College Counselor

Ethical Culture Fieldston School is a progressive Pre-K through 12 independent school that has been serving students from throughout New York City and the surrounding suburbs since 1878. Committed to academic excellence, ethical learning and progressive education, ECFS offers a rich curriculum in the arts, sciences, and humanities. A co-ed, nonsectarian school, it serves a diverse community of about 350 faculty and staff and 1,700 students on two campuses -- one in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, and the other in Manhattan.

The College Office is searching for a full-time College Counselor to start in September of 2018. Strong applicants will believe in the principles of progressive education as defined by John Dewey, Jane Addams and Felix Adler, our founder, as well as the importance of creating a level playing field for a diverse student and parent population in the college process itself. The school has resources for students needing financial assistance to visit colleges, prepare for standardized tests, and enjoy a full college exploration. Counselors also help families work with financial aid offices at the colleges in the spring to resolve financial assistance issues. Fieldston has a wide-ranging college counseling program that includes, in addition to the above, helping families plan visiting trips, collaborating with the class dean to help students and families in distress, and working to keep the students at the center of the process, often assisting them and their families with the appropriate psychological maturation and separation from their families that occurs naturally during senior year.

For those interested, there will be opportunities to teach a class though this is not part of the job requirements.

Key Responsibilities:

• Working collaboratively with the College Counseling team and class dean

• Identifying and prioritizing what needs to be shared and the ability to ask for help, support, and clarification

• Showing resourcefulness and self-reliance in working without constant supervision

• Guiding diverse families in the college process with discernment and empathy

• Speaking charismatically in public, both at school and at conferences

• Maintaining high energy and engagement beyond the hours of the school day and work week

• Exuding a calm center and professionalism in the presence of stress and anxiety

• Prioritizing tasks effectively and adjusting to priorities different from your own

• Traveling over the summer to colleges and universities to keep current

• Attending relevant conferences

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university

• Some experience in either college admissions at a highly selective institution with a more than formulaic admissions process and/or in college counseling at a high school

• Ability to balance a private life with a highly demanding and sometimes stressful work experience supported by a very trusting, nurturing, open, and cohesive office relationship with immediate colleagues

• An interest in intellectual inquiry and an ease in helping families manage transition

• Superior writing ability and excellent general communications and personal skills

• Love and joy in being with high school students

• Patience and a sense of humor

• Teaching experience is preferred