<p>Does it exist? I'm thinking about becoming a college counselor or working in college admissions somehow. Does a job like that require a specific graduate degree? Should I just find a way to hop on to a school, and then work my way to the top? Does anyone have any insight on this? Thanks</p>
<p>Btw, if it matters, I'm currently a double major in History and Theatre Arts, may switch one or both for either English or Philosophy...we'll see what the future holds.</p>
<p>Just to provide one data point: I recall that most of the admissions staff at my undergraduate college had no admissions-specific education. In fact, the admissions office seems to fill its entry-level positions almost exclusively with recent graduates of the college itself and people work their way up from there. Only the director of admissions has a doctorate in Higher Education Management.</p>
<p>If you are still in college, see if you can get a part-time job in the admissions office and go from there.</p>
<p>The best Higher Education Administration programs (in no particular order) are UCLA, Maryland-College Park, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn, Indiana-Bloomington, USC, and Penn State. I would research those schools and figure out which programs fits your academic needs. They all vary (program length can be either 1, 1.5 or 2 years; graduate assistantship is optional or mandatory; some are better in research methods or job placement).</p>
<p>If you specifically want career counseling, check for schools that offer that track such as USC: [ME</a>, Educational Counseling Program Overview - Rossier School of Education](<a href=“http://rossier.usc.edu/academic/masters/mehec/program-overview.html]ME”>http://rossier.usc.edu/academic/masters/mehec/program-overview.html)</p>
<p>Also look at membership in organizations like the National Association of College Admissions Counselors, National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals, or NAFSA: the Association of International Educators (broader than admissions and with an international focus, but strong in study abroad and international recruitment nonetheless). There may be student memberships. Also follow their twitter streams for useful tidbits. NAGAP did a study a few years ago (probably repeats it periodically) about careers. It covered work experience, job titles, and compensation and was quite interesting. The results were published in the monthly or quarterly newsletter. I bet it exists online somewhere. Try to go to one of these industry conferences and tell the speakers you are interested in this career path. They could become good mentors or at least share their own stories.</p>
<p>It might be going out on a limb, but visit your university admissions offices (undergrad, grad, business, law, or medicine) and ask to shadow an admissions officer for a day in each office you might be interested in someday.</p>
<p>Admissions counselors at the graduate level are entry positions, but not largely filled with graduates of that school (it happens, but does not make the majority of hires). To move to assistant director takes work experience and successful performance. Moving to associate director likely takes a master’s degree (in progress or complete), a director position then takes completed masters or in progress doctorate (plus the accumulated experience).</p>
<p>After three years of industry work experience, I started in business school graduate admissions as asst director of recruitment (all graduate business programs at big public university), ~two years later assoc. director of admissions and recruitment with an MBA in progress. With 4 years total admissions experience and a newly completed MBA I changed schools for a director of admissions and marketing role (professional school + 2 PhD programs at big public university). After 7 years total admissions experience I was recruited and changed universities again with a jump to dean of admissions and financial aid and was in that role for three more years (very small private university - professional school + small PhD + premed programs). To go on to an AVP or VP of enrollment position at another university (especially large one), I would likely need a doctorate (higher ed admin would do and either EDD or PhD would typically qualify).</p>
<p>This is all great advice. I strongly appreciate all of this, and I’ll do the proper research.</p>