College Transition Advisor

KIPP Texas Public Schools • Houston, TX

7d • Onsite

About The Position

The College Transition Advisor helps high school seniors transition successfully to college, training, careers, or another postsecondary pathway of high rigor. Working with KIPP high school seniors and the college and career counseling team, the advisor provides information, guidance, and coaching to help students complete critical tasks through their first semester after high school. The role includes substantial outreach, advising, progress monitoring, enrichment opportunities, summer enrollment support, and targeted outreach to students during their first college semester. The advisor maintains a student caseload, collects and tracks data, and works to prevent summer melt as students matriculate and enroll.

The role uses individual advising, small-group sessions, workshops, and family education to help students and families navigate college admissions, financial aid, enrollment, and career pathways. The advisor supports students—particularly those from first-generation, minority, and low-income communities—in overcoming barriers to postsecondary enrollment and persistence. The position requires regular travel among schools, offices, and college or career-training campuses, including in-person alumni visits during the fall.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution.
• Prior experience working with college students and helping them achieve academic success, primarily first-generation, minority, and low-income students.
• Strong active listening and coaching skills.
• Knowledge of and respect for the cultures of the community served.
• Growth mindset, willingness to inquire, and openness to feedback.
• Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple tasks and projects while meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to collaborate and build relationships with stakeholders across functional and organizational lines.
• Knowledge of college admissions and persistence and of financial aid processes.
• Proficiency using online databases to track student data and comfort using data dashboards.
• Strong written and verbal communication, interpersonal, organizational, and planning skills.
• High proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Drive, and previous experience using a database such as Salesforce.
• Proficiency using computers, printers, copy machines, fax machines, scanners, and telephones.
• Strong command of the internet and social media websites.
• Reliable transportation for travel between campuses.
• Ability to maintain emotional control under stress and work with frequent interruptions.
• Ability to travel to KIPP campuses, local college and university campuses, and other career or training campuses as needed.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the successful transition of high school seniors into college, training, and careers.
• Build positive, appropriate, and meaningful relationships with students, parents, college and financial aid advisors, staff members, and teachers.
• Support a college-going culture during the fall of senior year through small-group pull-outs and Passion, Purpose and Planning advising.
• Meet one-on-one with high school seniors about postsecondary plans and assist with enrollment, orientation, financial aid verification, loan counseling, SAP eligibility, graduation requirements, and registration.
• Plan and execute college exposure visits for juniors and seniors.
• Plan and execute parent and family education nights in the fall and spring.
• Develop and deliver college and career transition lessons to seniors during senior seminar.
• Collect and track matriculation steps and critical forms, including financial aid award letters, final high school transcripts, FERPA forms, and DD4 forms.
• Support a caseload of alumni during their first semester of college.
• Conduct consistent outreach to students and alumni to confirm and verify fall enrollment.
• Visit one college campus per week during the fall semester to check in with alumni in person.
• Advise and coach alumni through challenges related to enrolling in college and training programs.
• Update and maintain the alumni database, including contact changes, coaching calls, pulse checks, matriculation steps, and enrollment verification.
• Assist with data collection for annual reports and program evaluation.
• Support the facilitation of one to two family education events between the fall and spring semesters and host two college exposure visits for the designated classes by May 31.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans with coverage options for employees and their families.
• Competitive vacation and flexible paid time off policies.
• Paid family leave.
• Flexible spending account or high-yield HSA.
• Employee assistance programs.
• Employee-paid legal plans, LifeLock identity protection, life insurance, and disability insurance.

What This Job Offers

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