admission counselor

financial aid officer

academic advisor

bursar

director of finance

Everglades University

Initially, onboarding is very good. The first couple of days were laid out very well, and I quite enjoyed them. 

By day 3, I was asked to jump right into everyday tasks after one of the seasoned reps quit on my lunch break. We started to learn things in a hurry so we could compensate for the lost coverage. I figured... its cool. 

Someone left impromptu, adjustments needed to be made on the fly, things happen. 

No problem. I wont complain. Lets just work. 

On my 4th day, as I was leaving for the day, one of my now former colleagues asked me jokingly if I would be coming back the next day, playing off the fact that someone just left and there's an obvious turnover issue and the staff is small. 

I didn't let that bother me, since they were simply trying to connect through some good old *joking*,  but it takes a great level of audacity to play around with a new person like that, even for a place that seemingly smiles through the chaos and pretends all is well at all times and places high emphasis on professionalism.

As the days went on, I got settled into my role and more often then not, I found myself having two or three 15 minute discovery calls, and scheduling the two Career planning session appointments a day as expected for daily goals. 

It takes doing the job yourself to really understand, but even just getting someone on the phone to talk is not as simple as it sounds. You would think that your leads would be people calling in that are transferred to you, but for the most part, a lot of the leads you get are people just requesting information online, with no real motive or intent to speak to anyone right away (some of them will even tell you that). 

So when you are able to get ahold of someone, you have to make the most of that opportunity. 

Then comes the 4 hours of talk time that they require for all reps. Its explained in a way that makes sense;  "if you work a 8 hour shift, there shouldn't be any reason half of it cant be spent talking to people"

But then you start doing the job and realize hardly any of your leads will answer the phone and a majority of your calls are sent straight to voicemail. So your talk time will need to consist of you making close to 300 calls a day and leaving voicemails that are at least a minute long, and maybe 2 actual conversations.

You then spend weeks trying to reach these same people by calling them twice a day, leaving voicemails, and texting them. 

I would guess that someone who is being called twice a day, being left the same amount of voicemails, and being texted everyday by someone they don't have any real ambitions of speaking to *might* just lead them to blocking the number or muting their notifications from the number. But who knows? Maybe its just me that's crazy.

The other big metric is the "show rate" 

When you talk with someone on the phone and get to the part where you recommend an in person appointment, you are told to only book appointments within 48 hours of speaking to the person, because the "data" shows that a majority of people will enroll if they are booked to come speak in person sooner. 

The thing is, you can book someone for the next day, and if THEY don't show up, you will still get reprimanded and nagged and the feedback becomes "maybe you didn't build enough rapport" 

Really, nothing you do is ever good enough because this university only considers admissions to be a sales device that is helping them with their mission to expand across Florida and add more campuses and make more profit. They treat "sales" like a taboo word, and believe themselves to be above it. But that is what this job is. 

Finally, where I worked, a majority of my day was also spent getting bombarded by constant emails letting you know where you are for the day (talk time, calls, appointments set) or reminding you to do your tasks. It is incredibly distracting, overwhelming, and overall, annoying. It feels like everything you do, even before you finish doing it, is questioned immediately, like someone is breathing over your shoulder all day.

Beginning of the day goals and expectations? Cool. 

End of the day progress updates? Also cool. 

Motivational emails to get people through the day?  Fantastic.

Emails every few minutes that have the same feel of your mother nagging you when you were 15 years old? Not fun, especially when there are only adults working in the building.  

That level of micromanagement is exhausting. Its not fun. Its not enjoyable to work under. Its simply... redundant. I rather just be told you don't trust me, but instead, you get all of THAT, and told at the same time that you are doing fine. 

In conclusion, there is no such thing as a perfect workplace, and every job has its own challenges and difficulties. 

However, there is a difference between a company doing its best to provide employee satisfaction, and a company that is making pretend to do so and clearly only interested in its own agendas and goals. 

My advice? If you are looking to work in Admissions for this University, read through all the feedback you see not just here, but spread out through every campus.

Read it all carefully and ask yourself..

Is this a place you think deserves your time, effort, and commitment?

This was an extremely difficult and, at times, traumatizing place to work. During my time here, I experienced a significant lack of social awareness from leadership, along with increasing pressure caused by a steady decline in student enrollment. It became very apparent that even managers seemed to operate with a constant fear of job security. The culture felt toxic from the top down.

In the short time I was employed, I witnessed what felt like an almost entirely new team. Many of the concerns I developed were consistent with the experiences and perspectives shared by the majority of colleagues I met. As a newcomer, I initially felt optimistic about the opportunity to work at a university. 

However, I quickly began noticing patterns that helped me understand why many long-term employees had such a negative outlook about the workplace.

