Director of College and Academic Counseling

St. Michael's Catholic Preparatory School•Austin, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

St. Michael’s Prep in Austin, TX has engaged DovetailED to lead a search for a Director of College and Academic Counseling to start in the 2027-28 school year. This is a full-time, exempt (salaried), in-person, 12-month (year-round) position. The Director will lead the college and academic advising program and support students throughout the entire college admission and academic counseling process beginning in the spring of 8th grade, using a cohort-looping model in which each counselor accompanies a group of students from 9th grade through graduation. The Director will work closely with the Head of Upper School and Academic Deans to help create and implement a forward-thinking approach to academic and college advising.

Requirements

Master’s Degree and 3–5 years of college counseling and/or college admission experience.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, strong organizational ability, and the ability to meet deadlines.
Flexible self-starter.
Warm and friendly demeanor with effective communication skills for a highly engaged student and parent population.
Genuine interest in student development and enthusiasm for helping guide students through the important transition from high school to college.
Familiarity with or enthusiasm for learning school-wide advisory and pathway models; experience working within a structured 9–12 advising framework is a plus.

Responsibilities

Educates students and parents about colleges, the college admissions process, trends, procedures, and testing; advising and supporting classes of 100 seniors and families.
Helps students and families aspire realistically and choose wisely.
Meets with 9th–12th grade students, individually and in groups, to discuss the college admission process and timeline.
Facilitates college admission representative visits on campus and serves as a liaison with college admissions offices throughout the year.
Writes a letter of recommendation and advises over one quarter of the senior class.
Prepares and presents informational sessions for parents, including college information nights for all grade levels.
Keeps current on issues and trends in college admission, higher education, and testing; maintains membership in professional organizations (NACAC, TACAC, ACCIS); attends counselor fly-ins and conferences.
Helps coordinate PSAT and AP exams on campus.
Maintains a list of scholarships and summer programs.
Communicates effectively through newsletters and social media to all stakeholders.
Reviews incoming students' 8th Grade Exploration Portfolios and participate in Middle School articulation meetings to ensure a smooth transition.
Meets with each new 9th-grade student and family in August to begin the counseling relationship and academic planning.
Guides students through curriculum exposure, study/organizational skills, course selection, and Winter Term choices that support discernment and college readiness.
Serves as primary academic contact for assigned students and families, coordinating with Advisors on whole-student concerns.
Supports students through curricular and extra-curricular choices and conduct regular check-ins on their evolving interests, growth, and sense of purpose.
Leads a structured academic discernment process: Distribute materials and hold an initial discernment conversation with each student.
Supports the student in completing a reflection document and meeting with a prospective faculty mentor.
Convenes a family conference including the student, family, Counselor, and mentor as appropriate.
Documents the student's emerging direction and align it with junior-year course registration.
Confirms the student's direction ahead of the transition to 11th grade.
Draws on the student's Middle School exploration portfolio during discernment conversations to connect earlier formation to current reflection.
Guides students toward experiential and Winter Term programs that help clarify interests in advance of this process.
Serves as primary academic and college counseling contact from 9th grade on, owning the student's academic trajectory alongside the Advisor and Academic Lead.
Meets regularly with each student's Advisor to coordinate concerns and family communication (more often for complex needs).
Guides AP course planning aligned with interests and college goals.
Helps students choose 11th- and 12th-grade Winter Term experiences that deepen pathway commitment and strengthen applications.
Serves as academic counselor for approximately one quarter of the 9th–12th grade student body, maintaining the cohort-looping relationship from 9th grade through graduation.
Oversees an Advisory group of approximately 10 students.
Assists with course registration and ongoing course advising for assigned students at each grade level.
Maintains shared student documentation across the counseling team, ensuring continuity of the student’s academic story across all four years.