Virtual Counselor Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

College Counselor Job Description

About HelloCollege

At HelloCollege, we help families navigate all aspects of college planning from start to acceptance.  Our program consists of one-on-one virtual counseling sessions, interactive group workshops, online e-learning, and other educational resources.  Our goal is to help students get into their top-choice college, reduce the costs of college, and graduate on time with a job in their major.  Our role is to reduce the stress of students and parents by properly preparing and guiding students through college planning.

About the College Counselor Role

As a HelloCollege College Counselor, you will be responsible for guiding a caseload of students and families through the HelloCollege program. You will strive to ensure every student completes the program and accomplishes their college planning goals while also helping the company grow.  This is a mid-level position for an experienced professional. The College Counselor will report to the Director of Counseling.

What Success Looks Like 

• Manage a caseload of up to 150 students according to HelloCollege program blueprint and counselor service level agreements including meeting cadence and support response times
• Maintain expert knowledge of high school curricula, extracurricular and leadership choices, summer program applications, and standardized test planning to make recommendations regarding admissions strategies.
• Maintain 95% healthy contact rating, 95% retention rate
• Contribute to efforts to drive referrals, testimonials and online reviews
• Conduct formal consulting sessions with students on a bi-monthly basis, chronicling and sharing with relevant stakeholders notes and action items
• Maintain reasonable levels of communication with students and families outside of formal sessions through various channels (e.g. email, etc.)
• Assists in overseeing partnerships with schools and organizations
• Creates positive and lasting relationships with families
• Diligently track all communication and keep client files updated in CRM
• Facilitate and lead up to four online workshops/month based on your areas of subject matter expertise
• Maintain knowledge of higher education and college planning trends
• Actively participate in team meetings, knowledge sharing, shadowing and mentoring of other team members
• Be an active leader in developing a positive company culture and promote company growth

What Skills And Experience Needed 

• Master’s degree or College Counseling certification required
• Experience with highly selective college counseling, college admissions, school counseling, or student advising is required
• Highly knowledgeable about selective, highly selective, and ivy level US colleges and universities
• Ability to connect with students and parents from diverse academic, ethnic/racial, and financial backgrounds
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and build relationships with diverse stakeholders
• Strong case management skills: ability to juggle multiple priorities, attention to detail, and ability to prioritize tasks appropriately
• Proficient technology skills (required) using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) & Google Drive (Docs, Sheets, Slides), and able to quickly learn how to use new programs/systems
• Public speaking and event facilitation experience is expected

Additional Skills That Set You Apart

• An outgoing personality with great energy and excellent virtual presence
• A passion for helping students achieve better outcomes
• Highly motivated and results-driven with a track record of meeting and exceeding goals
• Experience working with students with learning differences
• Average schedule is 12-8:30pm (CST)
• Applicants in CST, MST, and PST time zones preferred
• Workload varies by season, with busy season April-December
• Salary range starting at $65,000

HelloCollege Benefits

• Health/Dental/Vision
• Employer Paid Short-term and long-term disability insurance 
• 401k
• Unlimited PTO
• Dedicated professional development days to visit and research colleges
• Coverage for professional memberships (ex. NACAC)
• Bonus incentives for referrals, reviews
• Opportunity to earn extra income by conducting college planning consultations with prospective families