Job Description

Position Overview:

The College Counseling Team works to ensure that every graduate from KIPP NYC College Prep High School is admitted into a best-fit college or career program through close guidance in the college and career research, application, and financial aid process. We seek to matriculate at least 90% of our seniors into college, and for those that do not choose that path directly upon graduation, assist them in finding an alternative pathway to college or career success. The College Counseling Team works closely with our senior students, staff, parents, colleges and universities, and community partners to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to enter and persist through college. College Counselors report to the Manager of College Counseling.

Duties and Responsibilities:

General responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Co-planning and facilitating the Senior College and Career Counseling (SCCC) course from September through June.

  • In the senior course, along with lunch and after-school office hours, you will provide direct college advisement to 50-60 students and families through the process of completing their application. This includes uploading all required documents to CUNY, SUNY, CTE Programs, Common App, and Overgrad websites, applying to Opportunity Programs and completing all financial verification steps, applying for financial aid and scholarships, selecting the college and financial aid package that is the best match for them, and ensuring commitments and deposits are made by the May 1 deadline.
  • You will support each student’s transition to college through completion of Pre-College Benchmarks and our transition checklist and collaboration with the KIPP Forward Success Team. This work will continue through the summer to ensure prevention of summer melt and requires communicating all aspects of your counseling history with KIPP Forward, providing information on what transitional steps have been completed or still need to be completed, and partnering through any challenges in the transition process to ensure students matriculate to their intended college that Summer or Fall.

• Co-planning and facilitating the junior College and Career Readiness (CCR) course in June.

  • In the junior course, you will support students and families through the process of learning about the financial aid process and requirements, revising the personal statement, researching colleges and CTE programs and editing the college list.

• Maintaining grades and attendance in PowerSchool for your sections/caseload of seniors.

• Supporting your team of college counselors by monitoring the classroom and providing additional assistance to students outside of your caseload as needed, and fully engaging in weekly team meetings.

• Corresponding with college admissions and scholarship representatives to schedule visits, info sessions, interviews and/or fly-ins, and encouraging your students to attend.

• Planning, coordinating, and delivering signature college counseling events, including our Senior Brunch, College and Career Fair, parent financial aid workshops, junior college trips, and College and Career Commitment Ceremony.

• Training for and fully utilizing the resources of Overgrad to facilitate the college search and application process, as well as manage student and college data.

• Utilizing our financial aid database to track all financial aid packages and provide families with a clear comparison of college options from a financial perspective.

• Advising a small group of students through their four years of high school as part of our school-wide advisory program, working to promote academic success, college readiness, career awareness, and self-discovery.

• Supporting your students with disabilities by attending their IEP meetings and finding colleges that will continue to provide them with the specific supports they will need to be successful beyond high school.

• Integrating the work of our Career Counseling Team into your college counseling through the use of students’ YouScience career assessments and Career Plans to ensure a strong college match with career ambitions, as well as promotion of Career Conversations, Summer Programs Fair, and other career opportunities for our students.

• Committing to constant professional and personal growth through working closely with the Manager of College Counseling and attending professional development trainings.

• Constantly assessing student progress and communicating results to the Director, Manager, families and colleagues.

• Assisting the Manager of College Counseling with projects as they arise.

• Modeling the school’s values in all communications with students, families, staff, and outside organizations.

Qualifications

KIPP NYC is looking for exceptional staff who have a strong interest in building a school of excellence from the ground up. We are seeking individuals from all backgrounds who believe in KIPP NYC's mission and who have the potential to excel as educators and leaders within our building.

A successful college counselor at KIPP NYC College Prep will have:

• Zest, grit, hope, love, social intelligence, gratitude, and a sense of humor
• A passion for being part of a team-oriented, mission-driven school culture
• Demonstrated experience with college admissions and financial aid counseling at the secondary school or collegiate level (experience with counseling New York high school students or work within SUNY or CUNY a plus)
• Strong working knowledge in all Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook) and ability to learn new technology platforms and databases quickly
• Outstanding organizational skills and high attention to detail
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills
• A “whatever it takes” mentality and willingness to adapt to changes and help teammates when needed
• The ability to work in a fast paced environment that is deadline and goal driven
• The ability to learn new tasks and skills quickly and ask for and be open to feedback
• Flexibility, strong work ethic and an entrepreneurial spirit to accommodate joining a growing and constantly improving team with a high level of responsibility for ensuring that over 90% of our seniors matriculate to college
• Demonstrated experience working with traditionally under-served students and their families from diverse socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds
• Ability to work on some Saturdays for our signature College Counseling events
• At least two years of experience working with groups of students strongly preferred
• Bilingual Spanish/English speaking and writing skills preferred
• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four-year educational institution
• Specialized training in college counseling work or higher education administration preferred

Additional Information

KIPP NYC offers a competitive salary ranging from $69,440 - $142,270. Salaries are determined using an equitable compensation scale that accounts for years of experience relevant to the role, NYS certification and licensure, and longevity within the KIPP network. The KIPP NYC Recruitment Team will evaluate a candidate’s years of experience, certification, and longevity at point of hire to determine the step/level a new hire will be placed within our salary scale.

KIPP NYC offers a generous benefits package including medical, dental and vision coverages. Other benefits include retirement plan, flexible spending accounts, life insurance and supplemental benefits offerings.

This description is intended to describe the type of work being performed by a person assigned to this position. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities required by the employee.

KIPP NYC LLC is an anti-racist organization that believes in the importance of being diverse, equitable, and inclusive. We are committed to creating a welcoming environment that includes employees with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We believe that enables us to better meet our mission and values while serving students and families throughout New York City. BIPOC, women, gender expansive, LGBTQIA+, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

KIPP NYC LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. KIPP NYC LLC is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment.