Monday, April 6, 2009
Jayhawks who are passionate about their alma mater could consider applying to work as an admissions counselor for the University. The Office of Admissions and Scholarships is currently hiring for the one open admissions counselor position.
Ten alumni of the University work day in and day out to promote the University to prospective undergraduate students all across Kansas and in eight other states across the country. These admissions counselors make their living representing the University, said Heidi Simon, associate director of the Office of Admissions and Scholarships.
“Admissions counselors are the face of the University and, in many cases, are perceived as the University,” Simon said. “To many people they are KU — they are the athletics teams, they are the debate team, they are the pre-med program, they are housing, they are the chancellor, they are the greek system, they are Lawrence.”
Even before Nick Lush began working as an admissions counselor last August, he had already experienced recruiting students to come to the University.
Jessica Walters, an admissions counselor for the University, serves as the first line of contact for many prospective students. The 2005 graduate has been working with incoming freshmen since 2006.
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A Year in the Life of an Admissions Counselor Elisa Krapcha breaks down admissions counselors’ duties season-by-season.
Fall: The admissions counselors visit the high schools in their respective territories, both in Kansas and out of state. “We get the nickname of being ‘road warriors,’ during this time of year,” Krapcha said.
Winter: The team reviews the applications of thousands of students who applied for scholarships.
Spring: The admissions counselors are back on the road. “It’s the same message — tell them about KU,” Krapcha said.
Summer: The team freshens up and gets updated information so that their presentations can be as current as possible.
Lush, Sacramento, Calif., 2008 graduate, recruited his younger brother and five friends from California to attend the University long before he was paid to do it. He now calls himself and the other admissions counselors “brand representatives” of the University.
“We’re the people that prospective students, families and counselors go to for information about KU,” Lush said. “We are the first contact for them.”
Something that admissions counselors call “the KU difference” sells the University, said Elisa Krapcha, senior admissions counselor and Littleton, Colo., 2005 graduate.
“The KU difference is when a student comes to KU, they can find exactly what they’re looking for and also be challenged to find and do things they never thought they could do,” Krapcha said. “It’s a place where you have opportunities in an amazing city surrounded by amazing people. That just makes KU second to none in the country.”
Duties of admissions counselors include presenting to large or small groups, meeting with families, or counseling over the phone or e-mail, which vary day to day. Admissions counselors work junior days and senior days when they are in Lawrence and not traveling across Kansas or out of state.
“If we didn’t have admissions counselors going out and visiting high schools, some people wouldn’t even know what KU is all about,” Krapcha said.
Admissions counselors are dedicated, passionate, creative, and enthusiastic, Simon said. She called working with the admissions counselors the absolute best part of her job.
“They are the most fun group of people to work with,” Simon said.
The application for the job is available at jobs.ku.edu until April 22.
“It’s the best job anyone can have on campus, maybe besides Bill Self’s job,” Krapcha said.
— — Edited by Realle Roth
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Comments
The Office of Admissions and Scholarships is hiring
I don't mean anything by this but with a name like Lush at a University that has 21% binge drinking....kinda funny or ironic.
I can make fun of names as mine is Jay Robin Wren. I know, bird-brain, lays an egg, etc, etc.
The Office of Admissions and Scholarships is hiring
I guess it is cool to call my brother an alcoholic because of his name. Having a name about birds is a little bit different then assuming someone is an alcoholic by his name
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