From sitting in a Starbucks for hours to traveling for months, here are five things you may not know about TCU’s admission counselors.
- There are 21 people on the recruitment staff
Each admission counselor recruits in a specific region of the world and brings different experiences to the job.
“It is often a thankless job,” Heath Einstein, dean of admission said.
During the hiring process, “I’m looking to bring in something different, and everyone should have a set of traits that bring something different,” Einstein said. “I’m looking for gaps.”
- There are five regional admission counselors
TCU has five regional counselors who are located in the Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, Northern California and Southern California.
“I do what admission counselors do in the office, but I am more accessible to students and families in the Northeast,” Caitlin Provost, regional director of admission, said.
The regional admission counselors are spread throughout the country and have the ability to reach students that do not know about TCU or cannot easily access the university.
“TCU is a brand name in North Texas and Texas in general, but in certain pockets of the world there are people who don’t know about us,” Einstein said.
- Admission counselors have three seasons throughout the school year: travel, reading and yield season
“This is what I really like about the job, it feels like the job description changes every few months,” Dalton Goodier, admission counselor, said.
In the fall, admission counselors travel to high schools, attend college fairs, host mock interviews and attend meetings with students and parents. By doing so, admission counselors hope to connect students to TCU.
“There are days where I’ll set up in a Starbucks and hang out for about five hours,” Goodier said. “I’ll email students in the area so they know they can come by and talk with somebody.”
Provost said meeting with students and parents in the fall helps them feel more comfortable with the college process.
“I think this helps ease parents nerves a bit, they actually understand there is a person on the other side of the computer,” Provost said.
Toward the beginning of the spring semester, admission counselors start to review applications. Each admission counselor is assigned a region, and from November to mid-March they are reviewing applications from their region.
Near the end of the spring semester, admission counselors are in yield season. The counselors start sealing the deal with high school seniors. They are also communicating with students and hosting events, such as Experience TCU.
“We have hundreds of students on campus, show them around and talk to them about the next steps,” Goodier said.
- Admission Counselors complete data work
To figure out what schools to visit, admission counselors analyze data and review all communication with applicants.
“We do our research so we know the right places to go,” Provost said. “We try to go to places we don’t go to often to increase our contacts.”
Goodier said he has recently found success in recruiting at a school in Austin because they provide applicants that will be great additions to the university.
“I just started visiting a performing arts magnet school in Austin because they bring in high-quality theatre and music students,” Goodier said.
- Admission counselors serve as the face of TCU and shape the incoming class
Admission counselors are often the first contact applicants have with the university.
“I am able to get out to all these schools and send the true message of TCU,” Provost said.
Where admission counselors choose to visit directly impacts the applications they receive, ultimately shaping the incoming class.
“I like the autonomy because we get to build relationships with students and counselors,” Goodier said. “We get to decide where we want to go and that impacts what the class will eventually look like.”
