Freshman Admission Counselor

Aurora University (AU) is committed to the transformative power of learning by creating a student-centered environment and an equity of experience and opportunity, to ensure that students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel welcome and included. Our culture of collaboration, generosity, and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty, and staff.

AU is grounded in the transformative opportunity it provides to a diverse student body. As a private university with a public mission and a commitment to making a difference in peoples’ lives, AU has a long history of resilience and of providing access to an education that values innovation, focuses on continuous improvement, and has a positive impact on the communities we serve. We are proud of our service to and economic impact on the state of Illinois, where over 80% of our students stay to live and work, where 90% of our students come from, and where we foster strong community partnerships to develop the workforce in areas such as nursing, education, business, technology, and social work.

We are looking for passionate and purposeful individuals who represent the full diversity of Aurora and who demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, ability, identity, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. When you join the team at AU, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative, and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice requiring broad collaboration among faculty, staff, students, and community partners.

At AU we believe that continuous learning is a fundamental part of working life, and our goal is for all colleagues on our campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support our community by providing all employees with opportunities to engage in professional development activities, as well as a range of tuition and employee benefits that can be found here.

Position Purpose:

A Freshman Admission Counselor supports the University’s mission by recruiting a diverse population of full-time freshmen and guiding them through the admission process. This role is essential to building strong incoming classes aligned with AU’s commitment to access, academic excellence, and student success.

As a university ambassador and relationship builder, the counselor connects students and families to the transformative power of higher education. Motivated by a passion for helping others realize their potential, they play a key role in shaping both the incoming class and the individual journeys within it.

Essential Job Functions:

• Identifies, recruits and enrolls a specified quantity of prospective students in an assigned territory.
• Assist with special programs and research projects; participates in the development and implementation of enrollment strategies to achieve institutional enrollment goals.
• Achieve assigned recruiting metrics, including visits for assigned territory.
• Timely follow up at all levels of the enrollment funnel to yield the correct call to action for the next required step.
• Provide accurate information about Aurora University's degree program and admissions procedures.
• Evaluate high school transcripts, some test scores (ACT/SAT), provide recommendations on student admission and scholarships.
• Maintain an assigned number of high school visits, college fairs, home visits, phoning nights, and impactful communication with prospect families to build strong personal relationships.
• Communicate Aurora University’s advantages to various populations in varying situations.
• Provide supervisor(s) with territory, monthly, weekly benchmark report, and communication report.
• Support open houses, on-campus and off-campus territory recruitment events.
• Guide prospective families through the financial aid process; assist families to determine a comprehensive financial plan for attendance at Aurora University.
• Manage student interns to assist in fulfilling admission counselor duties.
• Engage with current CRM, Colleague and other technology recruitment strategies; actively recommend ideas and process improvements.
• Other duties as assigned by the Assistant Vice President for Freshman Admission or AU administration.

Essential Job Requirements:

Education: Bachelor’s Degree required.

Experience:

• 0-2 years of prior admissions, recruitment or sales experience.
• Experience in higher education admission is important. Knowledge of Aurora
• University academic programs preferred. Experience in sales is a plus.

Skills:

• Receptive to the needs of and ability to relate well to prospective families is necessary.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and time management skills.
• Self-motivated to achieve goals.
• Ability to work well with others and willingness to take on meaningful additional responsibilities.
• Customer-service orientation and professional manners.
• Knowledge of Microsoft software essential. Knowledge of Colleague/Slate preferred.
• Ability to handle and act upon confidential information.
• Ability to speak in front of unknown audiences.
• Ability to prioritize work and to meet deadlines required. Flexibility with an evolving work situation.
• Ability to accept divergent views while maintaining a constructive working relationship with other team members.

• Ability to move about campus and other locations.
• Ability to interact via telephone, in person and via electronic media.
• Ability to lift boxes of materials when needed.

• A valid driver's license and driving record which meets institutional requirements is required.
• Ability to travel in and out of state regularly to effectively achieve territory objectives, providing own vehicle as needed.
• Evenings and Saturday hours required as job duties require flexibility.

The pay range referenced in the job posting is the budgeted amount the university reasonably expects to pay for this position. The final pay rate will not be below the lowest pay rate listed herein.

Benefit-eligible positions offer excellent benefits including health, dental, life, vision, long term disability, a 403(b) retirement plan through TIAA, and tuition remission.

Aurora University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Aurora University offers competitive, flexible benefits to eligible employees.

• Health Insurance
  Choice of HMO or PPO offered through BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois.
• Dental and Vision Insurance
  Choice of two dental plans and vision insurance offered through Blue Cross Blue Shield.
• Life Insurance and AD&D
  1.5 times annual salary, dependent on age. Additional life insurance also may be purchased for self, spouse, and children.
• Long Term Disability
  60% of salary, taxable and nontaxable options.
• TIAA Retirement Account
  The University offers a 403b retirement plan, administered by TIAA. Matching contributions offered first day of employment to eligible employees, at the discretion of the University and Board of Directors.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
  FSAs are available for medical costs and dependent care costs.
• Paid Time Off
  Vacation, personal, and sick leave are provided to eligible employees.
• Holidays
  The university observes nine major holidays where the university is closed.
• Tuition Assistance
  Tuition assistance for AU undergraduate courses is available to eligible employees and eligible family members beginning the term following one (1) year of regular, full-time employment. Tuition assistance for graduate programs paid at 60% for employee following Senior Leadership approval.
• Tuition Exchange Consortiums
  AU is a member of the Tuition Exchange (TE) and the Council of Independent Colleges Tuition Exchange Program (CIC-TEP) enabling full-time employees and eligible family members to be eligible for tuition assistance at more than 600 universities nationwide. Eligibility for the CIC-TEP and TE programs is one (1) year of regular, full-time employment as of 8/31.