College Transition Advisor

Company Description

About KIPP Texas Public Schools

KIPP Texas Public Schools is a free, public charter school network with more than 45 Pre-K - 12 schools across Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. With over 30 years in Texas, we work together with our families and communities to prepare students for college, career, and beyond! Our schools provide a high-quality, well-rounded education built on academic success and personal growth, where all students learn and thrive in a productive, safe, and joyful way!

As one of the earliest charter networks in Texas—founded in Houston in 1994 and operating as KIPP Texas since 2018—we hire dynamic, collaborative, and dedicated individuals with an unyielding belief that every child will succeed. Join a Team and Family with an unwavering commitment to creating classrooms, offices, and communities rooted in academic success and joy. If you are passionate about joining a mission-driven community that wants every child to "run to school," the KIPP Texas Team and Family is for you!

KIPP Public Schools is a national network of public charter schools that prepares students with the skills and confidence to create the future they want for themselves, their communities, and us all. We are a network of 278 schools with nearly 16,500 educators and 190,000 students and alumni.

Job Description

The goal of the College Transition Advisor is to help students transition successfully from high school to college or their postsecondary pathway of highest rigor and aims to ensure that all of our students are provided with the necessary information, guidance and coaching needed to reach their post-secondary goals. The College Transition Advisor will work closely with KIPP high school seniors and the college and career counseling team throughout the school year, to ensure KIPPsters have completed all of the necessary and critical tasks through completion of their first semester after high school. This role includes significant student outreach to schedule advising sessions, monitor progress towards goals, and promote enrichment opportunities. Once KIPPsters enroll in their postsecondary program, the College Transition Advisor will provide summer enrollment support and resources for KIPPsters as well as targeted outreach during their first semester of college. The College Transition Advisor will be responsible for collecting data, maintaining a student caseload and preventing summer melt as KIPPsters matriculate to and enroll in their first semester of college.

Counseling services can transform college and career dreams into a reality. Evidence has shown that the lack of access to information and guidance on college admissions and financial aid is a prohibitive barrier for many low-income families. In the absence of good information, many families develop misconceptions about what it takes to get into and graduate from college or vocational schools. By employing a diverse range of outreach efforts – from individualized, one-on-one meetings to large-group workshops and seminars – the KIPP Forward program closes the information divide for KIPP Texas students and families, breaking down the barriers to career success.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES:

Oversee the successful transition of high school seniors into college, training, and careers

• Develop positive, appropriate, meaningful relationships with students, parents, college and financial aid advisors, and fellow staff members and teachers.

• Support in building college going culture with students during the fall of senior year through small group pull-outs and Passion, Purpose and Planning advising.

• Engage in one-on-one conversations with current KIPP high school seniors about their postsecondary plans and assist each student with postsecondary enrollment, orientation, financial aid verification (review and accept awards, loan counseling, SAP eligibility, graduation requirements, etc.), and ensure student registration.

• Planning and execution of College Exposure visits for juniors and seniors.

• Planning and execution of Parent and Family Education Nights in the fall and spring.

• Develop and deliver college and career transition lessons to high school seniors during senior seminar class

• Collect and track matriculation steps and critical forms (financial aid award letters, final high school transcripts, FERPA forms, DD4, etc.)

Support a caseload of alumni during the first semester of college

• Engage in consistent outreach to students and alumni to confirm and verify fall enrollment.

• One college campus visit per week in the fall semester to check-in on alumni in person.

• Provide advising and coaching to help alumni navigate the critical challenges often faced by underserved communities when enrolling into college and training programs.

Update and maintain the alumni database

• Track and maintain records of student contact information changes, coaching calls, pulse-checks, matriculation steps, and verification of enrollments of alumni in college using the Alumni Database (Salesforce);

• Assist with data collection for annual report and program evaluation;

You will be successful in this role if you meet the following goals:

• Goal 1: 52% four-year college enrollment for the class of 2025

  • Milestone 1: 100% of seniors who indicated they were uncertain of the pathway on matriculation survey will have received advising and guidance and have identified a postsecondary pathway by high school graduation.

