Inside the Work of Admissions

For many students, their first real connection to Seattle University begins not in a classroom, but through engagement with a member of the Undergraduate Admissions team. From high school outreach to campus tours and visits, application review to follow-up conversations, the team plays a central role in helping prospective students understand what life at SU could look like.

The work of Admissions spans the entire year and follows a steady rhythm. Summer months are spent planning recruitment strategies and travel, while fall is dedicated to visiting high schools, attending college fairs and meeting students where they are. Winter brings long days of reading applications and spring focuses on supporting admitted students as they make their final decisions. Behind each phase is a team working to ensure students feel informed, supported and welcomed throughout every step of the process.

That experience looks different depending on where students are encountering the university. Some meet admissions counselors during a campus visit, others at a college fair hundreds of miles away and many first learn about Seattle University online. The Admissions team works across all of these touch points to create a consistent and accessible experience for students and families.

Ruby Berliner, a senior admissions counselor, brings a unique perspective to that work. As a Seattle University alumna, class of 2023, she first became involved with Admissions as a student worker and Redhawk Ambassador, where she led campus tours and worked at the front desk in the Admissions office.

After graduating, she joined the Admissions team full time and quickly stepped into fall travel, representing the university across the country. Alongside her work as a counselor she is also pursuing her MBA, balancing coursework with recruitment responsibilities.

Through her role, Berliner engages with students at different stages of the admissions process, from early conversations at high schools to follow-up support as students navigate their options. She shares that traveling for recruitment has helped her better understand the wide range of backgrounds and experiences students bring with them as they consider college.

“As an alum, staff member and now current graduate student, I have the unique opportunity to travel to different parts of the country for recruitment,” says Berliner. “This has opened my eyes to the reach and impact that Seattle University has on students from all walks of life. It is an honor to be a small part of a student’s next chapter and see the campus community that supported me welcome new Redhawks to the nest.”

Much of the admissions work happens behind the scenes. Counselors review applications in large volumes, often focusing on students from the regions they recruit so they can better understand local educational systems. Applications are reviewed holistically, considering academic preparation alongside activities, responsibilities and personal essays.

In addition to application review, the Admissions team regularly meets to share updates from recruitment travel, align on outreach strategies and ensure information about academic programs, scholarships and campus resources remains accurate and current for prospective students.

One longstanding Admissions tradition reflects that emphasis on student voice. Upon admission students receive a poster featuring a selected line from their application essay. The posters serve as a personal reminder of their journey.

Senior Assistant Director of Admissions JR Rabago joined the team in 2019 and has since worked across multiple parts of the admissions process, work that often takes him far beyond the borders of Seattle.

Originally from Hawaii, Rabago recruits students across the islands, visiting both Oʻahu and neighboring islands during travel season. Days on the road can be long and logistically complex, sometimes involving early mornings, inter-island flights and multiple school visits in a single day.

Those visits are shaped by existing relationships with high school counselors and an understanding of the concerns students and families may have about attending college out of state.

Rabago’s familiarity with the region helps him speak directly to any concerns and guide students through the process with information and care.

Often unseen, the work of Seattle University’s Admissions Department lays the foundation for the feeling of belonging and community at a place students will eventually call home.