The first encounter many prospective students have with Houghton comes through the Admissions Office, whose employees are essential to the Houghton community. The office helps enlarge Houghton’s campus by bridging the gap between prospective students and the faculty, staff, and current students. “We do our best to give prospective students the best glimpse of Houghton and all that this community can do to equip them to lead and labor as scholar servants in a changing world,” said Rebekah Smith, the Assistant Director of Admissions. Our hope is to add other students who will be difference-makers and will add…to this already beautiful community.”
The Admissions Office hosts three main departments: Operations, Recruitment, and Visit and Events. The operations department is responsible for marketing, communications, data, and admissions materials. The Recruitment Department cares for individual prospective students, acting as a bridge to other places and people on campus. Admission counselors, who operate under this department, play a large role in admissions and recruitment. They are responsible for a certain territory or student type, and are tasked with assisting each student within that area through the admission-to-enrollment process. They care for the needs of a prospective student from the time they inquire about admission until the time they step onto campus as a Houghton student for orientation. The position requires strong communication skills, excellent work ethic, and attention to detail. The Visit and Events Department organizes all incoming visits and the hosted by the Admissions Office, both on and off campus.
A wide variety of people work in the admissions office, and they fill a vast array of roles. According to Smith, the variety and quick pace of the work draw people to working in the Admissions Office. “Every day is different. Each day has a new set of surprises and challenges. The work keeps up on our toes! I think the constant change and movement of the seasons is what attracts people to this line of work,” she said. “This is not always an office job and there is plenty of room for new ideas, new challenges, and new ways to grow.”
Although the Admissions Office plays an essential role in bringing new students to Houghton, the office also greatly enjoys working with community to bring new people in. Smith said, “We don’t want to be remembered by the students coming to Houghton as the reason they came. We want Houghton to be the reason they came! Staff, faculty, and fellow students who will be walking alongside new students as soon as they come to Houghton through graduation are the most significant, and can be huge difference makers.”