How to Reduce Admission Team Burnout in Higher Ed

Summary

• Admissions counselor burnout is a crisis, with 38% of professionals struggling due to overwhelming workloads, high emotional labor, and unrealistic enrollment targets.

• University leaders can combat this by fostering a supportive culture, regularly showing appreciation, and offering structural support like flexible work options.

• Individual counselors can build resilience by aligning daily tasks with personal values, setting firm work-life boundaries, and managing their time intentionally.

• Leveraging AI tools like Havana can automate repetitive outreach and lead qualification, freeing up admissions teams to focus on high-value student relationships.

"I cry at my desk every day."

This heartbreaking confession from an admissions counselor isn't an isolated incident. Across college campuses nationwide, admission professionals are drowning in emotional exhaustion, overwhelming workloads, and unrealistic expectations. The crisis has reached alarming proportions, with a recent NACAC survey revealing that 38% of college admission counselors report struggling with burnout.

Behind these statistics are dedicated professionals facing intense pressure from all directions: rude students and parents, stagnant salaries despite increasing responsibilities, extensive travel separating them from families, and enrollment targets that seem to grow more unrealistic each year. The toll on mental health is devastating, as another professional bluntly stated: "This field killed my mental health."

This guide offers actionable strategies for both institutional leaders and individual admissions professionals to combat burnout, build resilience, and foster healthier work environments. By addressing burnout at both organizational and personal levels, we can preserve the wellbeing of the dedicated professionals who guide students through one of life's most important transitions.

The Anatomy of Admissions Burnout: Why Your Team is Exhausted

Burnout in higher education admissions isn't simply feeling tired or stressed. According to the American Council on Education, it's a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged and excessive stress, resulting in fatigue, detachment, and reduced performance.

Crushing Workloads & Unrealistic Goals

The responsibilities of admissions professionals have "doubled, tripled, or quadrupled over the last 20 years" without proportional staffing increases, according to University Business. Teams face mounting pressure to achieve enrollment targets that often feel arbitrary and disconnected from market realities.

As one frustrated counselor noted, "If I see one more chart where an EM leader is explaining nonsense like telling me their magic projections on the Fall enrollments I will scream." This sentiment reflects the widespread frustration with leadership that sets seemingly impossible goals, then blames the front-line staff when those projections aren't met. "We get blamed so often for not doing enough and it's tiring," shared another counselor.

The High Cost of Emotional Labor

The daily interactions with anxious, sometimes hostile students and parents exact a significant emotional toll. "Some days are definitely hard with the attitudes some folks (students and parents alike) have," one admissions professional shared on Reddit. This constant emotional labor—maintaining a positive, supportive demeanor despite receiving rudeness or hostility—drains mental reserves and contributes significantly to burnout.

Systemic and Environmental Stressors

Multiple environmental factors compound the problem:

• Low and stagnant salaries that fail to reflect the expertise and effort required

• Extensive travel requirements that separate counselors from young families

• Evening and weekend obligations that blur work-life boundaries

• Limited remote work flexibility in a post-pandemic world where such arrangements have become standard

• The botched FAFSA rollout of 2023-2024, which created unprecedented chaos and additional workload

As one Reddit user succinctly put it: "The job sucks." This blunt assessment reflects the frustration of professionals who entered the field with idealism and a desire to help students, only to find themselves trapped in a system that seems designed to exhaust them.

An Institutional Playbook: Building a Burnout-Proof Culture

Addressing burnout requires systemic changes at the institutional level. Here are evidence-based strategies that leadership can implement to create a more sustainable work environment.

Lead with Care and Foster Psychological Safety

Leadership behavior directly impacts staff well-being. According to the American College of Healthcare Executives, shifting from strict transactional management to a consultative, supportive, and transformational leadership style can significantly reduce burnout.

Practical steps include:

• Holding regular one-on-ones focused not just on metrics but on professional development and personal wellbeing

• Creating safe spaces for staff to express challenges without fear of retribution

• Soliciting feedback about workload and making adjustments before burnout occurs

• Acknowledging that women experience burnout at higher rates than men, as detailed in McKinsey's Women in the Workplace report, and tailoring support accordingly

Weave Appreciation and Recognition into Your Department's DNA

Employees need to feel valued to stay motivated. This connects to the psychological concept of "mattering" – the sense that one's contributions are significant and recognized – which Psychology Today identifies as essential for wellbeing.

Practical steps include:

• Establishing regular recognition rituals, not just one-off events

• Highlighting May 1 (National Decision Day) as a key date to celebrate the completion of the recruitment cycle with team dinners or outings

• Using celebrations to combat feelings of ineffectiveness that Harvard Business Review identifies as contributing to burnout

• Creating personal thank-you rituals to acknowledge extraordinary effort

As Echo Delta notes, "May 1 is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the culmination of months of hard work and to provide closure for your team before the cycle begins again."

Leverage Technology to Lighten the Load

AI-powered student recruitment tools like Havana are designed specifically to tackle this challenge. By automating repetitive outreach, answering common questions, and qualifying leads 24/7 via text, email, and phone, these platforms can manage overwhelming communication demands, freeing human staff to focus on building relationships with high-intent students.

