College Counselor

College Counselor

Reports to: Associate Director of College Counseling

About Chicago Scholars

At Chicago Scholars we strive to prepare our Scholars for the world and the world for our Scholars. Our dual focus on Scholars and the world are both essential to our strategy. The first part of our work supports college acceptance matriculation persistence and career access for our Scholars. The second part allows Scholars to go beyond surviving to thriving from achieving to excelling from attending and working to belonging and exceeding. The first part of our work allows entry the second truly opens up opportunity and redistributes power. To achieve these goals we center diversity equity inclusion accessibility and racial justice so that we can launch and lift our Scholars and enable them to lead and leverage their power wherever they are on their journeys.

Chicago Scholars is transforming the leadership landscape of our city by resolving the fundamental barriers to success for academically driven first generation college students from underresourced communities. Through college counseling mentoring and by providing a supportive community to our Scholars through each phase of our program: College Access College Success and Career and Leadership Development we ensure that they realize their full potential as students and leaders.

76% of Chicago Scholars graduate college within 6 years. Per the University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research only 49% of their peers earn a degree within 6 years. Upon graduation our Scholars move into leadership positions across Chicago helping to drive the economic future of their communities and our thriving city.

READI Commitment

At Chicago Scholars we strive to prepare our Scholars for the world and the world for our Scholars. Our dual focus on Scholars and the world is essential to our strategy. To achieve these goals we center racial justice equity accessibility diversity and inclusion (READI) in all that we do.

Chicago Scholars commitment to READI encompasses all of our stakeholdersfrom our staff to our board from our volunteers to our partnering organizations and most importantly our Scholars. This holistic approach is necessary for the sustained longterm positive impact that we seek for our Scholars our neighborhoods our city and our world.

To learn more about Chicago Scholars commitment to READI please visit Chicago Scholars we believe that education is social justice. Thats why were empowering Chicagos best and brightest firstgeneration college students and students from lowincome communities with the mentors resources and opportunities to go to our nations best colleges and universities graduate on time and become Chicagos next generation of leaders. Since 1996 weve impacted the lives of more than 5000 young leaders in Chicago.

Our Values

These are a set of guiding principles that apply to all stakeholders within the Chicago Scholars ecosystem. We select and retain stakeholders based on these stated expectations for how we achieve our mission and vision. Each are supported with core competencies and narrative for the sake of clarity.

We Dream Big. We speak up innovate push the boundaries and keep the creativity flowing. We dont accept the status quo because the stakes are too high. We have an incredible belief that growth and change is possible. While we dream big we are laser focused on our intended goals and outcomes for our Scholars our city and the world.

We Show Up. We show up every day; not just physically but with a positive attitude and willingness to work connect challenge engage solve problems and have fun. We dont wait for someone to tell us what to do. We take action and get the job done. If we dont know how we figure it out through our knowledge exploration or our network.

We Embrace Our Differences. We represent a multicultural nation and our collective backgrounds experiences styles values perspectives and beliefs are an asset to the world. We recognize that together we achieve better outcomes more quickly. Justice and equity starts with us using our collective voice.

We Model the Way. We exhibit the behavior that we want to see in others and in the world. Titles are granted but our behavior is what earns us respect. In order to model the way we must be clear about our guiding principles celebrate our accomplishments and learn from our challenges and failures.

We Care For Each Other. We adapt to the needs of the person in front of us. We pause reflect and listen. We do our best work when we are in good relationship together. We care personally and challenge directly.

We Keep Our Word. When we commit we are all in. Whether for events a Scholar a peer or ourselves. Our words are as powerful as our actions and are the building block of trust respect selfworth and integrity.

Position Summary

The College Counselor will manage a caseload of senior high school students using all aspects of the college counseling curriculum through 1:1 and group sessions to ensure their Scholars enroll in a match fit and financial fit college institution. The College Counselor will work with the Associate Director of College Counseling to ensure that Scholars are engaged in mandatory and optional programs college counseling mentoring support family workshops and annual events. The College Counselor will manage caseload communication and outreach by engaging in monthly counseling session curriculum planning and maintaining entry of session attendance notes and application submissions. Also the College Counselor will identify and support Scholars who are at risk.

