<p>Hi, I'm a master's grad student interning at a graduate school admissions office and want to work in undergraduate admissions after my program is over. I'm specifically interested in working in a highly selective college. I was not involved in admissions as an undergrad though I did read a lot of books on the process such as The Gatekeepers, Creating a Class, The Price of Admission and am currently reading various books on social mobility, meritocracy, inequalities in education, and the education of elites. These topics intrigue me and I cannot stop reading book after book on them.</p>
<p>Do you have any advice as far as breaking into the field? I'm trying to set up an internship at the undergraduate admissions office and am taking a class with the Dean of Admissions at a highly selective university. I'm also trying to meet students in my program with an admissions background. Where is a good place where I could mingle informally with admissions professionals? </p>
<p>Admissions is fascinating to me as a career because of the sociological implications of the job and the chance to travel, meet students, read personal narratives, and being in a higher education setting which I absolutely love. Any advice you may have is welcome. Thanks!</p>
<p>My suggestion is that given you are interning in an admissions office (or trying to, I couldn’t quite tell from what you wrote), take the opportunity to meet with and discuss your career interest with those already doing it. Even if you aren’t working there yet, I’m sure they’d be happy to meet with you to give you advice.</p>
<p>I’m interning at a graduate admissions office but I’m also trying to get an internship in the undergraduate office because I want to work in undergraduate admissions.</p>
<p>NACAC is a great suggestion. Apparently, students can join too as a non-voting member.</p>
<p>I’d contact the admissions office at your own alma mater and express interest, even if it is just temporary for the busy period. I know people who do that. Are you already an alumni at you old school? That may help a bit. You’ll have some insight as to the type of student they look for, having been one. You are already doing that at the grad school you attend. That NACAC page has tons of resources.</p>
<p>You might think of offering your services to a local public high school (some of them only have parent run advising) as a service to the community and to demonstrate committment in this area. Your university migh have such a program already set up where you can volunteer.</p>
<p>Great suggestion to help out at the local high school. I’m scheduled to help out as part of a group this week and hope to continue this in the future.</p>
<p>I’m also really interested in working at my alma mater and I’m hoping they would hire me! I heard they hire every year, and with apps going up every year, I figure they could use the help. I just want to be “trained” already in a general way so they won’t have to spend time training me later.</p>
<p>Do we have any admissions officers on this board who could share some advice? If I’m graduating this year, when should I start applying for jobs? Should I wait for postings or fire away with my resumes now so they will keep me in mind in the future? I’m thinking of visiting the schools in person as well to drop of my materials and maybe speak with somebody, but I don’t know if this is a good idea.</p>
<p>Also, if you have any book suggestions, I would appreciate them. The following are currently on my list. Feel free to share any thoughts you might have about them and in light of the topics they cover, some things I should keep in mind as a prospective admissions officer. If you could craft the ideal admissions officer at a highly selective university, what should they be like (keeping in mind the constraints they’re under)?</p>
<p>First of all, you know how hard adcoms work? Travel isn’t easy and is often on a budget. One reason adcoms from similar schools now travel in packs is to overcome some of the stress and isolation. And, you hold fairs or meet with high schools at the convenience of the target audience, which can mean late evenings and weekends.</p>
<p>I read, in season. The qualifications boil down to: a great sense of what that college is like, in and out of the classrooms, what the institutional goals are, the strength of their endowment/financial aid position, the risks they are willing to go to to build a probably-great freshman class, etc. Plus, a great sense of what hs kids are about, what their involvements and accomplishments “can” be, how to detect maturity and ability to tackle a challenge, how to smell bull, etc. It also helps to know some of the standards and what is impressive versus too easily obtained- by this, I mean: what’s it mean to be an Intel finalist, have won some local award, been a member of NHS, etc. And, the weight on any of these factors shifts according to what that college is all about.</p>
<p>But, that’s not cast in concrete. I don’t find that any book or article quite describes the atmosphere in admissions. They are written to sell. They usually reflect either one school or a topic skim through several. I do find that most real life adcoms like kids, want each app to be great and ache when a good kid screws up on the app or has to be denied based on uncontrollable factors (eg, the umpteenth kid from that town.) </p>
<p>I think it would be great to vol at the hs, as noted. Call your alma mater and ask if they can talk to you about this- how they advertise, when permanent hiring is usually done, etc. Same for UG where you are now. Don’t wait to see if the UG internship comes through- these are people who spend most of the year talking and I’m pretty sure they would make time to speak with you.</p>
<p>I have a rough idea of how hard I might be working if I become an admissions officer but I of course can’t say for sure until I actually become one. I’m actually up for it because I think I’ll find the work adventurous and fulfilling.</p>
<p>I’m very familiar with my alma mater and where I go to school now, and I’d like to think I’m familiar with what various HS awards mean. It’s hard to have intimate familiarity with various high schools though until I’m actually assigned to a territory and become in charge of those schools.</p>
<p>I actually visited the undergrad admissions office last week and spoke with someone, but the rest of the committee was traveling.</p>
<p>How about being an alumnus volunteer for the college you attended as an undergraduate? They might be willing to send you to a couple of high school college fairs in the area where you are currently living (although it is getting late in the year for those–but there are spring fairs as well). Or you could volunteer to interview applicants to your alma mater who live in your area. Also, some minority organizations do a great deal to encourage/mentor high school students applying and making the transition to college. (I volunteer for the local Chicano Caucus, reading essays and helping kids fill out applications.) I think any experience you can get like this would be a help.</p>
<p>Other qualifications I can think of include the ability to speak well in public and to relate to a wide variety of people ( you will be meeting and talking to coaches, parents, wealthy donors, etc.), and the ability to think on your feet (the travel will present many unexpected challenges).</p>
<p>I would caution you from over-identifying yourself with the eliteness of the institution you ultimately represent. Most admissions officers I knew were very humble people. often in awe of the students they met (and many were undone by the fact that they were actually “rejection” officers, rather than admissions officers).</p>