Senior Advising Specialist
College Possible Minnesota
About College Possible
As one of the largest and most successful college access and success organizations in the country, since 2000 College Possible has empowered more than 85,700 students on their path to earning a college degree. Its pioneering model matches eligible students with a near-peer coach and an evidence-based curriculum designed to help them overcome the most common barriers to getting into college and completing their degree - all at no cost to students or their families. Compared with their peers from similar backgrounds, College Possible students are 30% more likely to enroll in college the year after high school graduation, and three times more likely to earn a bachelor's degree.
College Possible is a proud AmeriCorps program. AmeriCorps is a federal agency that brings people together to tackle the country's most pressing challenges through national service. Our AmeriCorps members commit to a year of service as College Possible coaches in communities throughout the country. Many represent the identities of the students they serve, and each brings a commitment to social justice and closing the college equity divide.
Our near-peer coaching model has earned national recognition: the inaugural Evergreen National Education Award recognized our leadership in increasing access to and success in college for students from low-income backgrounds. It also earns top-of-field results: a Harvard study found that the program more than doubles a student's chance of enrolling in a four-year college, and our students are four times more likely to become college graduates than their low-income peers. College Possible has an annual operating budget of ~$33.5 million, more than 190 full-time employees and more than 245 AmeriCorps and VISTA service members. During the 2021-2022 school year, we reached an estimated 25,700 students nationwide.
Headquartered in Saint Paul, MN, College Possible operates regional sites in Austin, TX; Chicago, IL; Milwaukee, WI; Omaha, NE; Philadelphia, PA; Portland, OR; Saint Paul, MN; and Seattle, WA; as well as Catalyze partnerships in California, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
College Possible is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, and seeks to build a diverse workforce to create impact in partnership with the communities we serve. We welcome a diverse pool of qualified applicants. For each of its positions, College Possible is mindful about what best serves our students, and seeks to hire staff with relevant experience, skills and aptitude, and a commitment to the power of education.
Equal Opportunity Employer
College Possible is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of their race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, or status with regard to public assistance. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. We provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals and conduct all possible activities in fully accessible settings. Alternative application formats are available upon request by contacting hr@collegepossible.org.
Your Role as Senior Advising Specialist
The Senior Advising Specialist is responsible for providing support to college students in the areas of financial aid, course registration, internships, career exposure, campus connection, and more via virtual methods as well as in-person. In addition to supporting their caseload of students, the Senior Advising Specialist helps coordinate College Possible with 1-3 program projects. Senior Advising Specialists are expected to collaborate with other program staff on group events, student support best practices, and overall program best practices. The Senior Advising Specialist position advocates for College Possible's college students communicating to both College Possible and the higher educational institutions as to the needs of the students and resources needed for the students to persist and graduate.
Primary Responsibilities
Direct Student Support - 70%
- Follow College Possible structured college curriculum, which supports students in four areas: financial aid, academics/registration, social emotional, and career planning to help students progress towards specific goals/milestones.
- Coach students toward reaching College Possible programmatic milestones.
- Conduct and document end-of-semester assessments for each student (twice annually).
- Create individualized support plans for students.
- Maintain ongoing communication with all students in caseload.
- Lead 45-minute meetings for 20-25 students per month on designated campuses.
- Meet with incoming first year students over the summer to ensure a smooth transition to their new campus.
- Send messages of encouragement, congratulatory cards, care packages, etc.
- Respond to all student text/calls/emails within 2 business days.
- Guide students through financial aid renewal process by appropriate deadlines.
- Support students through career exploration, career planning, and career development.
- Research relevant career information and resources to send to students.
- Identify students for specific partner internships and opportunities, and support students through the application process for these opportunities.
- Connect students with job coaching volunteers and mentors.
- Market career opportunities and events.
- Help students resolve obstacles that come up throughout the school year by coaching them on self-advocacy and resourcefulness skills and communicating with school offices to advocate for students.
- Refer students to appropriate resources when needed.
Caseload & Data Management - 20%
- Track and record student progress, using both quantitative and qualitative measures.
- Enter data into Salesforce.
- Enter assessments and support plans twice annually.
- Maintain accurate student contact information in the student database.
- Identify, run and synthesize reports into a presentable form to share key information about student trends and milestone progress.
- Manage a caseload of approximately 250-300 college students, including, but not limited to:
- Schedule all student meetings on a monthly, or as needed, basis.
- Manage time and calendar to meet minimum meeting standards as outlined by KPIs.
- Support students who have become unenrolled or who have transferred out of their initial institution.
Secondary Responsibilities
Project Support - 10%
- Coordinate College Possible program projects.
- Serve as a hiring mentor for new Advising Specialists.
- Collaborate with other program staff on group events, student support best practices, and overall program best practices.
Other Duties/Projects as Assigned
What You Bring
Education/Certifications/Licenses:
- Bachelor's degree required.
Related Work Experience
- 3-5 years of experience related to teaching, mentoring, advising, and/or coaching post-secondary students from underserved populations.
- Must have experience in designing student communication, activities, lesson plans, and resources for high school and/or college students.
Computer/Software Skills
- Well-developed computer skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Office.
Other Skills, Abilities and Requirements
- Must also possess exemplary written and virtual communications skills, and the ability to work well in a highly collaborative team or independently.
- Employees must have mobility throughout the office and may infrequently be required to travel to partner sites.
- Travel responsibilities include being on the road up to 30% of the time with travel across Minneapolis/St. Paul and potentially Greater Minnesota.
- The employee must be emotionally mature and be able to handle difficult and complex student situations.
- Must demonstrate an ability to solve practical problems and deal with frequently changing variables.
- Must demonstrate strong interpersonal and coaching skills.
- Excellent written communication skills are essential; English/Spanish bilingualism is strongly preferred.
- Able to read, analyze, and interpret general educational and business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, and governmental regulations.
- Exhibit an ability to professionally write reports and business correspondence. They must be able to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
- Able to effectively present information and respond to questions from the public, clients, students, partners, and managers.
Physical Requirements:
- Ability to lift up to 15 pounds when needed.
- Office environment with limited travel.
- Ability to stand and/or sit for a minimum of 7 hours a day.
What We Offer
In addition to joining a committed, diverse, values-based organization, we offer:
- An opportunity for you to have a tremendous impact both internally and in the broader country.
- A competitive salary commensurate with experience.
- Excellent benefits including complete health, dental, life, short-term and long-term insurance.
- 401(k) retirement plan.
- Encouraged sustainability through a generous paid time off program.
- Personalized professional development and growth opportunities.
To Join Our Growing College Possible Team
Please apply at: www.CollegePossible.org/careers Include a resume and cover letter.
