High School College Advisor

Job Summary

The High School College Advisor assists Texas high school students in underserved communities in realizing their dream of attending college by advising students with college admissions, financial aid, and scholarship applications; coordinating information with high school staff at the student’s school.

Duties & Essential Job Functions

• Provides one-on-one admissions and financial-aid to any student or family seeking assistance.
• Encourages each student to consider a broad range of appropriate college choices.
• Develops for each student a comprehensive college timeline, including application deadlines for admission and financial aid.
• Helps each student complete and submit admissions and financial-aid applications.
• Assists each student in interpreting correspondence from colleges, including offers of admission and financial aid.
• Encourages students and their families to consider, plan for, and apply to colleges and universities.
• Organizes events
  • Visits classrooms, assemblies, and club meetings to offer advising services and emphasize the importance of college.
  • Visits feeder middle schools to encourage early planning for college.
  • Works with local community groups – churches, boys and girls clubs, social-services providers – to offer group events outside school settings and hours.
• Establishes productive working relationships with principals, counselors, and teachers in the assigned high school.
• Assesses in consultations with the program director and school personnel, the particular needs of each school, and adapt programs and activities to meet these needs.
• Actively seeks the advice and counsel of the on-site supervisor at each partner high school.
• Affords support for, and attends evening and weekend events organized by other advisers.
• Aids in the assessment and long-term sustainability of the program.
• Aids the program director and evaluation staff to identify, collect, and interpret key progress and outcome variables to evaluate the effectiveness of the Advising Corps program.
• Sets up monthly progress reports to the program director documenting progress and outcome data.
• Makes representations to potential supporters and other interested parties representing the Advising Corps, as requested by the program director.
• Maintains expertise in admissions and financial-aid advising.
• Participates fully in six weeks of residential training each summer on the TCU campus.
• Consults with the program director to seek out and participate in other opportunities for professional development.

Required Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree.

Preferred Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree from Texas Christian University.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of interpersonal communication techniques.
• Knowledge of computer software used to perform the job.
• Knowledge of recordkeeping techniques.
• Knowledge of customer services techniques.
• Skill in the use of Microsoft Office to include Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Skill in effective written and verbal communication.
• Ability to develop processes and standards for the specific needs of the assigned school with diplomacy and a strong commitment to service.
• Ability to balance multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to make independent decisions regarding daily activities.
• Ability to collaborate creatively and effectively with others in order to solve problems and reach goals.
• Ability to clearly present and communicate programs to high school students.

Physical Requirements

• Visual acuity to read information from computer screens, forms and other printed materials and information.
• Able to speak (enunciate) clearly in conversation and general communication.
• Hearing ability for verbal communication/conversation/responses via telephone, telephone systems, and face-to-face interactions.
• Manual dexterity for typing, writing, standing and reaching, flexibility, body movement for bending, crouching, walking, kneeling and prolonged sitting.
• Lifting and moving objects and equipment up to 10 lbs.

Work Environment

• Indoors and sedentary.
• Subject to schedule changes and/or variable work hours.
• This position requires the ability to commute between multiple job locations.
• No harmful environmental conditions present for this job.
• The noise level in this work environment is usually moderate.

Texas Christian University Employment Values

• Integrity.
• Engagement.
• Community.
• Excellence.