The College Counselor is a member of the administrative team, reporting directly to the Head of School. The College Counselor is responsible for executing the school's vision and mission by providing comprehensive information and support to students and families for postsecondary access and success.

The College Counselor also builds and maintains relationships between the Academy and colleges and universities throughout the United States, and represents the school in local, regional, and national professional development organizations, including CACCA, IACAC, NACAC, and ACCIS. The College Counselor works closely with the Academic Dean, School Counselor, Learning Support Coordinator, International Baccalaureate Coordinator, Office of Admission, Office of Advancement, and Alumni Relations. The College Counselor collaborates with the Learning Support Coordinator to oversee standardized test coordination.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Administration

• Serve as a member of the school's administrative team.
• Support and facilitate the school's mission and vision in all aspects of school life.

College Counseling

• Execute a four-year, mission-driven, comprehensive college counseling program with intensive programming designed to support junior and senior students during their post-secondary discernment process.
• Manage the daily operations of the college counseling office.
• Create and implement programming for students and families around college admissions, financial aid, and career readiness.
• Communicate effectively and regularly with students and families about issues and trends in college admissions.
• Provide individual college counseling to an average class of between 35 and 45 students and families.
• Represent Beacon in organizations for college admissions professionals, including CACCA, IACAC, NACAC, and ACCIS.
• Travel to college and university campuses regionally, nationally, and internationally to build, develop, and maintain relationships between Beacon and these institutions.
• Encourage and host visits from college admissions professionals from across the country.
• Report annually (and upon request) to the Board of Trustees about admissions outcomes.
• Maintain databases and subscriptions to support college counseling work, including SCOIR, Calendly, and Parchment.
• Inform and promote academic enrichment and summer opportunities.
• Maintain a college counseling budget for both program operation and professional development purposes.
• Analyze grade and testing data to measure institutional success and areas for growth.

Registrar

• Maintain and update all student transcripts and any other official academic records.
• Upload and submit all transcripts and letters of recommendation to support student applications to college.
• Coordinate the ordering and administration of standardized tests (PSAT).

Additional Job Requirements

• Support Beacon’s philosophy and mission.
• Immerse themselves in the life of the school and share their talents as a mentor, advisor, and overall contributor to the school’s community.
• Work with all levels of the organization, from students to Board members.
• Maintain and manage sensitive and confidential school, student, and parent information.

Qualifications & Skills

• At least five years of experience in college admissions and/or independent school college counseling.
• Master’s degree in education or related field preferred.
• Comprehensive understanding of independent school culture and operations.
• Excellent understanding of trends and issues in higher education and college admissions. Proficiency with word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation software, and expertise with college counseling software like SCOIR or its equivalent.
• A desire to learn and lead within multiple organizations for college admissions professionals.
• Proven extraordinary written and verbal communications skills, including comfort addressing large and small groups of students and families.
• A wide breadth of knowledge regarding various postsecondary options and pathways.
• A high level of professionalism that conveys integrity and genuine enthusiasm for the mission of Beacon Academy.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to plan, present, and execute a department budget.
• A sense of humor and desire to collaborate with other professionals.

About Beacon Academy

Beacon Academy brings together independent school best practices and the IB Diploma curriculum with the independence, freedom, and student-centered methods of Montessori. The students experience a learning community that inspires self-motivation and personal challenge and celebrates intellectual, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity. Based in Evanston, but using the entirety of Chicago as a classroom, Beacon Academy has experienced explosive growth since its founding in 2014. It is a school that values entrepreneurialism, creativity, and innovation.

Connections working at Beacon Academy