There was a persistent sense of uncertainty, especially around meetings and decision-making. Employees often entered meetings unsure of what to expect, and many strategies were introduced with little follow-through or clear execution plans. At times, it felt as though leadership was continuously testing ideas without addressing the underlying issues preventing success.

While declining enrollment was frequently emphasized as a major concern, I believe the organization should also examine the internal systems contributing to that outcome. One major issue appeared to be the constant cycle of hiring and replacing staff, which resulted in valuable resources being spent on turnover rather than long-term improvement. In some cases, employees were reportedly disciplined before receiving adequate training and support to succeed. I witnessed talented individuals become disengaged, not because they lacked ability, but because the environment made it increasingly difficult to stay motivated.

I also struggled with the authenticity of some student interactions. Despite clear concerns and warning signs, the focus often seemed to be on enrolling students immediately rather than ensuring they were truly set up for success. The emphasis was not only on enrollment, but on enrollment “now,” which made it easier to understand why enrollment goals continued to be missed. In many ways, the organization itself became part of the problem.

I anticipate that responses to concerns like mine may focus on restating expectations, shifting responsibility, or defending existing processes. However, I encourage leadership to genuinely reflect on the specific issues being raised and take a closer look at the systems and culture that are preventing improvement.

There are talented and dedicated people who work here. The concern is that the current environment does not allow them to thrive.

As a faculty member at Everglades University’s Tampa Campus, I can genuinely say that my experience has been nothing short of exceptional. This campus fosters a unique blend of academic excellence, innovation, and a strong sense of community that makes teaching here a truly rewarding endeavor.

One of the most fulfilling aspects of teaching at the Tampa Campus is the close-knit environment that allows for meaningful, one-on-one engagement with students. The class sizes are intentionally small, which provides the opportunity to mentor students individually, tailor instruction to diverse learning styles, and witness firsthand their academic and professional growth. It’s incredibly gratifying to see students apply classroom lessons to real-world challenges with confidence and purpose.

The campus culture is vibrant and supportive—not only for students, but for faculty and staff as well. Leadership actively encourages collaboration, professional development, and creative freedom in the classroom. Whether I’m incorporating new technologies, project-based learning, or interdisciplinary strategies, I feel empowered to innovate in ways that enhance student success.

What truly sets the Tampa Campus apart, however, is its people. Our students are motivated, many balancing education with work and family responsibilities. Their drive inspires me daily. And my colleagues—committed, passionate educators—consistently go above and beyond to create a learning environment where everyone can thrive.

Everglades University’s Tampa Campus isn’t just the best campus because of its beautiful facilities, strong academic programs, or career-oriented curriculum. It’s the best because of the spirit of excellence, purpose, and community that permeates everything we do. I’m proud to be a part of it.

Serving as an online adjunct faculty member in aerospace at Everglades University requires maintaining a disciplined routine grounded in clear expectations and structure. Each day typically begins with reviewing student submissions, preparing concise lecture materials, and contributing to discussion posts. Dedicated time is allocated for grading, with a focus on fairness and prompt feedback. I have developed the ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly in writing, organize course content precisely, and balance academic rigor with the support necessary for student success. Management is generally straightforward and procedural, guided by established protocols, while the virtual workplace culture remains respectful and centered on student achievement. The most challenging aspect involves remaining accessible to students across multiple time zones and managing substantial grading responsibilities while upholding high academic standards. The most fulfilling aspect of the role is witnessing students grasp challenging aerospace concepts and progress toward their academic goals.

Everglades University is a company that provides opportunities for professional growth and development.  The roles allow employees to think of solutions and processes for accomplishing tasks efficiently and effectively. Staff communication is a priority in order to  provide the best support for our faculty, students, and the team as a whole.  

Communication across campuses is a vital factor when dealing with online students who are connected to the ground campuses.  The online division provides continuous support to the other campuses in addition to caring for their own students.  This is a great undertaking, which has been gracefully carried by the online leadership.  Whenever we have questions or requests from the online leadership, they are handled in a timely manner, and I am sure there are requests from all the other campuses along with our own.  We are thankful for their support. 

The challenges at EU are opportunities that stretch ambitious professionals, who seek to grow and learn.  Each day, we find best practices that help us become more effective.  Along the way, we have an amazing team here in Tampa to collaborate and keep a positive, cheerful environment in the midst of the work that must be done each day. There is also great satisfaction is seeing the difference we can make for our wonderful students, who never cease to amaze us as they work to achieve their goals.

