College Counselor (College Success)

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 to support the College Success Office.

The College Counselor will bring a passion for the mission of the 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.

We are currently seeking a College Counselor. The College Counselor (CC) role is geared towards supporting students transitioning to and through college, their persistence throughout college or vocational programs, and the pursuit of their post-secondary goals. This position is ideal for applicants with experience either in high school or college counseling or college admissions and a desire to work closely with students, aid them in completing their college degree, and encourage career advisement and development. 

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 Education, Counseling, or related social services field preferred

• At least two-three years of experience in internship placement, student advising, and utilizing data-driven methods to increase student success in completion of internships.

Who you are

• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to complete tasks accurately and in a timely manner
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Outlook
• Ability and willingness to work a flexible schedule to accommodate the needs of the program, including evening and some weekends
• Passion for and commitment to the mission of the Harlem Children’s Zone'

What You’ll Do

• Manage a caseload of up to 65-70+ college students, using the appreciative advising model, focusing on college transition/persistence/completion and career readiness (based on the appreciative advising model) 
• Assist students with class selection and registration, financial aid renewal and verification, academic appeals, and the college transfer/re-enrollment process 
• Assist students with summer career opportunities/programs/internships 
• Monitor progress toward educational goals and meet with students to review academic (financial) eligibility and satisfactory progress toward graduation by meeting with students periodically 
• Collaborate with Career Services to ensure students are engaging and gaining career awareness and exposure 
• Collaborate with the Social Services team to solve socio-emotional issues 
• Provide support to HCZ and Promise Academy high school sites with college matching, financial aid, application process, and overall transition from high school to CSO 
• Collect and record college and career data for 100% of caseload, including but not limited to transcripts, resumes, bills & schedules, financial aid: FAFSA, TAP, Pell, and others, graduate confirmation, etc. 
• Responsible for the creation and implementation of Appreciative Advising Action Plans for each student on caseload twice a year 
• Maintain updated student case files and other records pertaining to students’ progress and success such as bursar bills, class schedules/calendars, degree audits, syllabi, etc. 
• Responsible for inputting daily and monthly case notes for assigned students 
• Collect students’ grades and transcripts twice a year 
• Maintain frequent and regular contact with students to monitor progress and to troubleshoot academic, financial, and socio-emotional issues 
• Conduct college campus visits for students, any transfer students, and high-need students 
• Conduct home visits to any students who are low contact or at risk of becoming MIA
• Establish and maintain relationships with campus liaisons through ongoing communication and campus visits 
• Advocate on behalf of students to various colleges and university offices. These offices include but are not limited to the Financial Aid Office, the Academic Support Centers, and the Admissions Office 
• Perform any additional duties as assigned

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-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 $65,000 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.