Hello, and welcome.

I’m Wade Arave. In 2012 I made the transition from high-school-drama-teacher to higher ed admissions counselor. Since then I have worked for small and medium-sized institutions to increase enrollment.

Admissions is multidimensional. It requires expertise in both industry trends and middle management. I cover these topics and more in a monthly newsletter you can sign up for here.

My approach to admissions starts and ends with the student. I try to be a resource for students and families navigating the college search process. Just like buying a house, college is one of the biggest financial investments students and their families will make. I want to make sure students and families have what they need to make their best decision.

This student-centered approach makes my work fulfilling. It also tends to produce the numerical increases that make executive committees happy.
Each institution I’ve worked for has had different needs. These required different strategies and tactics. Below are my biggest takeaways from each:

• USU - Eastern - faculty recruitment 
• SUU - funnel based communications/messaging 
• OCAC - narrowing down the audience and connecting with influencers. 
• Evergreen - on-boarding, training, and digital office support. 

Over the years of working in enrollment, a set of principles surfaced. They shape how I complete daily tasks, organize tactics, and make strategic plans. Below is the list.

1. Autonomy - this gives each individual an opportunity to leverage their own strengths. An environment of autonomy rewards creative and calculated risk.
2. Professional Development - Continued education leads to mastery, which lends well to promotion.
3. Inclusivity and Belonging - Involving staff in decisions and processes gives them ownership. This in turn provides a sense a belonging and establishes the safety to be creative.
4. Accessible Education - higher education is a slow-to-change industry. Admissions holds the position to break down early barriers to education. It's at these points that we connect with campus partners to ensure the student's success. 
5. Transparent Admissions Process - accessibility goes with transparency. Transparent admissions standards and decisions give students a framework to aim for, setting them up for success before they get started. Maintaining transparency becomes more challenging with increasingly competitive and selective programs.
6. Student-Centered Sales - sales is often thought of as a four-letter-word. Negative experiences with salespeople and processes lead to the assumption that sales is pushy and forceful. Sales is about helping. By listening to students' needs, we can sell them exactly what they want, connecting them to the departments, staff, and faculty to ensure success.
7. Service Leadership - the best leaders I’ve interacted serve those they lead. This is why people follow them. Rising tides lift all boats.
8. Change from the Middle - change is constant. If organizations aren’t changing they are at risk. Middle management is often the last place people think change can happen. Admissions offices are in a position to lead institutional change from the middle.
9. Simplicity - we live in complex world. The default is complexity. The ability to break information down into its simplest form, and still be effective, is gold.

As a thank you for getting this far, I want to give you free access to these values cards, and exercises. I've used these when building and working with teams. You can access them here.
Higher education admissions is a fulfilling and creative career. It’s also a field that is best done in collaboration. The next time you need help, please feel free to reach out. There's no reason to do it alone. I'm here and always happy to help.

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