Everglades University has a diverse group of individuals leading their vision and mission and I am proud to be one of them.  Each campus strives to do their best with interactions with students, faculty and staff on a daily basis. I believe that a great leader needs to first be a mentor, who listens, respects and guides the vision of the University.  Each VP spends countless of hours ensuring that the quality of education is adhered to and that students are engaged while the staff provides quality service.  "Students first" has always been my philosophy in the 25+ years of higher education I have worked in and I instill this daily.  

As our largest vision, the On-line team serves hundreds of students around the U.S. and under the direction of the VP has maintained that the quality of education and service to our students are met virtually.  This is not a small undertaking and without his support we at our campus can't service our virtual students.  The VP is always willing to listen and guide his employees as well as to support his colleagues. He truly cares about making a difference and  I appreciate the dedication of the On-line division under his leadership for making our jobs a little easier at the local campuses.  

I look forward to our new path with moving to a new location and hope to allow potential growth and additional opportunities of advancement at our campus as we continue to serve our students, graduates and colleagues.

Being an admissions counselor is actually a sales and recruiting job, not a counseling/support job. Maybe I misunderstood the job description because nowhere did it indicate you have to be on the phone making hundreds of calls a day to try and get people to enroll. No one answers their phone but you are required to keep calling, texting and emailing like a telemarketer. I felt instantly hated by my managers and there was no support or useful training. They would walk past me without even saying hello. As soon as I heard the managers making fun of the candidates coming in to interview for open positions I knew I didn't belong there. I wonder what they said about me when I came in for an interview! The enrollment goals the counselors are given are unrealistic and if you don't enroll the number of people you are assigned, it carries over to the following month so you are always starting from a deficit and will not catch up. Then you are threatened with termination and everyone's enrollment stats are shared with all campuses so you are publicly shamed for being at the bottom. The turnover for the counselor jobs is very high. Most people seem to last about a month before they quit.  It's a shame that the higher ups blame the employees and refuse to consider the culture of the workplace and how they set new employees up for failure.

The online campus was one of the most toxic and unhealthy work environments I’ve ever experienced. The constant micromanaging and pressure created an atmosphere that felt more like intimidation than leadership.

Olabisi Kuti was extremely difficult to work under. Her management style felt controlling, cold, and unnecessarily aggressive. The constant monitoring, pressure, and criticism made the environment stressful every single day, and at times the micromanaging genuinely felt like harassment. Employees were made to feel like they could be replaced at any moment, which created constant anxiety and fear throughout the department.

Kristi Mollis was also even worse in many ways, often talking down to employees, sending harsh and intimidating emails to leadership, and contributing heavily to the toxic culture through constant micromanaging and dismissive communication.

Overall, these leaders created a culture where people felt surveilled and devalued. There was a strong sense that decisions were made quietly and behind the scenes to push people out or make their roles unbearable, rather than addressing issues directly or professionally.

I would never return to this department. The culture is exhausting, dysfunctional, and completely driven by fear instead of respect or support. It is, without exaggeration, the worst professional environment I have ever survived.


Being a current Manager at EU I would like to provide a realistic review of the company. Everglades University has an extremely dedicated and hard working team of faculty and staff. The culture at this University is to support and assist our students and to ensure the University provides an excellent platform for our students to learn. I believe we do this extremely well as evidenced by the numerous and on-going awards and rankings. Working with students to support their dreams and assist them with with life's challenges that happen along the way is a rewarding albeit sometimes challenging role. The managers at EU starting with the President and continuing through all departments are committed to this vision. EU provides innovative programs and assists its graduates with finding meaningful jobs upon graduation. If you want a "career" not a job and are willing to invest the time  versus watching the clock and you care about making a difference, you will love this University. I have only wonderful things to say about my career at EU and love what I do each day! Our graduates are amazing and I appreciate the opportunities I have been given.

This University is thriving and is growing! I’ve personally been promoted and have seen people promoted from the Boca Ground and Online campuses under the leadership at EU. I’ve been part of the organization for many years and look forward to many more. It is a very busy work environment and does require late nights and weekends as we service adult learners. It’s not a place for people who want to ‘skate’ by and not be noticed when not working. 

The team works together to ensure the students are serviced and expectations are very transparent. I also appreciate that the organization is real about how they are doing as a whole and that the leaders share this information in a transparent way. You can certainly grow in this environment if you put forth the effort, take care of your students and take pride in your work. This is coming from someone with longevity and that has been promoted. Additionally the VP of Online has personally helped developed a lot of team members into leadership roles from the time he was in Boca and Online. He has high expectations but he is transparent, fair and is a leader who will role up his sleeves and help get the job done.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Admission counselor 2 salaries reported	$61,250 per year
Financial aid officer 6 salaries reported	$56,416 per year
Academic advisor 2 salaries reported	$52,000 per year
Bursar 6 salaries reported	$58,333 per year
Director of finance 1 salary reported	$85,000 per year

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