Chief diversity officers (CDOs) are leaders in higher education and are called upon to play a transformational role in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Williams and Wade-Golden (2013) position CDOs as change agents, strategic partners, and invested advisors on our college campuses (Aguilar, 2020; O'Neil Green, 2013). Although the role of…

The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) is a nonprofit, voluntary, professional association that relies on its membership to provide content, leadership, feedback, and financial support. The association promotes the well-being and advancement of professionals in the higher education community by engaging…

Attending a selective college or university has a notable impact on the likelihood of graduation, graduate school attendance, social networks, and career earnings. Given these short-term and long-term benefits, surprisingly little research has directly explored the factors that might promote or detract from equitable admissions decisions at these…

When one thinks of seminal publications in college admission, the first piece that comes to mind is B. Alden Thresher's "College Admissions in the Public Interest" (1966). Thresher's work, relevant to this day, is credited with being the foundational document of the admission profession. McDonough and Robertson's 1995 study, commissioned by NACAC,…

As members of enrollment management units look ahead to the next few years, they anticipate many institution-wide challenges: (1) implementation of a new student information system; (2) major upgrade of an existing system; and (3) re-configuring an existing system to reflect changes in academic policies or to accommodate new federal or state…

Academics are all used to the idea that they have special ethical obligations. They may also, as administrators, recognize special administrative ethical obligations. But they do not like to think of themselves as businessmen, concerned with selling, and few of them indeed have thought directly and hard about the ethical constraints on marketing…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of chief diversity officers (CDOs) and how they enhanced admission of minority students in the post-affirmative action era. Six chief diversity officers, who played a pivotal leadership role in diversity of their respective campuses, described their experiences. Using…

In this brief article, the author relates his experiences both as associate director of undergraduate admission at Duke University (North Carolina), and later as director on college placement at the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics. [This article has been reprinted in this 2006 issue of "Journal of College Admission."…

Increased pressure to "position" the institution, create an image, and "structure" potential students' first impression of the college has caused admissions professionals to participate less in the institution's central mission. Competition among colleges has also overstimulated the higher education market and created confusing pricing schemes,…

Explored the relationships between the management styles of admissions officers (N=178), the recruitment activities of their units, and their level of goal attainment. Results indicated no significant relationships between management styles and office activities, or between management styles and success of admissions officers in recruiting or…

Recent changes in higher education have resulted in great changes in the college admissions officer's role. Admissions officers are becoming teacher/communicators, members of the institutional enrollment management team who can educate other administrators and provide leadership to meld pragmatic and philosophical concerns. (MSE)

Admissions professionals can upgrade their computing capabilities in recruitment by using their nonscientific skills and abilities and working with the university's computing center staff. Practical guidelines are provided. (MSE)

Reviews educational trends related to student financial aid and discusses implications for college admissions officers, who must serve both the institution and the public. Discusses difficulties involved in providing educational opportunities to talented poor students. (JAC)

In their role as counselors and advisers, college admissions officers can enhance student retention by helping prospective students develop reasonable expectations about their undergraduate education and by helping them choose the institution that is best for them. (MSE)

There have been dramatic changes in the environment surrounding American higher education and admissions professionals have had to adapt to them. Demographics, new societal attitudes, new complexities in admissions work, and new economic restrictions are seen as having changed the admissions profession. (Author/MLW)