OST College Access Counselor (Immediate)

East Harlem Tutorial Program•New York, NY

13h•$62,400 - $70,914

About The Position

The College Access Coordinator will work as a key member of our High School Out of School Time Program, collaborating with other members of the Network Postsecondary Team, to support OST seniors in their college access planning. The College Access Coordinator will work to create a culture of college readiness, create opportunities for college and career exploration and exposure, and implement a college and career readiness curriculum (i.e., exploring student’s interests, skills, and postsecondary options) for all OST students in grades 9-12. The College Access Counselor is the primary point person for a caseload of approximately 30-40 out-of-school time (OST) seniors throughout the postsecondary discernment process, ensuring successful scholar applications to colleges, job training programs, and financial aid.

Requirements

You have 3 years of professional experience in college counseling, college access and success programs, or related fields
You have experience working with diverse populations of students and communities, including students with a broad range of academic profiles and financial resources
You have knowledge of the college access process, with specific knowledge of CUNY, SUNY, and NYS Opportunity Programs preferred
You have a strong understanding of the challenges and opportunities of working with first generation, Black, brown, and/or economically-vulnerable college-bound students and caregivers
You have strong interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
You have experience working in and enjoy a fast-moving, and entrepreneurial environment
You hold yourself to high professional and ethical standards
You have a Bachelor’s Degree

Nice To Haves

You speak Spanish (highly preferred)

Responsibilities

College Mentoring Program Support (30%)
Oversee evening College Mentoring Programming (30-40 seniors plus their individual mentors) on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, including attendance management and mentor/mentee pair communication, supporting pairs during mentoring, and following up with pairs after weekly sessions
Update and deliver existing college mentoring curriculum, and ensure that information about the application process and deadlines is shared with scholars and mentors.
Collaborate with the Volunteers & Interns team in mentor selection, mentor/mentee matching, and mentor evaluation
Provide ongoing coaching and support to mentors, with the support of the Senior Director, Postsecondary Programs
Communicate with seniors’ daytime school counselors, establishing a positive, collaborative relationship
Application Support (30%)
Support OST scholars with setting and achieving identified postsecondary goals after high school graduation, including, but not limited to:
Providing feedback feedback on college and vocational program lists to help students build a balanced list of institutions and program
Overseeing the collection of documents related to financial aid applications to support students in successfully receiving all eligible aid, including from New York State opportunity programs.
Advising students throughout the year to support them in achieving academic, career, and personal goals
Develop relationships with caregivers and communicate regularly around the postsecondary discernment process, including leading caregiver workshops.
Collaborate with the College Writing lead teacher to ensure all seniors have written a personal statement.
Input and regularly update data for scholars on a timely basis, including but not limited to institutions and programs applied to; financial documentation, financial aid eligibility and application completion; financial aid packages; selection for scholarships, honor programs, and opportunity programs; and application and matriculation decisions.
Lead planning of year-end Senior Send-off event.
Postsecondary Readiness Support (15%)
Coordinate 3-4 college visits a year for 30-40 students in grades 9-12.
Collaborate with the Manager, OST High School Program on caregiver and family workshops for OST scholars in 9th-11th grades.
Facilitate postsecondary readiness workshops during Summer Institute (July)
Co-create and co-facilitate a college readiness seminar
Oversee SAT Prep for juniors and seniors
External Stakeholder Relationships (15%)
Seek out and develop partnerships with postsecondary programs, admissions representatives, and non-profit organizations to support resources for scholars.
Leverage external best practices and relevant research in the field to inform postsecondary access programming.
Participate in professional development organizations (eg: NYSACAC, CACNY).
Cultivate relationships with guidance and college counselors at schools that OST scholars attend to best support scholars.
Teamwork and Collaboration (10%)
Collaborate with other members of the Network Postsecondary Access team to host network-wide postsecondary awareness and access events.
Collaborate with other members of the OST High School Program team to support program-wide events and celebrations, and provide coverage as needed.
Collaborate with the Postsecondary Success team to ensure that scholars are successfully transitioned into post-graduation programming.
Support College Scholars special events and programs (i.e. college summit, college graduation celebration, college scholars summer institute)