College Counselor & Advisor

Priority Deadline: February 16th, 2026 (Applications will still be accepted after this date)

College Track is a comprehensive college completion program. Our students benefit from a 10‑year integrated program that helps them overcome obstacles on the path to a bachelor’s degree and a meaningful career. We offer academic, financial, and personalized support over 10 years to help students persist through college and graduate.

What began in 1997 with 25 students in East Palo Alto has grown into a national movement of more than 5,400 scholars and alumni who are driving change in their families, campuses, workplaces, and communities. Today, we operate 13 centers rooted in communities across California, Colorado, Louisiana, and the D.C. Metro Area, with our newest site opening in Baltimore, thanks to a bold partnership with the Baltimore Ravens, M&T Bank, and Baltimore City Public Schools. To learn more, please visit www.collegetrack.org. 

Our Impact

Our scholars are leaders on more than 300 college campuses nationwide, including at partner institutions like Middlebury College, Tulane University, Bowie State University, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. They graduate at rates that are three times the national average for first-generation students, proving what’s possible when talent meets opportunity. One year after college, 80 percent of our alumni are employed, and by age 30, they earn an average of $89,823—outpacing the national median and demonstrating the long-term economic mobility a bachelor’s degree unlocks.

These outcomes are the result of a deliberate approach that supports scholars to minimize student debt, secure paid internships, and reduce the need to work excessive hours while in school—ensuring they can focus on learning, leadership, and personal growth. By preparing our scholars to capture the full value of their degree, we position them to thrive in the 21st-century economy and lead lives of opportunity, choice, purpose, and power.

Our Values

At College Track, our values drive the way we do our work, and we look for individuals who share our passion. We blend an entrepreneurial spirit with our nonprofit roots, cultivating a dynamic culture where everyone's contributions are valued and encouraged. 

• COMMITMENT: With every choice and every decision, we center the 10-year promise. 
• PASSION: It is the fire that drives us, and we’re in it for the long haul.
• JOY: Energized by the hopes, ambitions, and growth of our scholars, we celebrate the impact of our community.
• AUTHENTICITY: What each brings to the table contributes to deep and trusting relationships.
• EXCELLENCE: Every day is better than the last, we’re always learning, always progressing, always evolving.

Position Overview 

The College Counselor & Advisor plays a central role in delivering on College Track’s 10-Year Promise by supporting scholars to navigate their postsecondary journeys with clarity, confidence, and purpose. This cross-functional role merges leadership development and college counseling into one position, responsible for both group facilitation and personalized advising. Reporting to the College Counseling Director, the College Counselor & Advisor works in close partnership with the Academic Advisor to co-lead the development and implementation of each scholar’s Consolidated Education Plan (CEP); a dynamic, multi-year roadmap that integrates academic progress, social-emotional growth, and postsecondary goals. 

The College Counselor & Advisor facilitates College Track’s LEAD curriculum and college readiness programming, helping scholars explore their purpose, develop leadership skills, and complete critical college access milestones. They also provide individualized college advising to a caseload of scholars, guiding them through the complex process of preparing for, applying to, and enrolling in and matriculating to college and a commitment to co-creating an integrated, scholar-centered experience in partnership with site teams and families. 

Primary Responsibilities 

LEAD Curriculum Facilitation and Individual Scholar Counseling 

o Deliver dynamic workshops and experiences across the five LEAD pillars: College Preparation, Career & Purpose, Social-Emotional Wellness, Academic Skills, and Financial Literacy. 

o Facilitate age-appropriate college access and leadership development content in group settings, integrating culturally responsive and trauma-informed practices. 

o Engage in ongoing intellectual preparation to adapt LEAD and college-readiness content to meet diverse scholar needs and contexts. 

o Leverage feedback and data to iterate and improve session delivery. 

o Provide 1:1 college counseling and case management for a caseload of scholars, supporting them through all aspects of the college access process, including application planning, financial aid, college fit and match, and enrollment decision-making. 

o Ensure scholars complete all required college milestones, including college visits, SAT/ACT, FAFSA/alternative site-based financial aid, personal statements, scholarship applications, and final college decisions. 

o Track and report on college readiness indicators to inform supports and interventions. 

o Maintain accurate records in College Track’s data systems to ensure timely, data-driven advising. 

