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[ginakings]

Hi,

 I am a graduate student in a higher education program trying to decide on an area to begin searching for practicum and networking opportunities. I have interests in both the field of Admissions and Development (enjoy the college setting, travel, building relationships and meeting new people). Admissions, mostly because I have an affinity for teenagers and helping them gain access to college. As a first gen student, I struggled in my transition to college without much guidance from parents, or any one else for that matter. I can see myself as a Dean of Admissions. I know everyone says "it is just sales," but I believe i can have a positive impact.

  For development, it was something suggested to me by one of my mentors. She says I'll have "more impact to help students" and that admissions is a "low-ranking" pursuit. I am not into prestige but if it is a more lucrative field in terms of growth and salary, I was going to consider it. I am not sure I would enjoy the pressure of bringing in major gifts and establishing relationships with donors rather than bringing in students and building relationships with them.

Is there one area over another that is more stressful or pressure-driven? I am trying to choose the lesser of two evils!

[michigander]

I was with you, GK, until you referred to choosing between the lesser of two evils.  Why?  As you prepare for your career, you should be at least trying to follow your passion.  Your posting started out as if that's admissions, and if it is your passion you needn't give a damn about whether or not other people view it as low-ranking.

You've put your finger on a major difference between admissions and development:  both can be seen as akin to sales and fund-raising, but you'll be working with entirely different populations.  If you prefer do work with prospective students and their parents, admissions is the field for you.  In development you'll have longer-term relationships with a smaller number of people who are wealthy adults.  Go for that if it seems like what you'd really like to do.

If you're having trouble making up your mind, find out if you can have an internship or practicum experience in each area and, at minimum, do some informational interviewing with the people on your campus who are doing those jobs now.

[ginakings]

Thanks Michigander for your response. When I referred to them as the "lesser of two evils" I meant the fact that those are two sales/numbers focused/high pressure jobs. Now that I look back at my question, I don't know why I posted. I answered my question when I made it clear where my passion is.

[cj405]

If you plan to stick around, and your current moniker is your full name, you should change it to something else.

[alleyoxenfree]

Admissions is not all sales; there is some admissions counseling.  You maybe find that in addition to become Dir of Admissions, you will eventually want to get a master's and become a college counselor with your own practice or a practice on the side, in addition to your full-time job.  In this job, you will spend time with lots of students and parents, and with Student Services folks, and with Marketing.

In Development, you will spend time with adults: rich donors, high-up administrators, deans, chairs, and a little with your prospect researchers and the media relations folks who do your website, brochure, etc.

[ginakings]

If you plan to stick around, and your current moniker is your full name, you should change it to something else.

Thanks, this is not my full name.

[infopri]

Ginakings, I've worked closely with admissions people (I was in a related area), and I've done development work.  Yes, both are high-pressure, but if working with teenagers is what you want, you don't want to be doing development work.  You never see the kids.  You work almost entirely with alumni and/or with organizations (corporations, foundations, and/or government funding agencies).  And a lot of those alumni are older alumni, because they are the ones more likely to have discretionary funds that they can donate.

But I have another suggestion for you.  If you like working with the students, perhaps you should consider something in student services?  In admissions, you work with them for a fairly short time.  Once they're admitted, you're done with them.  But student services folks are there for the students for their entire time at the university.  Depending on how a given school is set up, you might get into academic (or some other kind of) advising, for example.  Or be an administration liaison with the various student groups on campus.  Or...

I'm just saying, don't limit yourself to just admissions and development as you figure out what you want to do.  Learn about other student-related areas and explore those, too.

P.S.  I found development work to be extremely high-pressured, but some people (not me) thrive on that.