College and Career Advisor

College and Career Advisor

Girard College is a full scholarship boarding school that fosters intellectual curiosity, social development and emotional growth in academically focused students from underserved communities. We ensure every student the opportunity and the means to achieve excellence and preparation for advanced education through purposeful academic and residential programs.

Girard College seeks a mission-driven College and Career Advisor to join our team. The high school is a small team of approximately 20 instructors who support 120 students, so an ability to collaborate is crucial to this role’s success.

About the position

The College & Career Advisor’s primary role is to coach students and families through the process of uncovering their interests, strengths, and potential avenues for postsecondary study. This individual develops meaningful and informed relationships with representatives from colleges, universities, trade schools, and workforce organizations that are considered optimal placements for Girard students. Working closely with the Director of Post Secondary Success & Alumni Support, High School Principal, Assistant Principal and Student Achievement Team, this individual helps craft and coordinate postsecondary-readiness programming.

What you’ll do:

Support 12^th-grade students and families with postsecondary advising

• Meet with each senior once a week as needed throughout the year.

• Plan and teach Senior Seminar to 12^th grade students on relevant topics.
• Manage the college search, application, recommendation, and transcript submission process.
• Assist families 1-1 with completing financial aid forms and comparing financial aid offers.

Connect students with opportunities

• Plan and execute opportunities for students to interact with admission representatives (e.g., college fairs, rep visits on campus or virtually).
• Coordinate, execute, and be present for post-secondary tours and overnight visits.
• Organize workshops about financial aid (e.g., FAFSA, CSS Profile, and state grants) for families.
• Work with coaches and the Director of Athletics to coordinate athletic recruitment.

Support the Director in building a postsecondary success program in grades 9-12

• With input from the Director, build a framework for grades 9-12 that ensures all students have maximum opportunities to visit campuses, analyze their interests, consider careers, and explore postsecondary pathways.
• Create materials for and facilitate a weekly Junior Seminar.
• Create and update the College and Career Handbook and update the website.
• Coordinate and proctor all college and career testing including ASVAB, ACT, SAT, and related tests.

Manage local and national partnerships

• Implement aspects of local academic partnerships (e.g. CCP, Temple, St. Joe’s Prep).
• Represent Girard College at national (e.g. NACAC, ACCIS) and regional (e.g. PACAC, PAIS) meetings.
• Manage databases like the NCAA clearinghouse and Scoir.

Qualifications

Who you are:

• You have a master’s degree in school counseling.
• Must possess a minimum of a Level I Instructional Certificate or above in the content area in which they are teaching/counseling from the PA Department of Education or must obtain Instructional Intern Certificate in the content area in which they teach within one year from date of hire.
• You have a passion for disrupting educational inequities, particularly in the postsecondary space.
• You believe in taking an individualized approach that facilitates each student’s unique journey.
• You always make decisions and provide guidance that are best for the student.
• You have familiarity with college advising and career exposure programs including college and career planning, admissions procedures, the financial aid process, scholarship options, and career development, as well as matriculation challenges and other barriers faced by low-income, first-generation college students.
• You believe in infusing cultural competency strategies into your work.
• You take an organized approach that ensures all documents are delivered in a timely and confidential fashion.
• You are adaptable to learning new information management software tools.
• You bring together support figures from multiple departments to best serve students.
• You employ excellent communication, public relations, and interpersonal skills both orally and in writing to engage a broad range of constituents including alumni, families, and secondary and postsecondary school staff and leaders.
• You have a track-record of working well with students (with a premium placed on experience in communities and schools with higher-than-average poverty).
• You are a curious and adaptive learner who takes in new information, perspectives, and data to inform your work.

Salary : $59,108 - $97,691