College Counselor

Uncommon Schools North Star Academy; Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Uncommon Schools North Star Academy seeks a College Counselor to guide high school students through the college application process. This role involves teaching college seminar courses, collaborating with families, and fostering a culture of readiness. A commitment to the mission and prior experience in urban settings are essential. The position offers competitive compensation and extensive benefits.

Benefits

Generous paid time off

Best-in-class training and development

Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance

New Jersey Pension program

Mental health and counseling support

Qualifications

• Prior experience in college admissions or working with high school students.
• Minimum of two years experience in an urban district or charter school setting.

Responsibilities

• Teach college seminar courses guiding students through the application process.
• Collaborate with parents and families to ensure a positive partnership.
• Build a culture of college and career readiness among students.

Skills

Communication

Interpersonal Skills

Data-Driven Improvement

Initiative

Flexibility

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Naviance

PowerSchool

Job description

Job Description

At Uncommon, our College Counselors work closely with students and parents to find the right colleges and universities to match their goals and enable them to achieve their dreams. College Counselors ensure aligned college matches for students regarding school community, size, location, student to faculty ratio, academic interests, financial aid, and extracurricular interests. The ultimate goal of the College Counselor is to ensure that each student graduates ready to thrive in college and beyond.

Responsibilities:

• You'll teach 11th and 12th grade college seminar courses in which you will guide students through the entire college application process. This includes (but is not limited to) exploring careers, identifying most appropriate post-secondary pathways, writing personal statements, building resumes, securing letters of recommendation, and applying for financial aid and scholarships.
• You'll build a culture of college and career readiness amongst all students by creating inspirational and instructional signage, advising students in the course selection process, and helping plan and execute events such as Career Day, SAT School Day, Senior Signing Day, College Acceptance Forums, College Visits and Alumni Day.
• You'll collaborate with parents and families to ensure a positive partnership by providing informational workshops and hosting individualized meetings.
• You'll continually refine your expertise by participating in Uncommon PD and attending regional and national conferences.
• You'll build relationships with college admissions offices and advocate relentlessly on behalf of your students to facilitate the admissions and financial aid process.
• You’ll support the planning and execution of various college visits and information sessions for students of all grade levels.

Qualifications:
Qualifications

• Passionate commitment to the mission of Uncommon Schools.
• Prior experience working with high school students and families and/or within the college admissions field, especially in an urban setting with BIPOC students.
• Ability to take initiative, prioritize tasks, and work independently.
• Demonstrated flexibility, perseverance, maturity and ability to juggle competing priorities.
• Ability to communicate well with others and demonstrate strong interpersonal skills with students, parents, colleagues and community members.
• Skilled in using data to drive improvements in the college counseling process.
• Strong digital literacy, including Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, Naviance, and PowerSchool.
• Required Experience:
  • Bachelor’s degree is required; Master’s degree preferred.
  • Minimum of two years experience in an urban district or charter school setting.

Additional Information

Our people are what makes us Uncommon. We offer competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits that support the personal health, wellness, and finances of our staff and their families.

Compensation

Compensation for this role is between $60,000 to $75,000.

Starting pay is determined using various factors including but not limited to relevant full-time teaching experience, education certifications, and tenure with Uncommon Schools. Candidates without full-time Teaching experience will likely have a starting salary of $60,000.

* The range above represents our compensation scales for the 2025-2026 school year. If starting prior to June 30th, 2025, compensation will be based on a slightly lower range, reflective of current compensation scales. New hires who fall into this category will see an increase in their compensation starting on July 1st, 2025 for next school year which aligns to the scale above.

Benefits

• Generous paid time off inclusive of sick time, paid holidays, and 10 weeks of paid breaks (Spring, Winter, and Summer).
• Extensive, best-in-class training and development
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans + pre-tax flexible spending (FSA), dependent care (DCFSA), and health saving accounts (HSA)
• Financial Planning
  • New Jersey Pension program
• Paid leave of absence options (parental, medical, disability, etc.)
• Mental health and counseling support + wellness benefits

*A detailed list of all benefits is locatedHERE.

At Uncommon, we believe that a supportive and welcoming environment helps our students, staff, and community thrive. We are dedicated to building a team that brings a wide range of perspectives and experiences, reflective of the communities we serve---with over 70% of our staff identifying as people of color. Our organization values respect and open dialogue on important topics that shape our school culture.

As an equal opportunity employer, Uncommon provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. We also ensure that individuals with disabilities receive all privileges and benefits associated with employment and are provided reasonable accommodations for the interview process and to perform core job functions. If you would like to request an accommodation, please email [e-mail].