Description
Position Type: 11-Month Position
Reports To: Director of College Counseling
About Worcester Academy & The College Counseling Team
Worcester Academy, a day-boarding school serving grades 6–PG in New England’s second-largest city, seeks an Associate Director of College Counseling. Worcester Academy’s mission—Achieving the Honorable through Scholarship, Fellowship, Leadership, Craftsmanship, and Sportsmanship—reflects our commitment to excellence, integrity, and community.
The Associate Director reports to the Director of College Counseling and will join a highly collaborative team that includes a Senior Associate Director and an Administrative Assistant. Together, the College Counseling team counsels and supports a class of approximately 140 Grade 12/Post-Graduate students and 120 Grade 11 students as they navigate the college search, application, and financial aid processes. This position is an immediate opening.
Core Responsibilities
The Associate Director maintains a personal caseload of approximately 40–50 students each in grades 11 and 12/PG. Key duties include:
Direct Student & Family Counseling
- Personalized Guidance: Work collaboratively with students and families to create personalized plans that align with their distinct goals and potential, with a strong focus on "fit."
- Application Process & Recommendations: Guide all aspects of the college search and application process, including meeting individually with students and parents and writing thorough, compelling letters of recommendation.
- Essay Coaching: Coach students through the drafting and revision process for their applications, personal statements, and narrative writing.
- Advocacy & Support: Act as both a support system and advocate, ensuring students and parents feel heard, valued, and empowered.
- Self-Discovery: Empower students to authentically know themselves, fostering the discovery of their passions, strengths, and values as they look toward their futures.
Programming & Office Initiatives
- Seminars & Programming: Assist with the planning and implementation of Grade 11 and 12 college counseling seminar classes and other educational programming for families.
- Early Awareness: Participate in college awareness programming for students in grades 9 and 10.
- Extended Student Support: Support students with additional related activities, including summer program and scholarship application processes.
- Community Engagement: Support all other efforts and initiatives of the College Counseling Office and participate fully in the Academy community at large.
Professional Engagement & Outreach
- College Relations: Develop collegial relationships with college and university representatives.
- Professional Growth: Maintain an active presence in professional organizations to stay current with the changing landscape of the college admission process.
- Travel & Conferences: Participate in professional meetings, conferences, and college campus visits.
Requirements
Requirements & Qualifications
Education & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- Experience in a high school college counseling office and/or college admissions role.
Expertise & Technical Skills
- Admissions Expertise: Knowledge of the college admission process, including differing levels of selectivity, the role of standardized testing, the financial aid process, and athletic recruitment.
- Technical Proficiency: Working knowledge of database systems for student records; MaiaLearning or other similar software experience.
- Professional Development: Willingness to continue to develop professionally and expand knowledge regarding higher education trends.
Key Mindsets & Soft Skills
- Strong interpersonal, organizational, public speaking, and writing skills with excellent attention to detail and ability to meet deadlines.
- A sense of humor, flexibility, positivity, collegiality, teamwork, and independence.
- Enthusiastic interest in motivating and mentoring high school students in an inclusive, equitable environment that respects and celebrates diversity.
- Build positive relationships with students, teachers, parents, and school leadership.
- Navigate challenging situations with discretion, diplomacy and professionalism.
- Ability to achieve high standards within a time-constrained, high-expectations environment.
Working Conditions & Physical Demands
- Schedule Expectations: Some evening and weekend work is required. Work full-time and maintain regular and predictable attendance.
- Fast-Paced Environment: Be physically and mentally capable of performing and tracking multiple tasks in stressful situations and under pressure in a dynamic environment.
- Communication: Ability to effectively communicate in person and digitally with faculty, staff, parents, students, and external contacts.