Career Center

The School

At Greens Farms Academy (GFA), students are empowered to do the hard, thrilling, essential work of shaping their own world, of building their own future. More than 700 PreK -12 students come from 23 towns in Fairfield and Westchester counties and form a joyful community that aspires to live by the school's motto, "Each for All." Founded in 1925, GFA is situated on a former Vanderbilt estate in a scenic 44-acre campus located in Westport, CT.  The School’s highly regarded academic program is built around small class sizes (average 15), mentoring partnership with faculty (8:1 student to teacher ratio), and innovative programs designed to support students’ pursuit of questions that matter to them. The faculty is characterized by its growth mindset, embracing innovation, exploring a range of student-centered approaches, and constantly seeking to better serve its students.

The GFA mission plays an essential role in school life: GFA engages students as partners in an innovative, inclusive, and globally-minded community to prepare them for lives of purpose. Faculty and staff have committed that language to memory, along with our core values -- passion, integrity, empathy, curiosity, excellence -- so as to better live out the spirit of those words.

GFA is a suburban school close to major transportation and a five-minute walk from the Greens Farms Metro-North train station. The campus sits on the Long Island Sound, a half-hour south of New Haven and an hour north of New York City by car or commuter train.

The Position
Greens Farms Academy seeks an Assistant/Associate Director of College Guidance (title commensurate with experience) to begin July 1, 2023. The Assistant/Associate Director will report to the Director of College Guidance and directly support the functions of the College Guidance Office. This person will be responsible for guiding a cohort of students and families through the experience of applying to college. The Assistant/Associate Director will join a fast-paced office of professionals with a service-oriented ethos in supporting students and their families. The Assistant/Associate Director will have a strong commitment to independent school life which involves serving as a student advisor, chaperoning duties, and taking on various other responsibilities as needed.

The ideal candidate will have at least three years of experience in competitive college admissions or independent school college counseling and be ready to serve as a resource for our families. Experience working in an independent school is preferred. Candidates should enjoy working in a collaborative environment; be flexible, creative, and adaptable; demonstrate a willingness to fully engage in the life of the school; and be committed to fostering a culture of belonging.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

• Advising a portion of the students and families in each grade (9-12) on all aspects of their college search and application experience. This includes working with students on list building, essays, applications, interview preparation, correspondence with colleges, athletic recruitment, artistic review, financial aid, and scholarship applications.
• Actively contributing to all College Guidance Office programs, presentations, and initiatives (occasional evenings and weekends required).
• Assisting in creating, updating, and editing written materials and web content used as outreach to students and families.
• Developing and maintaining close professional relationships with students, families, faculty, staff, and college admissions professionals.
• Writing comprehensive letters of recommendation that provide a full picture of the student to colleges and serving as an advocate for each counselee.
• Traveling to regional and national professional conferences and to colleges and universities.
• Serving as an advisor or co-advisor to 8-10 students.
• Leading students through the course selection process.
• Fulfilling other responsibilities as deemed appropriate

Professional Qualifications:

• A minimum of a bachelor’s degree (master’s preferred) and at least three years of experience in selective college admissions and/or independent school counseling.
• Strong organization and time management skills.
• Excellent communication skills - both written and oral.
• A thorough understanding of the application process at public and private colleges and universities, financial aid, and current trends in admissions.
• An ability to approach the role through the lens of equity and inclusion, meeting each individual student where they are and creating a sense of belonging for all students and families in the GFA community.
• Willingness to work as part of a team with an emphasis on collaboration and autonomy.
• Experience with college counseling or enrollment management software (Naviance, MaiaLearning, CollegeKickstart, etc)

Personal Qualities:

• Demonstrated commitment to the spirit of GFA’s mission and core values.
• Confidence, humility, warmth, a sense of humor, a strong work ethic, and an unwavering enthusiasm for working with teenagers.
• Ability to listen, reflect, multitask, and partner with students, families, and colleagues.
• A collaborative, cooperative, empathetic, collegial, innovative, flexible and patient mindset.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills.