By Christopher Bierasinski
In May of this year, I graduated from the University of Rochester and landed this excellent position as “Admissions Representative.” I don’t know about you, but when I was in high school, I thought of admissions counselors as traveling gurus and experts on all things “University.” I assumed it was their lot in life to seek out, high and low, the most experienced, well rounded and prepared minds for their academic institutions. Then, as an undergraduate, I was able to get a taste of what this work was all about; I worked in the admissions office as a tour guide. By the time I was a senior, I was interviewing students who were interested in Rochester so when I was hired for the position, I had a solid idea of what working in admissions was like. I was however, unsure what the big switch from tour guide to admissions counselor would really be like.
College recruitment is very serious business. The college search process has definitely cost some high school juniors and seniors (and even the occasional sophomores) to have lost a few hours of sleep. There are thousands (yes thousands! I know, right?) of colleges and universities across the US of A. So it makes sense that students would like some assistance in navigating this process. There are countless questions and concerns that the students we meet with are always wondering or worrying about. Here is where admissions folks happily enter the picture. It is our job to educate students about their options and opportunities and we do our best to deliver the answers you are looking for. Whether you send us an email, call our office, or come in to meet with us in person, we want you to know that we are here to help and we want to. Choosing a college is an important and life-altering decision and we understand that.
Now that I am in my 4th month here at the admissions office, I can tell you that answering all of your questions can sometimes be pretty stressful, but it can also be pretty exciting. There is rarely a dull minute when we are interacting with students. I get to talk about a school that I love and meet with students who are considering being a part of that same community. When I think about it, it’s not all that different from when I was an undergraduate (except now I work 40+ hours a week). There are more meetings I get to attend, there are a few tedious details, like ordering plane tickets and reserving hotel rooms that I didn’t do before, and I have a desk. In the end though, it’s still all about you – the students. I’m still primarily focused and working hard to ensure that you know everything you could possibly want to know about our schools. It’s a lot of work traveling for multiple months, reading hundreds of applications, and educating students about our institutions, but it’s all worth it if you walk away feeling better about your college search.
If you have any questions, then feel free to ask me here.
Christopher Bierasinski ‘10
Admissions Representative