I was at a tiny high school in Boulder, Colorado — 12 seniors in the whole graduating class — when the school counselor said, “I’ll just have you talk to all of them.” As a college admissions counselor, I had come to meet one student who’d expressed interest in my institution.
I ended up staying for an hour.
At some point, I stopped giving my presentation and just started asking questions. What did they want to study? What were they curious about? What did they think college was actually for? What were they most anxious about? And they answered, honestly, in the way students do when they sense nobody is trying to sell them something.
The human touch matters. A lot.
That visit in Boulder was a good reminder of something I’d noticed throughout my years on the road. I learned the essentials, like how to explain acceptance rates, what makes a strong essay, and how to guide families through financial aid packages.
But what I saw is that, much of the time, a student’s impression of your school is formed before they set foot on campus. It starts with whoever shows up at their high school or stands behind a table at a college fair, and whether that person seems genuinely interested in them as a human being.
That’s a lot of influence to leave to chance.
The New England Association for College Admission Counseling has a summer institute for first-year counselors, with sessions on how to actually have those conversations, ask follow-up questions that go beyond yes or no, and keep yourself healthy on the road. It was some of the most useful professional development I ever had in the field. I just don’t know how many other programs are doing anything like it, and I think that gap matters more than we admit.
Presence is a skill you can teach, and most schools haven’t decided it’s worth the effort yet.
Why this is still a people business.
I once got so deep in a conversation with two students at a college fair that I didn’t notice the entire gym had packed up around me. Custodians waited, chairs stacked, and we kept talking because those students started to picture themselves at my college, and I watched it happen in real time.
That moment didn’t come from a well-timed email or a slick virtual tour. It came from a person who was genuinely present and curious about those two specific students. And I think that’s worth sitting with, especially right now, when the instinct is to find ways to do more with less.
A lot of tools today can help, but they can’t manufacture moments like that. Only a well-prepared, genuinely engaged counselor can, and that means the investment that schools make in their people matters more than most of them realize.
What it adds up to.
As a past marching band member, I used to talk to prospective students about starting a winter guard on campus. None of them ever did, but when I was describing it, they could see themselves there. Good admissions counselors make a school feel like a place where you could belong, because they’re paying attention to you and having a real conversation.
College admissions is still a people business, and the people you send out to represent your school are shaping whether a student can picture their future there. That’s a skill that can be taught, but only if institutions decide it’s worth investing in. Training your counselors to show up curious and genuinely interested in each student is how you move them from maybe to yes.
FAQ: Building Student Connections in College Admissions
How do admissions counselors help students choose a college?
Admissions counselors help students choose a college by listening to what matters to them, answering questions clearly, and helping them picture whether a school feels like the right fit.
Why is the college admissions process still personal?
The college admissions process is still personal because students are making a major life decision, and their impressions are often shaped by real conversations with people from the institution.
What role do admissions counselors play in student enrollment?
Admissions counselors play a major role in student enrollment by building trust, creating connection, and helping prospective students move from interest to application to enrollment.
Why is training important for college admissions counselors?
Training is important for college admissions counselors because strong communication, curiosity, and follow-up skills help them represent the school well and connect more meaningfully with students.
