The admissions department hired nine counselors to increase recruiting among prospective students across the country.
The new additions will give admissions counselors an opportunity to work as a team to build relationships with prospective students and their families during the recruitment process.
“As an office, we are always looking for ways that we can improve what we do,” said Greg Oglesby, associate director of recruiting and financial counseling. “One way we feel we could improve is by increasing our staff which will allow us to develop more personal relationships with the students and families we work with each year.”
Oglesby said the counselors are not expanding to new regions, however, the increased staff will allow ACU to have more of a presence in the larger markets in the state. The larger markets include Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, Houston, Austin and Abilene.
“We want to be a relational university and we hope that we can provide prospective students with a great introduction to the ACU community through our interactions with them during their high school years.”
Over the summer, three admissions counselors transitioned to other positions outside of recruiting. J.B. Gibbs, director of recruiting, said it is not uncommon to have one to three counselors move on each year.
“According to a study by the NACAC [National Association for College Admissions Counseling], almost 50 percent of admissions counselors remain in their position for three years or less about 70 percent for five years or less,” Gibbs said. “We hope that our increase will allow us to better serve prospective students.”
Three of the new counselors were hired specifically to replace those who transferred to new positions, and six were hired to fill the new available jobs.
Gibbs said he hopes the increase in admissions counselors will allow ACU to better serve prospective students and their families through quality relationships and dynamic recruiting events.
“These admissions counselors are talented and work really hard,” Gibbs said. “They travel across the U.S. visiting high schools and churches, meeting students and their families for dinners and coffees, and hosting events to help make ACU a reality for thousands of students. We’re lucky to have them.”