• Cross-Functional Collaboration

o Partner with Academic Advisors, College Thrive team members, and other staff to ensure seamless phase transitions and holistic support. 

o Collaborate with school counselors, teachers, and community-based partners to build a coordinated network of support around each scholar. 

o Implement College Track’s national college and university partnerships strategy with fidelity under the direction of the College Counseling and Partnerships Strategy team 

o Partner with the College Access, Success, and Partnerships team to analyze matriculation and post-secondary scholar data in support of continuous improvement of our college counseling strategies 

o Collaborate with colleagues and instructional leaders to continuously improve curriculum implementation through reflective practice, peer feedback, and shared planning. 

• Consolidated Education Plan (CEP) Co-Ownership 

o Co-develop and maintain the CEP alongside the Academic Advisor, ensuring it reflects each scholar’s evolving academic, social-emotional, and postsecondary goals. 

o Support scholars in identifying their purpose, strengths, and support needs, both in school and in life, and integrate these into their CEP planning. 

o Coordinate regularly with Academic Advisors to align on scholar supports, college readiness benchmarks, and transition planning from high school into the College Thrive phase. 

o Facilitate structured scholar reflection and check-ins using the CEP as a tool for ongoing development. 

• Scholar Engagement and Development 

o Build strong, trusting relationships with scholars and families that foster identity, agency, and high expectations. 

• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications - First and foremost, the College Counselor & Advisor will be a fierce advocate for College Track’s mission to equip scholars confronting systemic barriers to earn a bachelor’s degree in pursuit of a life of opportunity, choice, purpose, and power. Additionally, candidates bring with them the following skills, experience, and knowledge: 

• Minimum 4-year college degree required; advanced degree or college counseling certification preferred. 
• Minimum 3–5 years of experience in college access, youth development, school counseling, or a related field; direct experience working with first-generation college-bound students preferred. 

• Proven success delivering college readiness advising, including FAFSA completion, financial aid literacy, personal statement coaching, and enrollment decision-making. 
• Strong facilitation and curriculum delivery skills with experience leading group-based workshops, particularly with high school youth. 
• Demonstrated ability to analyze scholar data (e.g., GPA, college access milestones, workshop attendance) to guide individualized and group advising. 
• Deep understanding of social-emotional development. 
• Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends aligned to key program milestones (e.g., FAFSA nights, college decision events). 
• Physical Requirements: alternating between sedentary work that primarily involves sitting, standing, typing on a keyboard, manipulating a mouse to use a computer's operating system/internet, and more active work such as moving around an office environment, communicating with scholars/stakeholders, (conveying and receiving information), classroom management, far visual acuity, near visual acuity lifting/carrying/moving objects (20 pounds). 

Compensation and Benefits 

This position is full-time, hourly, with a full compensation range of $54,000.00 - $65,000.00 with the exact compensation depending on experience. All offers are dependent upon experience. However, as someone new to the role, you can expect an offer between $56,750.00 - $59,499.00 to ensure internal equity while leaving room for salary growth during your time in the position. 

College Track provides access to extensive benefits centered around three core areas of wellness: health care, work-life balance, and financial security. We believe time off is essential to success and provide up to 23 discretionary time off days (Sick and Vacation) in addition to 23 paid office closures and holidays in your first year of employment. Learn more about benefits here (bit.ly/JpBs22). 

What Else You Should Know 

This role is in-person Monday-Friday, 11am-7pm at our Baltimore Site.

While we hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, we especially encourage applicants who identify as first-generation college graduates to apply for open opportunities on staff. 

College Track is an equal-opportunity employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce. College Track does not discriminate based on race, age, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression.

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