Fresh off the Beaten Path: Admissions Consulting Jobs

Published on 2008-07-10

You've probably heard of image consultants and management consultants, folks who make it their business to provide advice about what to do, how to do it, and even what to wear while doing it. But are you familiar with information technology consultants? How about human resource consultants or environmental consultants? With the rapid expansion in this sector, new branches of consultant jobs are sprouting every day. One of the lesser known consultancy practices under this umbrella is admissions consulting.

Admissions Consulting: What Exactly Is It?

These professionals help students gain admission to schools of their choice, whether the students are aiming for business school, law school, medical school, graduate school, or anything in-between. Today's tough competition for top-tier schools means that students must devote a lot of time, energy, and money to selling themselves to schools, and unfortunately, a high SAT or ACT score and a 4.0 GPA are no longer guarantees of admission.

Knowing this, an admissions consultant works with a student to determine his or her strengths and weaknesses, which schools might be a good fit, and which schools would offer the best chances for admission. Working from the idea that most universities employ a formula to screen applicants, admissions consultants help unravel the clues and project the best possible image of their candidates based on the qualities that they know schools are looking for. A successful admissions consultant will also provide help with writing strong personal statements, completing applications, and obtaining reference letters - all without erasing the individual qualities of the student. The key is not to create a phony voice for students but to help the students find their strongest voices possible.

Education, Training, and Experience: How Do I Become an Admissions Consultant?

As expected, the backgrounds of admissions consultants are filled with education-related experiences. Most people who work in a consultant capacity have a bachelor's degree or higher. Consultants are presumed to be experts in their given field, so their degrees may be augmented by jobs in education as teachers, admissions counselors, academic advisors, or postsecondary administrators. They may also have previous experience in marketing jobs. Or, a consultant may have held journalism jobs in the past. Regardless of experience, however, admissions consultants should have knowledge of different colleges and universities to excel in this field.

Given that writing is an important component of college admissions, admissions consultants should possess solid writing skills. An admissions consultant will not take on the work of drafting a personal statement, but he or she might suggest, based on prior knowledge of a candidate's experiences, the focus for a personal statement or certain details that have the potential to command an admissions committee's attention.

To gain experience, you may work either for a company that specializes in educational consulting or you can strike out on your own as a freelance consultant and take on telecommuting jobs. Membership in a professional organization such as the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) or the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) can lend credibility, ongoing training, and industry contacts.

In terms of their personalities, admissions consultants have a combination of the analytical minds and interpersonal skills of consultants and the detailed, nurturing aspects of teachers. Most admissions consultants tend to be outgoing, driven, and tough-minded enough to find clients and work as an advocate for them. The hours may be long and variable, if it's admissions season. And because an admissions consultant's clients may be located all over the world, time management and organization skills are important.

Admissions consultants must also be versatile enough to work with a variety of students who require a variety of approaches. One client, a nontraditional student looking to return to campus after 30 years, may require a tactful approach that differs from that required for a recent graduate aiming for the best M.B.A. program in the country. Above all, admissions consultants possess a desire to help their clients succeed, both academically and beyond.

The Future of Admissions Consulting

While using an external advisory service is not expressly forbidden to applicants, some schools have recently come under fire for not screening out candidates who have used admissions consultants. Thus, discretion and a light touch are important. Still, any stigma that might be associated with admissions consulting has done little to ebb the trajectory of the profession. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), consulting jobs are expected to grow at a steady rate through 2014, although competition for these positions remains fierce. The other good news, however, is that the consulting industry, as a whole, is one of the highest paying, whether consultants charge flat fees or hourly rates. As long as students continue to fret over college admissions, admissions consultants will probably remain in demand.

Finding the latest consulting jobs in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, or wherever you like to hang your hat can be difficult. But when you browse the free online classifieds at Fresho.com, your search will be focused and efficient. Your new consulting career could be waiting here!