College Counselor

Job Description

Uncommon Schools is a nonprofit network of high-performing, public charter schools providing an outstanding K-12 education in historically under-resourced communities. We have proudly built schools that reflect our student population, with more than 60% of our teachers and staff across our network identifying as a person of color. Uncommon currently manages 53 schools serving more than 20,000 students in five cities:
Boston, Camden, New York City, Newark, and Rochester. We are proud that Uncommon graduates persist in and graduate from college at five times the rate of their peers nationally. We achieve this by offering strong academic, co-curricular, and social-emotional learning that prepares students for success in college and beyond.

Roxbury Prep consists of four schools serving students in grades 5 through 12. We believe in strong authentic relationships between teachers and students, supported by effective school systems and an engaging instructional model that enables students to flourish academically and personally. Roxbury Prep students have an impressive 98% college acceptance rate and collectively earned 1.3 million dollars in scholarships last year.

At Uncommon, our College Counselors work closely with students and parents to find the right colleges and universities to match their goals and enable them to achieve their dreams. College Counselors ensure aligned college matches for students regarding school community, size, location, student to faculty ratio, academic interests, financial aid, and extracurricular interests. The ultimate goal of the College Counselor is to ensure that each student graduates ready to thrive in college and beyond.

• You’ll teach 11th and 12th grade college seminar courses in which you will guide students through the entire college application process. This includes (but is not limited to) exploring careers, identifying most appropriate post-secondary pathways, writing personal statements, building resumes, securing letters of recommendation, and applying for financial aid and scholarships.
• You’ll build a culture of college and career readiness amongst all students by creating inspirational and instructional signage, advising students in the course selection process, and helping plan and execute events such as Career Day, SAT School Day, Senior Signing Day, College Acceptance Forums, College Visits and Alumni Day.
• You’ll collaborate with parents and families to ensure a positive partnership by providing informational workshops and hosting individualized meetings.
• You’ll continually refine your expertise by participating in Uncommon PD and attending regional and national conferences.
• You’ll build relationships with college admissions offices and advocate relentlessly on behalf of your students to facilitate the admissions and financial aid process.
• You’ll support the planning and execution of various college visits and information sessions for students of all grade levels.

• Passionate commitment to the mission of Uncommon Schools and investment in our vision for being an anti-racist organization.
• Prior experience working with high school students and families and/or within the college admissions field, especially in an urban setting with BIPOC students.
• Ability to take initiative, prioritize tasks, and work independently.
• Demonstrated flexibility, perseverance, maturity and ability to juggle competing priorities.
• Ability to communicate well with others and demonstrate strong interpersonal skills with students, parents, colleagues and community members.
• Skilled in using data to drive improvements in the college counseling process.
• Strong digital literacy, including Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, Naviance, and Power School.
• Required Experience:
  • Bachelor’s degree is required;
    Master’s degree preferred.
  • Minimum of two years experience in an urban district or charter school setting.

Our people are what makes us Uncommon. We believe our compensation philosophy and benefits should reflect our values—equity, transparency, and clarity—to enhance our ability to attract and retain talent and…