South Carolina State University presents a compelling case study. By implementing AI to handle inquiries, they processed nearly 12,000 communications over eight months, contributing to their largest incoming class in five years with a 32% enrollment increase, according to University Business. This is the kind of impact that targeted automation can have.

While budget constraints are valid, modern AI assistants are designed to be supportive tools that enhance human connection rather than replacing it, ensuring every prospective student feels heard and valued.

Offer Structural Support and Flexibility

Institutions can provide concrete support structures:

• Implement robust Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) with mental health resources

• Consider 24/7 psychological support models like the one developed by Rush Health

• Create flexible work options (hybrid, remote) where possible, as one counselor shared: "Working in person has helped me completely (half remote and half in office)"

• Optimize scheduling by capping overtime and providing consistency to prevent exhaustion

• Ensure adequate staffing levels relative to enrollment targets

A Personal Toolkit: Strategies for Admissions Professionals to Reclaim Their Well-being

While institutional change is essential, individual professionals need strategies to protect their wellbeing in the meantime.

Align Your Actions with Your Values

At the 2024 NACAC GWI conference, Chris Loo emphasized that spending time on activities that align with your values serves as a powerful guard against burnout. NACAC reports that professionals who maintain this alignment experience greater satisfaction and resilience.

Practical steps include:

• Identifying your core values and assessing how your daily activities reflect them

• Learning to say "no" to commitments that drain you without contributing meaningfully to your purpose

• Creating small moments in your day that connect to what matters most to you

Build Emotional Resilience

Dealing with difficult interactions requires emotional fortitude. As one seasoned admissions professional advised on Reddit: "You have to learn to not take any of it personally, like water off a duck's back."

Practical steps include:

• Developing a mental framework that separates others' behavior from your self-worth

• Creating brief recovery rituals between challenging interactions

• Adjusting your relationship with technology to create mental space after work hours

• Practicing mindfulness techniques to remain centered during stressful encounters

Be Intentional with Your Time and Energy

The cyclical nature of admissions work provides natural opportunities for recovery if you plan accordingly.

Practical steps include:

• Being intentional with your mornings to set a positive tone for the day, as recommended at the NACAC GWI conference

• Using slower periods strategically, as one counselor shared: "I always take the summers and winter to decompress since that's typically the slow season"

• Creating boundaries around after-hours work communications

• Scheduling personal recovery time with the same commitment you give to work obligations

Creating a Sustainable Future for Admissions Work

Tackling burnout in admissions requires a two-pronged approach: institutions must create supportive, appreciative, and technologically-enabled environments, while individuals must actively practice self-care and boundary-setting.

The stakes couldn't be higher. As NACAC CEO Angel B. Pérez reminds us, admissions professionals have profound impacts on students' lives. They deserve work environments that allow them to sustain this important mission without sacrificing their wellbeing.

Self-care isn't a luxury for admissions professionals—it's an essential practice that preserves their ability to guide students through one of life's most significant transitions. Similarly, institutional investment in staff wellbeing isn't an optional expense—it's a necessary investment in the institution's most valuable asset: its people.

By implementing the strategies outlined above, both institutions and individuals can work toward a healthier admissions profession—one where dedicated professionals can thrive rather than merely survive.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main causes of burnout for college admissions counselors?

The primary causes of burnout for college admissions counselors are overwhelming workloads, unrealistic enrollment goals, and high emotional labor. These factors are compounded by systemic issues like stagnant salaries, extensive travel, and limited work-life balance, leading to a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion.

How can university leadership reduce burnout in their admissions teams?

University leadership can reduce burnout by implementing systemic changes that create a supportive and sustainable work environment. Key strategies include adopting a consultative leadership style, fostering psychological safety, regularly showing appreciation for the team's work, leveraging technology like AI to automate repetitive tasks, and offering structural support such as flexible work options and robust mental health resources.

What are the common signs of burnout for an admissions professional?

Common signs of burnout for an admissions professional include emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion. This can manifest as fatigue, a sense of detachment or cynicism towards the job, reduced professional performance, and a decline in mental health. The American Council on Education defines it as a state caused by prolonged and excessive stress.

Why is emotional labor a significant factor in admissions burnout?

Emotional labor is a significant factor because admissions professionals are constantly required to manage their emotions and maintain a positive, supportive demeanor, even when interacting with anxious or hostile students and parents. This constant emotional regulation drains mental and emotional reserves over time, contributing heavily to feelings of exhaustion and burnout.

How can AI tools help reduce the workload for admissions teams?

AI tools can significantly reduce workloads by automating high-volume, repetitive communication tasks. For example, AI assistants can answer common questions from prospective students 24/7, qualify leads via text and email, and handle initial outreach. This frees up human counselors to focus their time and energy on building meaningful relationships with high-intent applicants, rather than getting bogged down in administrative tasks.

What practical steps can individual admissions professionals take to prevent burnout?

Individual admissions professionals can prevent burnout by taking proactive steps to protect their well-being. This includes aligning daily tasks with personal values, building emotional resilience to handle difficult interactions without taking them personally, and being intentional with time management by setting clear boundaries between work and personal life, especially during peak and off-peak seasons.

If you're experiencing severe burnout symptoms, please reach out to mental health professionals through your institution's Employee Assistance Program or other resources. You don't have to navigate this challenge alone.