Assistant Manager (Admissions)

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About the Young India Fellowship

The Young India Fellowship (YIF) is Ashoka University’s flagship postgraduate diploma programme. It brings together about 100 promising individuals from India and abroad each year for a year-long residential experience focused on interdisciplinary education, leadership development, and societal impact. YIF alumni (over 2300 and counting) are thriving across sectors, from public policy to entrepreneurship, academia to the arts, and are committed to shaping a better world.

Position Overview

We are looking for a tech-savvy and detail-oriented individual who is excited by the opportunity to work at the intersection of education, data, and digital systems. As Assistant Manager, YIF Admissions, you will contribute to making the Young India Fellowship’s admissions process more inclusive, efficient, and impactful.

This role is ideal for early-career professionals (0-3 years of experience) or recent graduates who bring human-centric tech sensibilities, such as working on admissions platforms, building user-friendly data systems, or automating engagement journeys. The position offers wide exposure to the evolving world of higher education admissions and the chance to co-create improved processes for candidate evaluation, engagement, and onboarding.

Key Responsibilities

Admissions and Selection

• Evaluate applications through a rigorous and holistic process (after extensive training)
• Support the management of offers, waitlists, and communication with applicants throughout all stages of the application and selection process

Data and Systems Management

• Leverage admissions data to support decision-making and candidate engagement
• Improve workflows by introducing or refining internal tools, dashboards, and automation pipelines
• Collaborate with the IT team to maintain and improve the online application portal, troubleshoot issues, and suggest enhancements aligned with user needs and industry best practices
• Contribute to reimagining how YIF admissions can integrate updated technology and tools in selection, communication, and onboarding processes

Stakeholder Management

• Coordinate with internal departments, including the Office of Financial Aid, Registrar’s Office, and IT, to ensure seamless candidate journeys
• Liaise with interview panellists and members of the YIF Admissions Committee

Candidate Engagement and Onboarding

• Plan and execute engagement initiatives for admitted candidates to enhance yield and belonging
• Serve as a point of contact for candidate queries and support post-offer onboarding

Communication and Reporting

• Draft and streamline applicant-facing communication at each stage of the admissions cycle
• Contribute to internal reporting and documentation.

Who You Are: Mindset and Skills

We’re looking for someone who:

• Is committed to equitable, inclusive higher education
• Can build trust and rapport across diverse groups
• Pays attention to detail and is process-oriented
• Is comfortable navigating dynamic situations and taking initiative
• Brings empathy and sound judgment to candidate interactions

Minimum Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in any discipline (computer science/ economics/ business administration preferred)
• 0-3 years of full-time experience. We welcome applications from recent graduates who have led or contributed to impactful human-centric tech projects, especially in the areas of data, education, admissions, or process design
• Proficiency with Google Suite (specifically Sheets and Slides), and exposure to basic data cleaning, analysis, and visualisation
• Comfort with learning and navigating application portals, CRMs, or low-code tools

Preferred (not mandatory)

• Experience with tools like Power BI, Tableau, or scripting in Google Apps Script/Python is a bonus
• Past involvement in building, maintaining, or improving user-facing platforms (forms, portals, dashboards)
• Exposure to higher education admissions or student recruitment processes is an asset.

What You’ll Get to Do

• Shape how one of India’s most prestigious postgraduate programmes selects its future problem solvers
• Bring your problem-solving and tech skills to a real-world education setting
• Be part of a small, mission-driven team working at the cutting edge of student experience and selection
• Learn how strategy, empathy, and technology can work together to build equitable systems

Pre-Work Assignment

The purpose of these exercises is for you to demonstrate your knowledge and skills relevant to this role as well as to give you a sense of the work that the Office of Admissions and Outreach, YIF, engages with.

We encourage you to spend a minimum of 2–3 hours completing this pre-work document. You are free to share your work in any format that you prefer (document/video/excel).

You will be evaluated on the basis of your ability to:

1. Work with and provide structured inputs
2. Holistically assess a candidate’s profile
3. Prioritise, analyse and provide insight based on multiple fields of data
4. Multitask and deliver within set timelines

A: Data Cleanup & Candidate Evaluation

Please check the datasheet here. Please check the datasheet here. You will be privy to dummy data from 20 candidates. You are required to first clean and structure the given academic data — standardising institution names and major fields of study — to ensure consistency and accuracy.

You are welcome to use AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Excel plugins, AI-powered data cleaning tools) to assist with this process. Please document where and how AI was used, and reflect on its effectiveness.

Once cleaned, study the dataset and prioritize the selection of the best three candidates based on your reading of the available information.

Alongside the selection that you make, you are required to demonstrate:

a. What approach do you use to clean the data? What kinds of inconsistencies or issues did you notice, and whether AI played a role in resolving them?

b. Which data fields do you consider most critical in the context of candidate selection, and why?

c. How would you prioritise candidates with similar academic backgrounds? Pick two sets of such profiles from the sheet and provide your reasoning for choosing one over the other in each case. If AI tools were used to compare or cluster similar profiles, please explain how they were used and how you evaluated their output.

B: Website Review – UI/UX & Content Flow

Please visit the YIF website. You are required to critically assess the landing page and reflect on how the experience could be made clearer, friendlier, and more intuitive for prospective applicants.

Your critique should address the following:

a. As a potential applicant, what parts of the site work well, and what might create friction or confusion?

b. What changes (in structure, language, or flow) would you suggest to improve the user journey?

c. Are there any elements missing that could strengthen trust or decision-making?

You are free to submit your thoughts in written form (max 400 words) or share annotated screenshots.

C: Communication – Drafting a Candidate Response

You are a part of the Admissions team. A candidate has written in saying they are facing a technical difficulty uploading their Statement of Purpose on the application portal. They are worried about missing the deadline.

You are required to draft a clear and helpful response to the candidate that:

a. Reassures them

b. Guides them on what to do next

c. Maintains professionalism while being friendly and supportive

Word limit: 150 words

D: Reflection – Why This Role?

Please share a short note reflecting on your motivation to apply for this role. Your response should focus on your thoughts around equity, the role of AI, and the responsibilities of an admissions office in today’s educational landscape.

You are encouraged to reflect on:

a. What excites you about working in an admissions and outreach setting, particularly in a programme like the Young India Fellowship?

b. How you think admissions processes can be made more equitable and inclusive — and what role you believe AI or technology can (or should) play in that effort.

c. What you hope to learn or contribute through this role.

Word limit: 250 words