College Preparatory Counselor

Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ), a world-renowned education and poverty-fighting organization based in New York, seeks an enthusiastic, dedicated, and mission-aligned College Preparatory Program Counselor at its College Success Office. The College Success Office provides year-round academic, administrative, and emotional support as well as financial and career preparation to participants of HCZ's Promise Academy high schools and afterschool programs. The main components of the office include student outreach, academic support and guidance, financial aid advisement, college transfer assistance, summer and winter internship opportunities, and community-building efforts. Schedule: Monday through Friday, schedule may vary (e.g., 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, or 11:00 am to 7:00 pm); some weekends and evenings depending on site needs and events; occasional travel.

Responsibilities

Provide individualized college counseling to scholars in grades 9-12; Plan and facilitate college readiness workshops, presentations, and curriculum for scholars and families; Guide scholars through the college application process, including college matching, application completion, essay review, interview preparation, and postsecondary decision-making; Educate and support scholars and families through the financial aid process, including FAFSA and CSS Profile completion, scholarship applications, financial aid package review, and college affordability planning; Coordinate college exposure opportunities, including college fairs, campus visits, pre-college programs, and post-acceptance visits; Partner with school leadership and other HCZ departments to support college readiness programming, standardized testing efforts, and college transitions; Build and maintain relationships with college admissions representatives, scholarship providers, and other postsecondary partners; Maintain accurate student records and use data to monitor scholar progress, track admissions and enrollment outcomes, and inform program improvements; Perform other duties as assigned

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required; 2+ years of experience in college counseling, advising, or a related field, preferably in a high school setting; Passionate about college access and student success; Ability to build meaningful relationships with scholars and families; Clear and engaging communicator, comfortable facilitating workshops, presentations, and one-on-one conversations; Highly organized and detail-oriented, able to manage multiple scholars, deadlines, applications, events, and priorities while maintaining accurate records; Collaborative relationship-builder who can partner with school teams, internal departments, college admissions representatives, scholarship organizations, and external partners; Proactive and data-informed; Committed to HCZ's values and mission

Nice to have

Master's degree in counseling, education, or a related field; Experience facilitating college admissions, financial aid, and scholarship workshops

Benefits

Highly competitive base salaries; Paid time off; Employee referral bonus; Career advancement; No-cost health insurance; Life insurance; Short-term and long-term disability; Additional voluntary benefits; Wellness discounts; Commuter benefits; Financial wellness perks; Discounts on flights, hotels, theme parks, and concert tickets