Admissions Counselor II

University of Southern California•Los Angeles, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The University of Southern California (USC) is seeking a high-energy Admissions Counselor II for its Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. This role is for a natural connector who thrives on the road, enjoys meeting new people, discovering untapped markets, and can effectively advocate for USC's graduate programs. The position involves representing the school at various events nationally and internationally, identifying new recruitment opportunities, and providing day-to-day coaching to Admissions Counselor I staff. It requires strong organizational skills for managing travel, independence in building recruitment strategies, and a passion for higher education. This is a full-time, on-campus position with up to 30% travel required.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree.
2+ years of experience in recruitment, admissions, outreach, business development, or a related relationship-driven field (higher education experience is a plus, not a requirement).
A track record of building relationships and influencing decisions — whether in admissions, sales, community outreach, membership development, or a similar field.
High energy and comfort initiating conversations with strangers in a variety of settings.
A genuine enthusiasm for travel, new environments, and meeting people from different backgrounds.
Strong self-direction — you don't need someone looking over your shoulder to hit the road and build out your own recruitment footprint, whether that's across the country or across the globe.
Excellent organizational skills to juggle a demanding travel and events calendar.
Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills — you know how to tell a compelling story.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).
Demonstrated leadership or lead experience.
A demonstrated passion for improving the lives of a growing older population.
A valid driver's license is required for travel to off-campus events and operating university vehicles as needed.
An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Nice To Haves

Experience recruiting or generating leads in a competitive market.
Experience in graduate admissions or higher education recruitment.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary point of contact and biggest advocate for prospective graduate students — building genuine rapport and guiding them from first interest to enrolled student.
Proactively identify and pursue new recruitment markets, partnerships, and untapped talent pools — proactively identify prospective students.
Represent the School at graduate fairs, conferences, information sessions, and other recruitment events — domestically and abroad — bringing energy and enthusiasm that makes our programs memorable.
Confidently and persuasively communicate the value of our programs to prospective students, influencers, and referral sources — turning interest into applications and applications into enrolled students.
Manage a high-volume, high-travel schedule with strong personal organization and follow-through.
Build lasting relationships with prospective students, alumni, faculty, and external partners to expand our recruitment network.
Support prospective students through the admissions process, including general guidance on requirements, policies, and next steps.
Assist in developing outreach materials and messaging that reflect the personality and passion of our programs.
Supervise, coach, and motivate Admissions Counselor I staff, modeling the energy and drive you bring to recruitment.
Track outreach efforts and recruitment outcomes to keep refining where and how we find our best-fit students.
Perform other related duties as assigned.
The University reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.