College Counselor - YES Prep Fifth Ward Secondary (Immediate Opening)

YES Prep Public Schools; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 62,000 - 76,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and supplemental insurance

Retirement plans

Paid time off

Paid leave programming

Professional development

Award winning culture

Job summary

YES Prep Public Schools in Houston, TX, seeks a College Counselor for an 11-month role to support high school students on their college paths. The role reports to the Director of College Counseling and includes teaching Seminar classes and coordinating college visits and fairs.

You will advise 40+ seniors and 40+ juniors annually, collaborate with campus leaders, and work toward equitable college access for diverse student populations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university.
• Minimum 1 year of experience in high school counseling/college admissions or teaching Seminar in K-12.
• Ability to work outside normal hours and on weekends.
• Belief in and commitment to the mission and core values of YES Prep Public Schools.
• Openness to giving and receiving frequent feedback and maintaining emotional control under stress.
• Ability to work urgently in a fast-paced, results-oriented environment.
• Creates and maintains positive working relationships on a team and/or in a highly collaborative environment.
• A dedication to learn, grow, and develop as a professional.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and host high school visits and college fairs with admissions representatives.
• Directly advising and counseling 40+ seniors and 40+ juniors per year and assist with all aspects of our comprehensive college counseling program.
• Work with the Director of College Counseling to support campus-based alumni programming.
• Collaborate with the college counseling department and campus leaders to plan and facilitate the Seminar Program across grades 9–12.
• Teach up to four seminar classes each day, including College 101 and Junior Seminar on college admissions prep.
• Coordinate student, family, and staff programming related to Financial Aid, Scholarships, testing, and visits.
• Assist with projects as determined by the Director of College Counseling and/or Principal.
• Execute additional duties as assigned.

Skills

Strong communication

Team collaboration

Emotional resilience

Weekend availability

Mission alignment

Feedback oriented

Professional development

Education

Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four-year college or university

Job description

Description

Job Description

POSITION:

College Counselor

REPORTS TO:

Director of College Counseling

POSITION TYPE:

11-month

START DATE:

26-27 School Year

COMPENSATION:

Starting at $62,000

At YES Prep, work for a mission that impacts the life trajectory of students and their families. YES Prep creates pathways to extraordinary opportunity through best-in-class development, competitive compensation and benefits, and recognition for your impact. Grow as an authentic leader and be part of a high-performing, team-oriented culture.

Some Quick Stats About Us

• 21,650 Students
• 2,600 Team Members
• 16 Secondary Campuses
• 12 Elementary Campuses
• 91% Students Who Qualify for Free/Reduced-Price Lunch
• 96% Hispanic & African-American Students
• 99% Students Who Are Accepted to a 4-Year University
• 85% First-Generation College Students
• Ranked in the Top 100 High Schools in the Nation, U.S. News & World Report

We serve the students of Houston, Texas, the 4th largest city across the United States. There are over 20 public-school districts and other great public charter school options within Houston’s city limits serving our increasing population.

THE ROLE

When you join the YES Prep team, some of the exciting work and responsibilities will include:

• Helping coordinate and host high school visits and college fairs college admissions representatives;
• Directly advising and counseling 40+ seniors and 40+ juniors per year and assist with all aspects of our comprehensive college counseling program;
• Working with the Director of College Counseling to support campus-based alumni programming;
• Working with college counseling department, as well as appropriate YES grade level chairs, selected course leaders and/or seminar teachers, and campus-based instructional support leaders, to plan, coordinate and facilitate the Seminar Program across the 9th-12th grade levels;
• Teaching up to four seminar classes each day during the school year, most likely Senior Seminar section (College 101) and Junior Seminar courses on the preparation for the college admissions process;
• Executing student, family, and staff programming as it relates to the areas of Financial Aid and Scholarships, House Bill 1403/Senate Bill 1528 (working with undocumented students), Testing and Preparation, College Visitations Program, and Student Opportunities / Enrichment programs and college counseling parent engagement;
• Assisting with specific projects and areas as determined by the Director of College Counseling and/or Principal (based on expertise and knowledge base of college counselor);
• Additional duties as assigned.

THE PERSON

We seek staff with a multitude of backgrounds, talents, interests, and ideas. Certain traits consistently shine through for our most successful employees: passion for the mission, drive for results, care for students, resilience, and humility. Other traits needed and desired for this role are:

MUST HAVES

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four-year college or university
• At least 1 year of experience in either the high school counseling and/or college admissions field OR 1 year teaching Seminar in K-12
• Ability to work outside of normal hours and on weekends
• Belief in and commitment to the mission and core value of YES Prep Public Schools
• Openness to giving and receiving frequent feedbackAbility to maintain emotional control under stress
• Ability to work urgently in a fast-paced and results-oriented environment
• Creates and maintains positive working relationships on a team and/or in a highly collaborative environment
• A dedication to learn, grow, and develop as a professional

NICE TO HAVES

• Bilingual Spanish

THE MUST HAVE BELIEFS

• Belief in and commitment to the mission and core values of YES Prep Public Schools
• Desire to disrupt systemic status quos in education
• Willingness to go above and beyond to disrupt said status quos
• Passion to develop resiliency through a relentless pursuit of jaw-dropping results
• Conviction that high expectations + high accountability = high performance and high growth

EVERY OPPORTUNITY STARTS WITH A YES

Great schools begin with great people who believe every day is an opportunity to make a difference. At YES Prep, you have an opportunity to join a family of educators who are leveling the playing field by providing opportunities for a high-quality, college-forward curriculum while also ensuring our students feel supported through their academic journey and empowered to lead choice-filled lives. YES Prep is more than a family of public charter schools, it’s the future of public education—it’s an opportunity to say, “Yes, you can!

THE PERKS

• Compensation – This position is an exempt, salaried position; salary offers commensurate with experience.
• Health and Supplemental Insurance – A $0 monthly medical option and a plan that includes $600 towards a Health Savings Account, in addition to a variety of supplemental benefits including Dental, Vision, Disability, Life, etc. Employees must work 20+ hours a week to be eligible for a full spectrum of benefits, and 10 hours a week minimum for medical benefits.
• Retirement Plans – Participation in Teacher Retirement System of Texas and a 457b Retirement Plan.
• Paid Time Off – Employees working 20+ hours a week receive 12 days of Paid Time Off when working the full duty schedule in addition to the system closures during the Academic Calendar. PTO days will be pro-rated based on start dates within the assigned duty schedule.
• Paid Leave Programming – In the event you need to be out due to medical needs (including maternity and paternity leave), YES Prep offers paid leave, paid at 100%, based on eligibility and tenure.
• Professional Development - YES Prep values longevity and performance over time. We invest in developing leaders through high-quality programs, effective coaching, and ongoing professional development.
• Award Winning Culture – The strong cultures of our campuses and Home Office are just one of many reasons we were named Houston’s Best Place To Work in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2025. We won the 2012 Broad Prize for Excellence in Urban Education and were a 2016 finalist as well.

YES Prep is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or parenthood.