Summertime at OUA
People I meet throughout life often believe my job is on a 10-month contract with summers off work. Contrary to belief, however, there is a great deal of behind-the-scenes work to be done in the summer months and I am here at OUA year-round. So what exactly do admission counselors do when they’re not traveling to meet prospective students or reading applications from around the globe? Here’s a little sneak-peak into our summer at OUA:
PreVU – This summer we are in the process of hosting 12 day-long events here on our campus for prospective students and their families to learn about Vanderbilt opportunities and the admissions process. Each PreVU day accommodates 450 individuals and these are huge events for our staff to plan! It’s worth the work when, at the end of the day, we’ve met with excited future Commodores and we’ve really let our campus shine. In the picture above you see two of your favorite admission counselors hanging out at one of our PreVU events.
Research, Plan, Implement – There’s a great deal of activity that runs on “auto-pilot” during the busiest times of the year; summer is the time when we research best practices for those activities and then plan and implement so that things will run smoothly for you again the coming year. For example, our alumni interview program receives the most traffic during the fall months when almost all of our admission counselors are on the road. Therefore, we spend the summer evaluating past results and revamping technology to provide the best experience in the upcoming year.
Territory Management – Vanderbilt’s admissions counselors operate in a reader-recruiter model; this model means we both travel to recruit students and then we read the applications of those students who apply. Our office divides admissions counselors into geographic regions. In order to be a great admissions counselor for a territory, you’ve got to know it! We reserve a great portion of our time on these hot days for learning our assigned geographic territories. We ask many questions, such as: What types of students in this area traditionally apply to Vanderbilt? Are there students in this area Vanderbilt should reach out to and counsel? What does a successful applicant from this area look like? Which high schools need a Vanderbilt representative to visit this year? What kind of events would be the most helpful for prospective students and their families? By the time we meet you in your hometown we’ve devoted a lot of energy to learning about where you come from and the unique attributes you could bring to campus.
Summer Fun – Not all of the summer is work time. Most of us take family vacations, attend weddings, and celebrate holidays during these months. If your counselor is out for vacation, they will indicate this on their email and voicemail. I promise you’ll hear back from your counselor as soon as they return, just give them some time to enjoy summer as well!
So, what are you doing this summer? I’d love to hear from you– post below! Whatever it is, I hope you’re have a fantastic time!