College Admissions Counselor

Basis Independent Schools • San Jose, CA

5d

About The Position

BASIS Independent Silicon Valley Upper School, a grades 6–12 private school, is seeking a College Admissions Counselor. The counselor provides dedicated, individualized support to high school students as they navigate college and career planning. Working collaboratively with school leaders, parents, and faculty, the counselor provides leadership and guidance on all aspects of the college application process. The role also promotes BASIS to potential applicants, college admissions officers, and other constituencies, communicating the strengths and value of a BASIS education.

The counselor supports eleventh- and twelfth-grade students through applications, teaches the College Admissions Course, advises on testing and application strategy, and helps students refine essays and applications. The role also includes preparing recommendation letters, presenting to students, parents, and faculty, supporting faculty with recommendations, tracking student data, and maintaining confidentiality. The counselor collaborates across the school and Spring Education Group network, visits colleges, and keeps up with admissions trends. All BASIS employees must obtain a fingerprint clearance card.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required.
• At least two years of experience in college counseling or college admissions.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including comfort with public speaking.
• Superior writing ability.
• Positive attitude and ability to work diplomatically with various constituencies.
• Enthusiasm for building positive, healthy relationships with middle and high school students and supporting their academic, social, and emotional growth.
• Experience with the SCOIR college search and application platform, or ability to learn it.
• Flexibility and comfort working in a collaborative, innovative team environment.
• Must obtain a fingerprint clearance card.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree or higher preferred.
• Experience in and understanding of highly selective college admissions preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide individualized college counseling to eleventh- and twelfth-grade students throughout the college application process.
• Write comprehensive, personalized letters of recommendation for each twelfth grader in support of college applications.
• Work with applicants to develop standardized testing plans and application strategies, and provide feedback on essays and applications.
• Teach the College Admissions Course to eleventh- and twelfth-grade students.
• Present on college admissions topics and trends to students, parents, faculty, and other audiences.
• Train and support faculty in writing letters of recommendation.
• Collaborate with the college counseling team, faculty, and school administration to share leadership and insights on trends in college admissions.
• Travel to visit colleges and network with college admissions officers to stay current on admissions trends and promote BASIS Independent Schools and its students.
• Maintain accurate student files and data, and exercise strict professional discretion with confidential student and school information.
• Partner with the Spring Education Group Director of College Advisory and college counselors at other network schools to share best practices and promote continuous improvement.
• Support the broader mission of BASIS and fulfill other responsibilities as assigned.

Benefits

• Competitive salary dependent on education and experience.
• Career growth opportunities focused on continuous learning, mentorship, and professional advancement across the school network.
• Retirement options with an eligible participant company match of 50% for the first 10% of employee earnings deferred.
• Three PPO medical plans to choose from.
• Dental insurance.
• Vision insurance.
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for eligible medical, dependent care, and transit expenses using pre-tax dollars.
• Student tuition remission for employees' children to attend BASIS schools.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level