Chicago Center for Urban Life and Culture Admissions Coordinator Philadelphia, PA · Full time

Apply for Admissions Coordinator

The Admissions Coordinator plays an important role in coordinating and directing recruitment efforts for the Chicago Center. This position is responsible for overseeing all activities related to prospective students, applicants, and colleges within a designated territory or population. The role requires a dynamic individual with excellent communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills to effectively promote the Chicago Center's mission and programs. The successful candidate will drive recruitment strategies, manage application processes, and build strong relationships with prospective students and key stakeholders to achieve enrollment goals. We have an opening for one position; the title will be determined by experience.

About the Chicago Center for Urban Life and Culture

For 50+ years, we have leveraged the power of place and people to create transformative student learning experiences. Today, we prepare students to be global citizens with greater self-awareness and career preparedness for a more just world.

The Chicago Center for Urban Life and Culture equips college students and other participants to learn from diverse urban communities through innovative programs, seminars, and internships.

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Since 1970, the Chicago Center has expanded the traditional classroom with a community-based, first-voice pedagogy that prepares its students for greater self-awareness and global citizenship. In 2023, we began managing The Philadelphia Center, an urban experiential learning program that integrates urban living, academic study, and professional development with every student’s experience. We use the city as a classroom, providing social and academic support through thought-provoking courses.

Together, these centers are redefining urban internships. The programs emphasize innovative, community-focused pedagogies that not only expand the traditional college classroom experience but also promote self-awareness, global citizenship, and engagement with issues like race, equity, and inclusion through critical place-based pedagogies.

RESPONSIBILITIES

This role is responsible for managing a full recruitment territory across specific academic programs and providing excellent customer service to prospective students from initial contact through enrollment in their selected academic program. In addition, they will be responsible for helping to maintain a culture of positivity, collaboration, and efficiency within a team that both works hard and celebrates team successes.

• Manage all activities related to prospective students, applicants,, and colleges from a specific territory/population.
• Attend in-person and virtual college fairs
• Report on recruitment initiatives, including tracking of inquiries, applications, follow-up contacts, campus visits, etc., to allow for the analysis of enrollment strategies.
• Coordinate admissions materials inventory.
• Communicates with prospective and current applicants and campus partners through phone calls, emails, appointments, and virtual or in-person engagements.
• Participate in on and off-campus functions designed to meet application and enrollment goals, program tours for example.
• Promptly respond to phone calls, emails, and inquiries.
• Conduct weekly call campaigns and meet student outreach goals.
• Manage application flow; evaluate admissions applications and make admission decisions or recommendations in a timely fashion.
• Work closely with staff to provide information students need to move students through the enrollment funnel.
• Extensive travel is required for in-person recruitment to targeted schools, colleges, and events in assigned regions to provide presentations to students and parents, including evening and weekend programs.
• Frequent evening and weekend availability is required, especially during peak travel seasons (fall and spring).
• Coordinate special projects as assigned.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

KEY QUALIFICATIONS

The admissions coordinator requires one year experience and focuses on executing recruitment strategies, managing daily interactions with prospective students, and designing recruitment events and application processes.

• Bachelor’s degree from a recognized college/university required
• Prior experience handling an array of customer service duties
• Interpersonal skills: ability to interact with diverse groups positively and professionally to build strong relationships with prospective families, colleagues, and stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills: oral and written.
• Sales skills: able to effectively sell the institution's value amid higher education difficulties.
• Outstanding organizational skills. 
• Public Speaking: ability to speak in front of large crowds both in-person and virtually.
• Ability to handle confidential information.
• Time Management skills to meet recruitment targets and deadlines while performing duties off campus (traveling to recruitment events).
• Problem-solving skills: ability to think critically, creatively, and strategically to find solutions to common occurrences.
• Resilience: ability to handle rejection and setbacks to remain persistent in pursuit of enrollment goals.
• Punctuality
• Possess a valid driver’s license and car insurance or the ability to demonstrate the capacity to meet the transportation needs for the position.
• This is a demanding role that requires full-time availability.

The Chicago Center is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

Ability to work evening and weekend events/programs and to travel to program sites on a regular basis is required.

This role will work in a hybrid work arrangement, with some days spent working in our office in Center City Philadelphia and some days spent working from home. COVID-19 vaccination is a requirement for all positions at the Chicago Center. New hires are expected to be fully vaccinated before beginning work at the Chicago Center.

We are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff.  We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.

All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Questions regarding the application process should be directed to Tyler Hough at [email protected].