Key Responsibilities

This hybrid role will primarily work nights and weekends to accommodate Scholar availability and evening inperson programs support.

College Counseling (85%)

Advise a caseload of 100120 Scholars through the entire college application and selection process

Schedule and meet with Scholars and families per the monthly college counseling curriculum

Submit thorough case notes accurately and on time within Salesforce

Implement the curriculum as designed and collect all necessary materials from Scholars including college applications financial aid award letters etc.

Identify Scholars who are at risk and in need of additional support or interventions; collaborate with mentors and College Access staff to provide support and resources to Scholars

Provide support leveraging other counselors and mentors to prevent summer melt and ensure that Scholars enroll in and matriculate to a match and fit college in the fall following their high school graduation

Collaborate with high school college counselors if needed to best support Scholars

Act as a resource and professional role model to Scholars who have questions and concerns about their CS College Counseling experience

Program Support (10%)

Support new Scholar program application review and other organizationwide tasks necessary for class recruitment selection and implementation

Support Chicago Scholars internal scholarship application review

Facilitate and support Scholar and family programming including evening and weekend workshops and events such as New Scholar Orientation College Fair and Onsite College & Leadership Forum

Occasional support of college Scholars seeking individualized guidance on transferring reenrollment after significant time off complex financial aid situations and other situations if/as needed

Additional Responsibilities (5%)

This role is also required to:

o Attend weekly inperson allstaff meetings (Tuesdays) monthly Program Team meetings biannual retreats and weekly/monthly team and subteam meetings

o Attend and support required allstaff and Program Team events

o Other duties as assigned

Requirements

Education: Bachelors degree required; Masters degree preferred

Experience: 35 years of experience

Must live in the Chicagoland area

Technical Knowledge

Translation skills preferred AF8 (Spanish Mandarin Cantonese etc.)

Strong READI values/training

Experience supporting DREAMERS preferred

Experience working with parents/guardians

Programming experience

FAFSA training/experience

Core Competencies

Adaptability Ability to operate effectively flexibly in changing contexts and operating environments.

Teamwork/Collaboration Demonstrates awareness and respect of cultural and individual values. Listens to ideas from others even when different from own. Share time energy and knowledge with others to ensure they can succeed.

Accountability/Project Management Effectively manages own work and work of teams when relevant ensuring delivery of highquality work.

Problem Solving/Critical Thinking Able to break down tasks into manageable sections in order to make informed decisions and solve problems. Able to perceive and resolve a gap and overcome obstacles between a present situation and a desired goal.

Leadership Intelligences Ability to meet people where they are at treat them with respect and influence them.

Communication The ability to read and interpret information effectively clearly articulate a plan of action and influence others by way of written and verbal mechanisms.

Best Offer First Policy: The data nationally show for every $1 paid to white men women earn 82 cents black men earn 88 cents and black women earn 76 cents. Women and black and brown people are also less likely to negotiate than their white male peers. Chicago Scholars has decided to offer our best offer first rather than wait for a potential negotiation. This allows us to set salaries based on market data and internal equity and ensure fair and equal pay for every role.

If you have questions regarding either of the above policies or any of Chicago Scholars employment policies please reach out to the Human Resources team at with the subject line: Policy Question.

Starting Salary Range: $55000$60000 per/year

Work Environment

Chicago Scholars has a hybrid workforce which may include permanent or temporarily remote positions. The College Counselor is required to work in the Chicago Scholars office on Tuesdays for weekly allstaff meetings and will occasionally be required to work in person other days for required events and programs. The College Counselor may work from home or another location on virtual days unless supporting inperson events and programming on those days. Each role may have additional specific required inperson responsibilities and engagements including but not limited to inperson events allstaff meetings allstaff retreats and Learning Weeks. A schedule of required events and appropriate exceptions will be posted annually for staff reference.

A College Counselors priority is to meet with students and this usually takes place between 3 pm and 9 pm. This role requires flexibility and advance planning to meet the counseling requirements & inoffice/in person days (Tuesday and other required days/events that could take place during normal business hours in person). For more information on Chicago Scholars Hybrid Work Policy please reach out to the Human Resources team at

To Apply

Please click Apply to submit your application which should include a resume and cover letter to be considered.

Please include a cover letter that explains your experience and interest in the position.