College Counselor - St Joseph's Catholic School

Saint Joseph’s Catholic School in Greenville, SC, is excited to announce an opening for the position of College Counselor. This full-time role will play a vital part in our team. The College Counselor will be responsible for guiding students and families through the college admissions process and fostering relationships with colleges and universities across the nation. Key responsibilities include managing a comprehensive college counseling program, providing individual counseling to students in grades 10-1,2 and large group programming for all of high school. Ideal candidates will have at least three to five years of experience in college admissions or independent school counseling, excellent communication skills, and a passion for student success.

A full job description is below this announcement. Interested candidates should submit a letter of interest and resume to Lisa Lawrence at llawrence@sjcatholicschool.org with “College Counselor Position” in the subject line. Interviewing will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Position Summary:  The College Counselor guides students and families through all aspects of the college search, application, and admissions process. This role supports the mission of the school by helping students discern and pursue post-secondary opportunities that fit their academic strengths, talents, and aspirations. The counselor collaborates with faculty, staff, and parents to ensure that students are well-prepared for the transition to higher education.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree (Master’s Degree preferred) in Counseling or related field
• Experience in either College Admissions or High School College Counseling
• Ability to communicate effectively with faculty, staff, parents, and students through a process that focuses on identifying the best possible college match for each student;

• Strong understanding of the college admissions landscape, including selective admissions, financial aid, and scholarships;

• Excellent interpersonal, writing, listening, speaking, computer, and organizational skills;
• Ability to work collaboratively with the administration, faculty, and other key members of Saint Joseph’s community
• A love of working with high school students and mentoring them through the admission search and application process;
• A desire to work with parents as partners in the process, even as students are recognized as driving their college search and application.

• Commitment to the mission and values of the school.

Key Responsibilities:

• Implement a comprehensive college counseling program for students in grades 9 through 12.  Some items include, but may not be limited to:
• Grade Level Student/Parent Meetings
• Financial Aid Night
• Various other individual, group, and class meetings and special functions throughout the school year and summer
• Assist with the design, scheduling, and implementation of multiple workshops throughout the school year to educate students and parents about various aspects of the college process, including the College Match Program
• Collaborate with the Director regarding program improvement and enhancement

• Counsel 11^th and 12^th grade students individually on curriculum and graduation requirements, the college process, including self-exploration, academic planning, setting realistic goals, resume writing, essay enhancement, application development, and self-advocacy.  Some items include, but may not be limited to:
• Begin meeting with Juniors after winter break—Individual and Family Meetings (Goal 2-3 prior to end of Junior Year)
• Maintain regular contact with parents through phone calls, emails, and meetings
• Clarify expectations on potential college matches for students based upon academic credentials, students’ interests and abilities, and financial issues
• Develop “list” through combined effort of student and counselor—look at majors, geographical preferences, and admissibility—evenly distributed “safety,” “possibility,” “reach” colleges
• Maintain accurate and complete notes for all sessions
• Process transcript requests, including all other documentation needed by colleges and other programs through SCOIR when possible or email/mail when not

• Write positive school letters of recommendation for all students on the assigned caseload
• Interview students and review Junior Student and Parent Questionnaires
• Individualize each letter of recommendation
• Utilize teacher comments
• Solicit additional information from faculty and staff
• Send out in a timely manner to meet all application deadlines

• Develop and implement a college guidance program for students in grades 9 and 10 to counsel them on curriculum and graduation requirements, the college process, including self-exploration, academic planning, and setting realistic goals.   Items include:
• Freshman/Sophomore Parent Night Meetings (1x per year)
• Sophomore Course Scheduling Meetings: Guide students in course selection to align with college goals and ensure graduation requirements are met while also supporting students in identifying strengths, interests, and potential career paths.
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• Consult regularly with college admission representatives on current college admission trends through phone conversations, attendance at national conferences and visitation programs, and by meeting with college admission representatives on campus.  Some items include, but may not be limited to:
• Help manage program for college visits
• Initiate contact with colleges and schedule visits
• Meet with college reps
• Speak about the Mission of Saint Joseph’s
• Articulate the demand of rigorous courses
• Have a firm understanding of Saint Joseph’s curriculum and policies
• Attend local College Fairs
• Make advocacy calls in Fall and Spring as necessary
• Attend conferences  as assigned by the director/school administration, such as NACAC and SACAC
• Attend College Tours through invitation and individual initiation
• Read  articles/journals for pertinent issues in secondary and higher education so you can articulate current admission trends to parents, students, faculty, and administration

• Deliver large group presentations to parents and students regarding college planning, essays, college applications, and financial aid. 

• Facilitate the use of SCOIR, web-based college counseling software, for students, parents, and administrators to increase the accessibility of college information

• Assist with Scholarship, Summer Program and other Special Program nominations, applications, and notifications. 
• Educate and assist students and parents in the scholarship search and application process
• Assist with nominations and applications of all scholarships  that come to the office
• National Merit
• South Carolina State Scholarship Program—Palmetto Fellows
• Palmetto Boys and Girls State Program
• Visit Programs and Summer Programs
• Book Awards
• and others
• Assist with maintaining the SCOIR database with up to date current information

• Assist with developing and maintaining the College Counseling Instagram

• Assist with collecting and analyzing data for the Saint Joseph’s School Profile

• Assist with reviewing and updating the College Counseling website