jobs as a college admissions counselor

April 26, 2013 11:20 PM

I'm approaching the end of an MFA program, and trying to decide what my next step should be, and what kind of career I could pursue that would provide me with an actual paycheck. I've been tentatively thinking that I might like working as a high school college admissions counselor--my own counselor in high school was fabulous, and it's stuck with me ever since as a job I might enjoy.

Does anyone here know what career prospects are like in that field (particularly in the SF bay area, if it matters)? I know there's a certificate (I've been eyeing the one through UC Berkeley extension), and if there are viable job options afterwards, I would think seriously about going for it. If there are no jobs...well, then it might not be that practical to spend more money on another year in school.

In my ideal fantasy world, I would end up as an advisor in a private school. But if I were to look at public schools as well, would I need a teaching credential along with the program certificate? Or would working as an independent advisor be the way to go?

Finally, I'd love to hear about people's experience in this job. Any and all input much appreciated!

posted by tan_coul to Work & Money (3 answers total)

Do you have a strong professional network, especially with people in the field of education? Before your MFA, were you a teacher? Do you have any type of work/volunteer experience with high school age kids or in a school? How about in college admissions offices? Nonprofits count too but not as important as any level of secondary school. Are you willing to move almost anywhere for a job like this?

I'm writing based on my experience on the East Coast but I've heard it's similar everywhere. This is a highly competitive but highly satisfying field to get into and your previous experiences and connections matter most. Schools don't have many of these positions and the people who snag them tend to stay forever.

Specific college advising positions are more prevalent at private schools, there are some at charter schools and nonprofits too. Private companies are starting to pop up to due to demand and lack of resources in actual schools. Most public schools would only have general "guidance counselor" positions that include other duties besides college counseling, and require you to become a licensed school counselor, which requires more coursework and an internship (see California requirements here)

I decided right after college many moons ago that this is what I wanted to do but I didn't want to/couldn't afford to go back to school right away. I searched for two months for a job in college admissions unsuccessfully, but the financial aid office is always hiring, and I figured it was also relevant to college advising so I took the job and moved up in positions for four years, which is when I quit to get my M.Ed. in School Counseling and took a part-time job in an unrelated field in higher education (this could have been my big mistake, but it was a part time job that offered full benefits and partial tuition payment and I couldn't afford to not take it, especially since the M.Ed. program requires at least 20 hours/week internship in the final year).

I really enjoyed the program, subject matter, and most of all my internships. From the first day in a school I knew this is what I truly wanted to do with my life, a feeling I'd never had before. It's challenging for sure - to balance a lot of other administrative duties and bureaucratic drama, and especially for students who have very rough circumstances in their lives that are outside of their (or your) total control. Parents with very high expectations are challenging too, especially when it comes to college admissions. It can be an incredibly stressful process for everyone involved and I wish schools had the resources to help more kids through it.

Since I finished almost three years ago, I've seen and applied for around 100 positions like this and got 3 interviews and no followup. I think it's because I didn't have enough relevant experience in a school or specifically a college admissions office. I did my best to demonstrate and explain how my financial aid experience was completely relevant (I also had volunteer experience in general college advising and mentoring) but it was usually met with blank stares and statements of, "we don't really focus on that with students". I'm back working in financial aid and trying to do as much volunteering as I can in schools and with high school students and college advising. There are plenty of places who will welcome you as a volunteer!

The good news is at least 6 of my classmates (that I know of) had no problem landing a job, two out of state. Two of them had at least 10 years professional experience (one in a school and one in a career center). The other four had only about a year of professional experience behind them in various fields, but I think they had all known they wanted this career in college and chose their majors/jobs/volunteering accordingly. So the jobs are out there and people are getting them! It's just not me and that makes me very sad when I think about it, so I try to just keep volunteering and have blocked those classmates on facebook :)

Here are some websites to check job listings:
schoolspring.com
indeed.com
nais.org

Sorry for the length, I obviously have some very strong opinions on this subject! Basically if you feel very strongly about this I say go for it, I don't regret getting my degree and I haven't lost complete hope of ever getting a position like this.
posted by wannabecounselor at 6:52 AM on April 27, 2013 [1 favorite]

Part of the reason it's so competitive is that college admissions is a high-stakes game these days - emphasis on the "game" - so guidance counselors really need to understand the nuances of what is going to get a kid admitted. Schools not only are looking for applicants with a counseling background, they are looking for people who really understand colleges and the admissions process. You might be better off looking for an entry-level position in college admissions (especially one that travels the college fair circuit) so you can get that insider knowledge about what colleges look for in applicants.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 7:06 AM on April 27, 2013

Look at job requirements and see what they actually want, and keep in mind that for public ed jobs, "Required" qualifications are usually truly non-negotiable and "Desired" qualifications are probably going to be held by most applicants. The Bay Area market for nearly all ed jobs is flooded, though I have no idea about HS-level counseling specifically. (I also don't know if hiring for this is seasonal as it is for other jobs.) Absolutely do NOT take the word of the certificate program. In a different education-related field, UC Berkeley/UC Santa Cruz/CSU East Bay extensions all totally oversell the usefulness of their certificates. :/
posted by wintersweet at 6:20 PM on April 27, 2013