College Counselor

Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) — a world-renowned education and poverty-fighting organization based in New York — seeks an enthusiastic, dedicated, and mission-aligned College Counselor at our College Success Office. 

The College Counselor will bring a passion for the mission of Harlem Children’s Zone: break the cycle of intergenerational poverty with comprehensive, on-the-ground programming that builds up opportunities for children and families to thrive in school, work, and life.

The College Success Office provides year-round academic, administrative, and emotional support as well as financial and career preparation to participants of HCZ’s Promise Academy high schools and afterschool programs. Our mission is to ensure that our participants are provided with the resources and guidance needed to be successful in college and beyond. The main components of the College Success Office include student outreach, academic support and guidance, financial aid advisement, college transfer assistance, summer and winter internship opportunities, and community-building efforts within our program.

For more information, check out Want to Work at Harlem Children’s Zone? Here’s 7 Things You Need to Know

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree in counseling, education, or a related field preferred.
• A minimum of two years of experience in college counseling, advising, or a related field, preferably in a high school setting, is required.

Who you are

• Thorough understanding of the college admissions process, including standardized testing, application requirements, and financial aid options.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to establish rapport with students, families, and college representatives.
• Strong writing and public speaking ability, and must be well-organized, efficient, and energetic.
• Knowledge of adolescent development, career exploration, and post-secondary pathways
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines effectively.
• Commitment to equity and inclusion, with demonstrated cultural competence and sensitivity to the needs of diverse student populations.
• Passion for working with high school students and empowering them to achieve their academic and career goals.
• Special consideration is given to those who are accessible for emergencies and can provide support after work hours and on the weekends.

What you’ll do

• Plan and facilitate workshops and presentations on topics such as college admissions requirements, programming of a college preparation course load, standardized testing strategies, essay writing, financial aid options, and career exploration.
• Work with College Counseling Leadership as well as Wealth Builds to develop and facilitate a College & Career Readiness curriculum.
• Help the College Success Office to plan and implement its pre-college summer program.
• Provide one-on-one guidance to students, helping them navigate the college planning process, assess their interests and strengths, and develop a strategic college readiness plan.
• Develop curated college lists with scholars based on their academics, preparedness skills, and family's financial background.
• Work with school leadership to ensure that all scholars are prepared to sit for the PSAT and the SAT or ACT in grades 10-12. Help school leadership to administer these exams.
• Assist students with every aspect of the college application process, including researching colleges, pre-college exposures, completing applications, writing essays, and preparing for interviews.
• Educate students and their families about financial aid opportunities, scholarships, grants, and loans.
• Provide support with completing financial aid forms such as the FAFSA and CSS Profile.
• Work hand-in-hand with families to review financial documents and financial aid packages and advise seniors strategically through the financial aid process.
• Work under the direction of the Manager and Director to research, build a database of and actively pursue external scholarship opportunities for scholars.
• Coordinate college visits, campus tours, and college fairs to expose students to post-secondary options and connect them with college representatives.
• Work with the College Readiness Manager and Director of College Counseling to implement post-acceptance visiting days and on-campus tours for all high school seniors to ensure the best fit.
• Maintain accurate records of student progress, college acceptances, scholarship awards, and other relevant data, and utilize data to track outcomes and inform program enhancements.
• Engage with parents and guardians to involve them in the college planning process, provide resources and information, and address any concerns or questions they may have.
• Conduct parent workshops for grades 9-12.
• Provide ongoing support to students who have been accepted to college.
• Work with the College Success Counselors to assist scholars with enrollment, housing, financial aid verification, and other transitional needs.
• Work with the College Readiness Manager and Director of College Counseling to build working relationships with college admissions officers.

Schedule

• Monday - Friday, 9 AM - 5 PM, flexibility required
• Some weekends and evenings, depending on site needs and events
• 12 Months

Benefits

As a member of the Harlem Children's Zone team, you will join a supportive and inclusive community dedicated to helping children, families — and our staff — thrive. We offer highly competitive salaries, a comprehensive benefits package, and opportunities for growth.

Our exceptional full-time benefits include:

• Highly competitive base salaries
• Paid time off
• Employee referral bonus
• Career advancement
• No-cost health insurance
• Life Insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability
• Additional voluntary benefits
• Wellness discounts
• Commuter benefits
• Financial wellness perks
• Additional Benefits (Discounts on flights, hotels, theme parks, concert tickets, and more.)

We offer competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package. The salary range is $60,000 to $70,000. To be considered, interested applicants should submit their applications directly through the posting. No telephone inquiries or recruiters, please. Replies will only be sent to qualified applicants. HCZ is an EOE.