Admissions Counselor

Excelsior•Albany, NY

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Admissions Counselor plays a key role in ensuring prospective students are at the heart of everything we do at Excelsior University. As a dedicated admissions consultant, this position builds meaningful relationships with prospective students, understands their educational and career goals, identifies needs and barriers, and guides students toward the Excelsior University program and enrollment pathway that best fits their goals. The Admissions Counselor serves as both a trusted advisor and an enrollment professional. Using a consultative approach, the counselor engages prospective students in meaningful conversations, assesses needs and readiness, communicates the value of Excelsior's programs, addresses questions and concerns, creates appropriate urgency, and helps students take meaningful next steps toward enrollment. The Admissions Counselor owns and actively manages an assigned prospective student pipeline and is accountable for effective outreach, follow-up, engagement, and progression through the admissions process while maintaining the highest standards of student service, integrity, compliance, and ethical recruitment. We believe work should fit your life, not the other way around. While this position is primarily based in Albany, NY, with a hybrid schedule that includes two days in the office and the flexibility to work from home on other days, remote work options may also be considered. This is a full-time, 37.5-hour-per-week, 12-month, benefits-eligible position. Work hours may vary between 8:30 AM and 8:00 PM, Monday through Friday, and may include rotating Saturday hours. Schedules are subject to change based on the needs of the University and its students.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university OR two years of relevant customer service, admissions, recruiting, or consultative sales experience.
Experience working in a goal-oriented, performance-measured environment preferred.
Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills with demonstrated ability to build rapport and trust.
Strong questioning, active listening, needs analysis, problem-solving, and objection-handling skills.
Demonstrated ability to think critically, evaluate individual student circumstances, identify barriers to enrollment, and develop effective pathways and solutions that support student success.
Demonstrated ability to build student commitment, maintain momentum, and effectively guide prospective students through the enrollment decision-making process.
Ability to balance student advocacy with accountability for enrollment outcomes and progression goals.
Demonstrated emotional intelligence, professionalism, and adaptability when working with students from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and life circumstances.
Ability to manage a high-volume pipeline, prioritize competing demands, and meet established productivity and enrollment goals.
Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to work effectively in a team environment.
Experience with CRM, SIS, telephony, or other customer relationship management systems preferred.
Bilingual English/Spanish skills preferred.
Experience working with adult learners and/or online higher education preferred.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in a goal-oriented, performance-measured environment
Experience with CRM, SIS, telephony, or other customer relationship management systems
Bilingual English/Spanish skills
Experience working with adult learners and/or online higher education

Responsibilities

Build trusting, meaningful relationships with prospective students while maintaining accountability for enrollment progression.
Use active listening, thoughtful questioning, and needs analysis to understand students' goals, motivations, circumstances, and barriers.
Recommend appropriate programs, pathways, and resources based on each student's individual needs and goals.
Clearly communicate the features, benefits, value, requirements, and costs of Excelsior University programs.
Address questions, concerns, objections, and barriers with confidence, empathy, and accurate information.
Help students establish clear next steps, timelines, and commitments toward enrollment.
Take ownership of an assigned prospective student pipeline from initial inquiry through application, admission, and enrollment.
Conduct consistent and purposeful outreach and follow-up based on student engagement, readiness, enrollment stage, and established contact strategies.
Prioritize outreach based on student intent, upcoming start dates, outstanding requirements, and opportunities for progression.
Identify stalled or disengaged students and implement appropriate strategies to re-engage them.
Achieve established individual and team activity, productivity, and enrollment goals.
Use CRM and performance data to monitor pipeline activity, prioritize work, identify opportunities, and manage follow-up effectively.
Guide prospective students through the admissions process and ensure they understand requirements, deadlines, documentation, and next steps.
Engage students through phone, email, chat, text, and other approved communication channels.
Provide timely, professional, and personalized communication throughout the admissions process.
Proactively identify barriers and collaborate with appropriate university departments to resolve issues and facilitate a seamless student experience.
Maintain accurate and timely documentation of student interactions, commitments, follow-up activities, and next steps.
Consistently meet established expectations for daily activity, schedule adherence, ready time, follow-up time, chat availability, call and email flow, service and support, pipeline management, and enrollment performance.
Demonstrate proficiency with established call flow and communication standards while maintaining an authentic, conversational approach.
Participate in coaching, call reviews, training, and professional development and apply feedback to improve performance.
Maintain productivity and responsiveness in a high-volume admissions environment.
Maintain comprehensive and current knowledge of Excelsior University programs, admission requirements, tuition and fees, policies, procedures, academic pathways, transfer credit processes, and student resources.
Understand the needs and common barriers of adult learners and effectively communicate how Excelsior programs align with their educational and career goals.
Assist prospective students through the admissions process in accordance with University policies and procedures and all applicable federal and state regulations, accreditation standards, and institutional requirements.
Provide accurate, complete, and ethical information and maintain student confidentiality.
Effectively use the University's CRM, Student Information System (SIS), telephony platform, email, chat, and other systems required to manage the prospective student experience.
Accurately document student activity and maintain data integrity within University systems.
Continuously develop knowledge of University programs, policies, processes, systems, competitive offerings, and adult learner needs.