Middle School / Early High School College Admissions Counselor

Empowerly

63d

About The Position

Empowerly is seeking College Admissions Counselors to guide middle and high school students through the college admissions process, particularly students in grades 6–10. Counselors create academic and extracurricular road maps, provide structure and feedback for college applications, and help students discover their interests and begin developing career goals. Students often live in the San Francisco Bay Area and apply to top 50 colleges, including UC campuses and Ivy League schools; many are interested in pre-med or computer science. The role involves advising students on extracurricular activities, summer plans, standardized testing, college lists and visits, application materials and timelines, financial aid, scholarships, and college-choice decisions. Counselors prepare for and document sessions, communicate with students and parents, attend monthly team meetings, use Empowerly resources, and monitor company email and Slack. Counselors should be available in the afternoons after 3:00 p.m. and/or on weekends, and be able to commit to students in multi-year packages. The typical weekly hours are part-time equivalent. The posting also describes graduate school counseling and career counseling services. Graduate School Counselors guide applicants to programs such as medical school, law school, MBA, and PhD programs. Career Counselors advise students seeking competitive internships and jobs, including help with career exploration, resumes and cover letters, interview preparation, and networking.

Requirements

Graduate from a top 50 national university.
Experience as a college counselor for high school students, with a track record of acceptances to a top 50 national university.
Availability in the afternoons after 3:00 p.m. and/or on weekends to meet with students.
Passion for education and ability in teaching, essay writing, and essay editing.
Exceptional oral and written communication skills.
Ability to plan around and meet deadlines.
Dedication to client service.
Ability to commit to students for multi-year packages.

Nice To Haves

Years of experience as a College Admissions Counselor and/or experience as a former admissions officer at a top college.
Graduation from a top 50 college and a STEM background, preferably in computer science, engineering, and/or medicine.
Advanced degree such as an MD, PhD, MBA, JD, or master's degree.
Former admissions-officer experience at a top 50 college.
Experience as an independent college counselor, including NACAC, WACAC, or IECA experience.

Responsibilities

Advise students in grades 6–10 and support a range of students, including transfer, undergraduate, postgraduate, and international students.
Keep up to date with changes in college admissions.
Manage a potential caseload of 20–25 students, with flexibility based on schedule and bandwidth.
Advise students on extracurricular activities that broaden their interests and may provide leadership opportunities.
Help students develop meaningful summer plans, including internships, competitions, research opportunities, and community service.
Create standardized-testing plans, including score-improvement strategies and guidance on which tests are appropriate.
Create college lists, assess schools as reach, target, or safety options, and offer college-visit tips.
Guide students through application materials and processes, including personal statements, activity lists, resumes, recommendation letters, and essays; research as needed and review complete applications before submission.
Develop strategies for early action, early decision, regular decision, waitlists, and college-choice decisions.
Discuss financial-aid and merit-scholarship resources with students.
Prepare for sessions, arrive on time, log sessions promptly, stay in touch with students, maintain relationships with parents, and include parents in communications.
Attend monthly team meetings.
Use Empowerly resources to provide advice and monitor the Empowerly email and Slack accounts for company communications.
For graduate-school counseling, guide students through applicable admissions processes, such as medical school, law school, MBA, and PhD admissions.
For career counseling, provide career advice and help with passion discovery, resume and cover-letter editing, interview preparation, and networking.