  • Milestone 2: 90% of Class of 2025 intending to matriculate to 4/2/CTE will have all matriculation/enrollment items completed by 6/30"

• Goal 2: 100% outreach to Class of 2024 w/intent to matric will be confirmed in ADB by 9/30

• Goal 3: 100% of Class of 2024 alumni verified as enrolled in the Fall 2024 will have an enrollment update by 2/15

• Goal 4: Support the facilitation of 1-2 family education events between the Fall and Spring semesters

• Goal 5: Host two college exposure visits for Classes of 2025 and 2026 by May 31st

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution.

• Professional development courses provided by the KIPP Foundation, and other college and career readiness partners, are essential.

• Prior experience working with college students and helping them achieve academic success, primarily first-generation, minority, and low-income students.

• Strong active listening (i.e. seeks to understand the needs and motivations of students.) and coaching skills.

• Demonstrates knowledge of and respect for the cultures of the community served.

• Demonstrates a growth mindset with the ability to inquire and be open to feedback.

• Outstanding project management skills, with an ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously and meet agreed upon deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• Proven ability to collaborate and build relationships with stakeholders across functional and organizational lines.

COMPETENCY AND SKILLS:

• Articulate, professional demeanor with strong self-confidence and initiative.

• Good interpersonal skills; Ability to work with a wide-range of people including teachers, parents, students, alumni, corporate partners, vendors and admissions personnel.

• Proficient knowledge of college admissions and persistence.

• Proficient knowledge of the financial aid processes.

• Proficiency in using online databases to track student data.

• Proven written and verbal communication skills.

• Strong organizational and planning skills.

• Comfortable using data dashboards.

• Demonstrates a high proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Drive, and has previous experience utilizing a database, i.e. Salesforce.

• Proficiency using computers, printers, copy machines, fax machines, scanners, and telephones.

• Strong command in using the internet and social media websites.

Physical Requirements:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The person in this position needs to be able to move about inside and outside the school throughout the workday.

• The candidate is expected to attend conferences, meetings and training sessions both virtually and in person within the Region.

Additional Requirements:

• Reliable transportation is needed for travel between campuses

• Ability to maintain emotional control under stress.

• Work with frequent interruptions.

Work Environment:

• Reports to school or central office site Monday - Friday

• August through September 30th

  • College Campuses

  • SSP offices

  • High School as requested

• October through June 30th

  • High School 3 days per week

  • SSP office 1 day per week

  • College Campus 1 day per week (fall only)

Travel Requirements:

• Frequent travel: Regular and consistent travel to various school sites, regional offices, or external locations for work related activities for professional learning, meetings and other work related activities.

Travel Requirements:
● Able to travel to KIPP campuses, local college/university campuses and other career/training campuses as
needed.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
● Articulate, professional demeanor with strong self-confidence and initiative
● Good interpersonal skills; Ability to work with a wide-range of people including teachers, parents, students,
alumni, corporate partners, vendors and admissions personnel
● Proficient knowledge of college admissions and persistence
● Proficient knowledge of the financial aid processes
● Proficiency in using online databases to track student data
● Proven written and verbal communication skills
● Strong organizational and planning skills
● Comfortable using data dashboards
● Demonstrates a high proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Drive, and has previous experience utilizing a database, i.e. Salesforce
● Proficiency using computers, printers, copy machines, fax machines, scanners, and telephones
● Strong command in using the internet and social media websites

Additional Information

What We Bring to the Table:
● Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans with coverage options for employees and their families.
● Competitive vacation and flexible paid time off (PTO) policies.
● Paid family leave.
● Flexible spending account or high-yield HSA.
● Employee assistance programs.
● KIPP also offers the following employee-paid benefits: legal plans, LifeLock identity protection, life insurance and disability insurance.

EEO:
KIPP Texas is an Equal Opportunity Employer. KIPP Texas ensures equal employment opportunities regardless of race, creed, gender, color, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, or disability. Any individual needing assistance in making an application for any opening should contact the Talent Team.

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job or to perform your job duties. Examples of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the application process or work procedures, providing
documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment.

Start Date: Immediate openingDepartment: College & Career Counseling