Description
POSITION OBJECTIVE
The Admissions Specialist for the Physician Assistant Program will serve as the primary student admissions liaison for the program¿s leadership team and will administer, develop, and manage admissions processes. The specialist will report to the Administrative Director and will work closely with the Program Director, the Director of Admissions and the leadership team. The responsibilities of the specialist will include the oversight of operations related to all aspects of the admissions process including applicant inquiry management, application review and analysis, interviews, applicant development, marketing, communications, data tracking, student compliance, and outreach to health professions advisors nationwide. The specialist will be an ambassador of the PA program and will have direct contact with key constituencies.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Assist in the application evaluation for candidates who apply to the school of medicine physician assistant program. Analyze and interpret college and graduate school transcripts, interpret standardized test scores, assess academic achievement (must be able to assess strength of similar courses offered at different colleges/universities), evaluate quality of essays and letters of recommendation. Synthesize this information to predict likelihood of success in the program. Develop and maintain standards and procedures for admissions processing to ensure that the process is consistent, and all applicants are evaluated based on the same criteria. Provide resolution to complex admissions situations, and coordinate applicant interviews. (35%)
Engage and communicate with prospective applicants regarding questions about their eligibility, application process, and deadlines. Review college and graduate school transcripts for prospective applicants. Serve as the single point of contact for over 1200 applicants; effective communication and active listening are essential in providing clear and concise engagement with applicants. (15%)
Manage WebAdmit to track data, applicants, and prospective students. Assign applications who meet admission criteria to faculty reviewers. Leverage customer relationship management (CRM) systems, data analytics tools, and other technologies to streamline the admissions process and make data-driven decisions. Assist the chair of the admissions committee with conducting statistical analyses to also understand and predict trends and adjust targets. From the data, determine best practices and effectiveness of admission strategies. Provide regular reports to the program director and director of admissions, directly informing and improving the admissions process and recruitment activities, and tracking progress against prior year and current year goals. Ensure the admissions team is compliant with relevant data privacy and security regulations. (15%)
Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, both internally and externally. Serve as the primary liaison with other schools of medicine and university departments such as the enrollment management office, university marketing and communications, financial aid office, registrar¿s office, visa office, and other student services departments to ensure that the admission process is seamless and efficient. Build relationships with key personnel including administrators, faculty, advisors, students, and officers of pre-healthcare/pre-PA societies at colleges and universities nationwide to establish interest and create opportunities to disseminate information. Maintain, nurture, and strengthen ties with health professions advisors. Attend national and regional advisor conferences to further expand the scope of external engagement and representation of the PA program. (10%)
Working with the PA program medical director, maintain consistency of action throughout the program by serving as compliance officer. Ensure all conditions of student admission offers are met. Direct and monitor the student background check, annual drug screening, and random drug screening processes, including ensuring deadline compliance, advising students and analyzing results. (10%)
Manage and lead all aspects of interview days including the scheduling of in person interviews and all related interview day activities. Assume a leadership role on interview days and deliver tailored informational sessions to prospective students and host question and answer sessions. Send acceptance, waitlist, or rejection notifications and track applicant responses. (10%)
NONESSENTIAL FUNCITONS
Working with the enrollment management team, participate in all aspects of the recruitment process with the goal of attracting and enrolling a diverse and highly qualified student body, and seek to maximize Slate CRM for recruitment initiatives. Lead or co-lead customized information sessions for prospective applicants via Zoom and in person. Attend recruitment fairs and individual school visits. Compose recruitment and retention correspondence for prospective applicants and current applicants in the admissions cycle. Develop and maintain admissions pages on website. (5%)
Assist in planning orientation, White Coat ceremony and graduation commencement activities. (<1%)
Perform other duties as assigned. (3%)
CONTACTS
Department: Continuous contact with PA leadership, colleagues, and faculty to discuss applications for admission and for essential day to day functions. Frequent interactions with other Medical Education personnel for information sharing, project collaboration, and in relation to the specific needs of students.
University: Frequent contact within the school of medicine and within the university with individuals that support admissions responsibilities: financial aid, registrar, international student services, university health & counseling services, health sciences library, office of inclusion diversity and equal opportunity, Utech. Occasional contact with university pre-health advisors to share information about the program, with procurement & distribution services to make purchases/process payments, and with the Office of General Counsel to seek legal advice on student issues. Infrequent contact at administrator forums and HR information sessions. Will represent the program at meetings pertaining to university admissions processes as needed.
External: Continuous contact with constituents in person and via phone/email - prospective applicants, current applicants, interviewees, health professions advisors across the United States - to promote and provide information about the program. Moderate contact with vendors for the purchase of student materials. Occasional contact with peer institutions, consultants, and outside professional organizations for professional collaboration purposes. Occasional contact with visitors and guests of Case Western Reserve University.
Students: Infrequent formal contact with newly matriculated and current students. Frequent informal interactions occur daily, though.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
None.
REQUIRED SKILLS
Familiarity with integrated database management systems.
High comfort level with web-based, mobile and computer applications, including but not limited to the use of Google Apps, Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and social media platforms.
Must have capacity to think critically and mange complicated issues.
Attention to detail; ability to problem solve and follow an issue through to resolution.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (including oral, written, and presentation).
Strong commitment to customer service and must be able to act as a strong ambassador of the PA program to all constituents.
Strong organizational skills, self-motivation and demonstrated ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team.
Must be able to process complex and highly confidential information in accordance with FERPA guidelines.
Demonstrated history of successful support, education, and advocacy for all students, aligned with the values, mission, and messaging of the university, while adhering to the staff policy on conflict of commitment and interest.
Ability to interact with colleagues, supervisors, and customers face to face.
Ability to meet consistent attendance.
WORKING CONDITIONS
General office environment. Occasional evenings and weekends required. Must be willing and able to travel to assigned recruitment events.
Requirements
QUALIFICAITONS
Education/Experience: Bachelor's degree and 1 year of experience required. Master's degree in education, marketing or business and 5 years experience working in an admissions or health professions advising office and/or a strong foundation in interviewing and counseling skills is preferred.
