if they allow me.</p>
<p>most of the younger staff members end up working only a few years, celebrian, so it still may be your calling. :)</p>
<p>towerpumpkin -- me too! I wonder if I'll get paid or if it can count towards work-study...though I don't mind volunteering my time either. However, I just can't see it as a full-time career.</p>
<p>Yes, and I shall be the best adcom the world has ever seen :)</p>
<p>The Gatekeepers profiles a few adcoms (from Wesleyan), and apparently, the more varied the background, the better. They had high school English teachers, food stamp officers, workers at a halfway house, and plenty more. I think it's more a desire to work for and with the students that qualifies an admissions officer than a particular degree.</p>
<p>You don't need to major in anything special. </p>
<p>For a lot of people, it's just a great first job out of college. The pay is lousy, but you get a lot of free travel out of it, and get to enjoy meeting colleagues from all over the country. A lot of people do it for a year or two and then move on. A small number stay in the field and move up the ladder and become true admissions professionals. They may go to get more schooling, or not.</p>
<p>I've also noticed that there is no small number of former military in the field. I remember when we were interviewing for an opening at my old job, I was surprised by the number of retired military who sent in resumes. But I've since learned that it's not a rare thing. Not sure why, though. Couple of the high-up adcoms at Michigan are former military. And wonderful at the job.</p>
<p>If you think you might be interested, a good start would be to work as a guide in the admissions office of your current school. I never did that, but many of the staff at my alma mater started that way.</p>
<p>I would think that it would be a good jumping off point and a way to get your foot in the door if one is interested in pursuing higher education as a career as there are many administrative and non-teaching positions including departmental deans and directors, that are needed to keep the college running.</p>
<p>You may not get "rich' working for a college or a univeristy but wealth is a realtive term as some people live very rich lives knowing that they are helping to shape the lives of others and are contibuting to the overall college experience.</p>
<p>"Admissions Confidential" by Toors and "A is for Admissions" by Hernandez both talk about it, too. The group seems to come from everywhere. The younger ones are recent graduates from the college who may not have decided what they want to do yet. There are some people who are in the field and switch back and forth between being GC's and adcoms. Then there are people doing it for the time being. I think you can go into it from any background. I personally don't think it would interesting except at the very selective colleges.</p>
<p>It isn't all making life and death decisions for applicants. There is a cycle according to the seasons. You start in the early Fall making trips and getting the word out encouraging all the warm bodies to apply. Then you come back to the college to go thru the ED/EA applications. That is a warmup for the real work of going thru the RD applications which is apparently a 24-hour 7-day-a-week job. Then you follow thru with orientations for the accepted freshman. Then the year starts over again.</p>
<p>If you like meeting people and public speaking; traveling (and don't mind driving over hill and dale and sleeping in different hotels throughout the week) and working with students(& working nights/weekends, as needed), it can be a fun job. It helps if you are organized and detail oriented - esp. if you end up planning on-campus events, or helping to develop adm. publications.</p>
<p>People with many different majors or educational backgrounds can do this job. You can always test the waters by approaching your college admissions office and trying for a tour guide or student worker position.</p>
<p>The main requirement to become a tour guide must be the ability to walk backwards.</p>
<p>Haha, dufus. No matter how many college tours I go on, my mother always grabs my elbow, pulls me in, and stage-whispers "LOOK at how good he/she is at walking backwards! I don't know HOW they do it!" Without fail. Every single tour. It impresses her more than volumes in the library or famous professors.</p>
<p>Personally, I don't EVER want to go through the college admissions process again!</p>
<p>QuickLikeCat, my mom even went up to our tour guide at princeton and complimented him on his backward-walking ability in flip-flops and in the monsoon rain pouring down!. lol, must be a mom thing.</p>