College Access & Preparedness Associate

Success Academy Charter Schools•New York, NY

28d•$67,000 - $67,000•Onsite

About The Position

Thanks for your interest in Success Academy! Running a large, fast-growing, and high-performing network of public charter schools takes a village - families, children, teachers, staff and faculty, advocates, and supporters alike. We are growing fast in New York and expanding to Florida, and we would love to welcome you to our community! We work tirelessly every day to ensure children have access to a fun, rigorous, whole-child education regardless of zip code or economic status. When you join SA, you play a part in giving every student who walks through our doors a fair shot at reaching his or her potential. To coach our scholars through the intricacies of the college application process, we need a results-driven team member to join our College Access & Preparedness team. This individual will play an integral role in the school, working closely with faculty, scholars, and parents on a daily basis. We have CAP staff at all of our high school locations - if selected, you would be training at our HSLA-Manhattan campus and then placed full-time at one of the three campuses. What sets us apart: Our scholars are exceptional in their achievements in and out of the classroom. Our seniors average over 1200 on the SAT and have passed multiple AP exams. Last year, one in four seniors achieved distinction with the College Board for their AP results. Our graduates have been nationally recognized in debate, chess, arts, and athletics. Because we know our scholars can, our CAP team takes pride in setting and upholding sky-high expectations for our scholars’ college ambitions. We believe in the power of a 4-year college degree to open doors, and our scholars are relentless because of our belief. 100% of our first five graduating classes were accepted to 4-year colleges and universities. Our comprehensive college counseling program is laser-focused on matching our scholars to the most selective colleges and opportunity programs that offer our scholars the most financial aid. 100% of SA graduates are accepted to colleges where they can persist and graduate in 4 years. On average, more than 75% are accepted to selective colleges with high 4-year graduation rates. Over two-thirds of our seniors earn college acceptances with award packages that meet their family’s financial need. SA graduates are remarkably persistent in college after they go through their CAP process; to date, more than 85% of SA graduates remain matriculated in college. In the spring of 2022, our founding scholars who entered as first-graders became SA’s first college graduates! This is not a traditional “guidance counselor” or “school counselor” role; we seek individuals who are deeply aligned to our vision and values of college access and preparedness. CAP Counselor responsibilities vary based on the college admissions cycle. Over the course of an academic year, you will:

Requirements

Are deeply values-aligned to our approach to expanding college access and graduation for low-income, first-generation, and/or underrepresented scholars in the most selective spheres of higher education
Are highly driven to coach scholar preparedness skills to all Success Academy scholars
Communicate with utter clarity and precision in written and verbal contexts
Implement and seek to improve your classroom management techniques
Form strong relationships with a wide range of constituents
Achieved outstanding academic results, on the way to earning a Bachelor’s degree or higher in your own education

Nice To Haves

Have a deep understanding of the evolving college admissions landscape, with an emphasis on the highly selective institutions and programs that meet full financial need (preferred)
Can fluently navigate the complex financial aid application process (preferred)
Are intimately familiar with the student experience of being first-generation, low-income, and/or an underrepresented minority on a college campus (preferred).

Responsibilities

Effectively manage CAP Block to create a productive environment for seniors to independently drive their college applications forward
Develop curated college lists with scholars, based on their academics, preparedness skills, and family's financial background
Write high-quality letters of recommendation (LOR), and support faculty to develop equally strong LORs
Review financial documents (W-2s, 1040s, and others) and financial aid award letters to strategically advise seniors through the financial aid process
Build strong working relationships with college admissions officers
Coach scholars to develop their preparedness skills: autonomy, self-assuredness, and sophisticated thinking, as they navigate the admissions and financial aid processes
Cement our vision and values around CAP across our HS community, and
Lead scholar and parent workshops, with support with faculty and school leaders, to share knowledge on the college admissions and financial aid processes.