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Assistant/
Associate Director 78.0 73.2 67.2 63.0 54.3 49.7 39.3
Director 75.1 National 76.1 Association 74.8 for College 63.2 Admission Counseling 61.5 • Career Paths 44.6 for Admission Officers: 35.6 A Survey Report
Vice President/
Dean 71.3 77.2 68.4 51.5 53.4 46.4 33.3
Table 12 (continued). Percentage of respondents rating various mid- and senior-level skills as "very
important," by position level
Advanced
degree
(Master's or
Doctorate)
Technology/
Web design/
Social media
Multicultural
recruitment
Transfer
recruitment
International
recruitment
Non-traditional
student
recruitment
Total 37.8% 26.4% 22.3% 16.7% 13.6% 11.9%
Current Position
Admission
Counselor 43.9 31.1 41.3 31.6 31.6 29.7
Assistant/
Associate Director 36.6 23.4 23.1 15.4 12.3 9.4
Director 35.2 32.3 18.9 14.6 10.8 9.9
Vice President/
Dean 39.2 21.5 9.3 9.7 5.9 6.4
Note: For skills in italics, statistically significant differences were found between respondents position level.
Source: NACAC Admission Officer Career Path Survey, 2011.
Figure 3). 13 This pattern suggests that women are choosing to remain
at the associate/assistant director level, finding it difficult to advance
beyond the mid-level position, or leaving the profession at this point on
the career path. Consequently, improving the gender balance in the most
senior-level admission positions may require focused education, training
and mentorship for promising women at the assistant/associate director
and director levels.
Increasing racial/ethnic diversity in the admission profession poses
a different challenge, as survey data indicates that non-whites are
underrepresented at all points on the admission career trajectory,
and the issue only becomes more pronounced at higher levels. The
representation of whites steadily increases along the career path from
71 percent of admission counselors to 88 percent of vice presidents/
deans. Conversely, the proportion of blacks decreases from 11 percent
of counselors and assistant/associate directors to 5 percent of vice
presidents/deans, while Hispanics decrease from 8 percent to only
2 percent (see Figure 4). Improved access to career development
resources and mentoring may be an essential part to increasing the
presence of minorities in senior positions, but the effects will be limited
without increasing the pool of underrepresented minorities entering
the profession.
More resources at all levels
Through responses to an open-ended survey question and in interviews, members
advocated for a variety of additional resources that would lessen confusion
among professionals seeking to move ahead, help create formalized advancement
pathways, and contribute to establishing admission as “a profession, not
just another job.” Among needed resources mentioned most often were:
• Training programs for new counselors
• Academic programs, including undergraduate courses, in enrollment
management
• Financial aid training
• Management training
• Leadership training
Some senior professionals said they would appreciate counsel on planning
their next steps leading up to and following retirement.
Young professionals asked for greater access to NACAC conferences and
programs at the regional and state level. Some noted that as “junior” staff
members they did not get to attend such events at all. Both counselors and
mid-level professionals expressed interest in programs that would help them
learn more about pathways to advancement. Some expressed interest in
more conferences and seminars on specific developing areas in admission,
including recruiting for online learning and recruiting/counseling low-income
and first generation college students.
13
Refers to all undergraduates enrolled in degree-granting colleges in the U.S. in 2012. Source: U.S. Department of Education. Digest of Education Statistics. (2012). Washington, DC: National
Center for Education Statistics. (Table 263).
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