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In the second half of their conversation with Angel Perez, CEO of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), co-hosts Andy Hibel and Kelly Cherwin explore why Perez describes enrollment leadership as “warrior work” and the skills that set great admission leaders apart.
A Changing Landscape
Perez was straightforward about the current environment for enrollment leaders. Between executive orders, state-level legislation, and declining international student visas, planning ahead has become difficult.
“It feels like an incredibly chaotic environment. Just as they’re moving in a particular direction, a new executive order comes out.”
He said international enrollment has taken a measurable hit, with roughly 35% fewer student visas processed — a factor outside any institution’s control.
“I call it warrior work now. I’m just constantly responding to the headwind coming our way.”
Skills the Job Doesn’t Come With
Kelly asked Perez about strategies from his book, “The Hottest Seat on Campus: A Roadmap for Mastering Leadership in College Admission,” for succeeding in the dean’s role. He said the idea came from a pattern he noticed after becoming NACAC CEO — he kept getting calls from deans across the country, and nearly all of them said the same thing:
“Joy is not the word I would use for this job.”
He said that troubled him, because despite the challenges, he had found real satisfaction in the work. What he realized was that talented professionals were struggling not because they lacked technical knowledge, but because no one had given them a roadmap for the harder parts of the role.
“These are the things that no one ever talks about.”
The skills he covers include:
- Becoming a campus politician.
- Crisis communication and storytelling.
- Emotional regulation under public pressure.
- Setting boundaries and sustaining energy for the long haul.
“One day you’re out there recruiting students, and the next day you’re reporting to the president and the board of trustees and managing faculty who are not happy. No one teaches you how to manage that.”
He said the response from readers has been consistent.
“I’ve gotten a lot of notes from people who said, ‘This was the book I wish I had read 15 years ago. It would have saved me a lot of pain.'”
Burnout at the Top
Perez quoted restaurateur David Chang’s memoir on what burnout looks like for high achievers.
“The paradox for the workaholic is that rock bottom is the top of whatever profession you are in.”
Andy said that means going into senior leadership with a clear-eyed view of what the role does to people.
“If you’re just excited to do it and you think this is all going to be great, you’re not quite ready for the position.”
Know What You’re Walking Into
Perez said too many leaders skip a critical step before accepting a role. He quoted Marjorie Hass, a two-time college president and president of the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), whose question he includes in his book.
“Most leaders do not ask before they take the job: What is the problem I am being asked to solve?”
He said if that answer doesn’t energize you, the role will drain you — whether you’re a dean of admission or a college president.
Mission vs. Institutional Reality
Andy asked Perez how he managed the tension between his personal mission — rooted in his experience as a first-generation, low-income student — and the day-to-day realities of the job. Perez said it was an ongoing struggle.
“There were days when I could make extraordinary things happen for that population. And there were days where I was wondering, ‘what am I doing here?'”
He described having to remove low-income students from financial aid packages at the end of the admissions cycle to balance the budget.
“My responsibility, first and foremost, was to the institution.”
He said success in the role means accepting that tension rather than trying to eliminate it.
“If you are going to be successful in the role, it can’t be one particular vision. Those are things you have to grapple with and manage.”
The Work Is Still Worth It
Kelly closed by asking about a video Perez shared on LinkedIn. The clip was part of an NBC News segment called “There Is Good News” featuring students opening college acceptance notifications from schools including UCLA, Morehouse, and Harvard. Perez said he sent it to his staff as a reminder of why the work matters.
“Despite all the challenges, we are still transforming lives. Post-secondary education is still the fastest way up the social mobility ladder.”
He said he brought that same message to his opening speech at the NACAC conference this past year.
“Because of those of you working in higher education, millions of students are still making their way to higher ed every year. I think that’s incredible given their circumstances.”
Missed the first half of the conversation? Listen to Part 1 to hear Perez discuss affordability, belonging, and what it really takes to build a class.
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