College Transition Advisor

Counseling services can transform college and career dreams into a reality. Evidence has shown that the lack of access to information and guidance on college admissions and financial aid is a prohibitive barrier for many low-income families. In the absence of good information, many families develop misconceptions about what it takes to get into and graduate from college or vocational schools.

By employing a diverse range of outreach efforts – from individualized, one‑on‑one meetings to large‑group workshops and seminars – the KIPP Forward program closes the information divide for KIPP Texas students and families, breaking down the barriers to career success. The goal of the College Transition Advisor is to help students transition successfully from high school to college or their post‑secondary pathway of highest rigor and aims to ensure that all of our students are provided with the necessary information, guidance and coaching needed to reach their post‑secondary goals.

• Oversee the successful transition of high school seniors into college, training, and careers
  • Develop positive, appropriate, meaningful relationships with students, parents, college and financial aid advisors, and fellow staff members and teachers.
  • Support in building college‑going culture with students during the fall of senior year through small group pull‑outs and Passion, Purpose and Planning advising.
  • Engage in one‑on‑one conversations with current KIPP high school seniors about their postsecondary plans and assist each student with postsecondary enrollment, orientation, financial aid verification (review and accept awards, loan counseling, SAP eligibility, graduation requirements, etc.), and ensure student registration.
  • Planning and execution of College Exposure visits for juniors and seniors.
  • Planning and execution of Parent and Family Education Nights in the fall and spring.
  • Develop and deliver college and career transition lessons to high school seniors during senior seminar class.
  • Collect and track matriculation steps and critical forms (financial aid award letters, final high school transcripts, FERPA forms, DD4, etc.).
• Support a caseload of alumni during the first semester of college
  • Engage in consistent outreach to students and alumni to confirm and verify fall enrollment.
  • One college campus visit per week in the fall semester to check‑in on alumni in person.
  • Provide advising and coaching to help alumni navigate the critical challenges often faced by underserved communities when enrolling into college and training programs.
• Update and maintain the alumni database
  • Track and maintain records of student contact information changes, coaching calls, pulse‑checks, matriculation steps, and verification of enrollments of alumni in college using the Alumni Database (Salesforce).
  • Assist with data collection for annual report and program evaluation.

• Goal 1: 52% four‑year college enrollment for the class of 2025
  • Milestone 1: 100% of seniors who indicated they were uncertain of the pathway on matriculation survey will have received advising and guidance and have identified a postsecondary pathway by high school graduation.
  • Milestone 2: 90% of Class of 2025 intending to matriculate to 4/2/CTE will have all matriculation/enrollment items completed by 6/30.
• Goal 2: 100% outreach to Class of 2024 with intent to matric confirmed in ADB by 9/30.
• Goal 3: 100% of Class of 2024 alumni verified as enrolled in the Fall 2024 will have an enrollment update by 2/15.
• Goal 4:
  Support the facilitation of 1‑2 family education events between the Fall and Spring semesters.
• Goal 5:
  Host two college exposure visits for Classes of 2025 and 2026 by May 31st.

• Required
  
  Education and Experience:
  
  
  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four‑year institution.
  • Professional development course provided by the KIPP Foundation and other college and career readiness partners, is essential.
  • Prior experience working with college students and helping them achieve academic success, primarily first‑generation, minority, and low‑income students.
  • Strong active listening (seeks to understand the needs and motivations of students) and coaching…