OST College Access Counselor

Position Reports to: Senior Director, Postsecondary Readiness

Core Relationships: Lead Teacher, College Writing; Manager, OST High School Program; Associate, Volunteers and Interns; Success Counselor

Start Date: immediate

Hours: 10:30 AM-6:30 PM on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 12:00 PM -8:00 PM on Tuesdays and Wednesdays; some later evenings and overnights as needed

Compensation: The salary range for this role is $62,400 -$70,732. (We believe in compensating staff members fairly in relation to each other. We take into consideration qualifications, credentials, years of experience, and one's impact on behalf of the organization - internal and external equity is taken seriously. East Harlem Tutorial Program also offers a comprehensive benefits package.)

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt 

About East Harlem Tutorial Program

East Harlem Tutorial Program (EHTP) began in 1958 as a children's reading group and has since grown into a multi-site after-school program for traditional public school students and a network of public charter schools focused on significantly increasing the college graduation rate in East Harlem. We are on track to serve at least 25% of East Harlem students by 2025, with enrollment for this year at approximately 2200 students in our schools and after school programs. In 2020, 99% of our seniors were accepted to college, and our current scholars in college are on-track to graduate at eight times the national average of their peers.

At EHTP we also aim to serve as an agent of change and thoughtfully contribute to the national fight for racial equity. Through our organization-wide commitment to anti-racism work, we prepare our scholars to effect change, challenge the status quo, and thrive in the world around them. As staff members, we face our own racial identities and conscious and unconscious biases. With this in mind, all of our professional development, curriculum, organizational materials, and processes are designed with a goal of racial justice. Read our racial equity statement here.

We ground all of our work in racial equity, in our core values, and in our four guiding pursuits: the Revolutionary Pursuit of Love, the Radical Pursuit of Knowledge, the Responsive Pursuit of Healing, and in the Relentless Pursuit of Results. These pursuits inform and are reflected in our current four key strategic priorities: to increase high-impact, high-quality academic curriculum, programming content, staff capacity, and coaching; to embrace and advance our use of technology; to deepen our embodiment of ethical and equitable radical humanity; and to efficiently operationalize teaching, learning, community, and care.

About the Opportunity

The College Access Counselor will work as a key member of our High School Out of School Time Program, collaborating with other members of the Postsecondary Team, to support OST students in their college and career readiness and access. The College Access Counselor 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 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. 

What Qualifies You:

• You have 3+ years of professional experience in college counseling, college access and success programs, or related fields
• You have knowledge of the college application process, with specific knowledge of CUNY/SUNY/NYS Opportunity Programs preferred.
• 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 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 
• You speak Spanish (preferred)

Responsibilities of the College Access Counselor will include, but are not limited to: 

• College Mentoring Program Support (30%)
• Oversee evening College Mentoring Programming (30-40 seniors plus their mentors) 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 Manager, Volunteers and Interns in mentor selection, mentor/mentee matching, and mentor evaluation
• Provide ongoing coaching and support to mentors, with the support of the Associate, Volunteers and Interns
• 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 students in their achieving academic, career, and personal goals
• Develop relationships with caregivers and communicate regularly around the postsecondary discernment process, including leading caregiver workshops at least twice per semester.
• Collaborate with the College Writing lead teacher to ensure all seniors have written a personal statement in the fall and scholarship applications in the spring.
• 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 the year-end Senior Send-off event celebrating OST seniors, families, and mentors.

Postsecondary Readiness Support (15%)

• Coordinate 3-4 college visits a year for 30-40 students per trip 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)
• Oversee SAT Prep for juniors and seniors on Mondays from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm
• Co-create and co-facilitate a junior college readiness seminar with the Manager, OST High School Program

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 Success Counselor 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)