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Position Description

Director of College Counseling

For the

June 22, 2018

The Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund

The Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund (DMSF) gives high school scholarship and educational support to bright Chicago students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. DMSF makes a life-altering difference in the lives of its Scholars by providing them with a four-year scholarship to a private college preparatory highschool and, along with it, access to the best opportunities to succeed in high school, college and beyond.

DMSF has been serving Chicago’s most vulnerable students and their families for 30 years. The first four DMSF Scholars began high school in 1990; in the fall of 2018 close to 3,000 Scholars will have participated in the program. DMSF now awards 125 new scholarships each year with great results. Nearly all of the Scholars complete high school and virtually 100% of these high school graduates are admitted to 4 year colleges. Four hundred and seventy DMSF Scholars are currently enrolled in independent and parochial college preparatory day schools in the Chicago-area, as well as in boarding schools around the country. DMSF plans to increase its number of Scholars to 500 by the year 2020.

DMSF Scholars face far more obstacles to success than their peers who come from middle and upper class backgrounds. Over the course of its 30 years of scholarship management, DMSF has learned that its Scholars need significant support beyond financial aid in order to succeed. This has led the organization to implement, oversee and continually adjust programming to respond to the academic and social challenge its Scholars face while attending demanding college prep high schools. DMSF’s supportive programming begins before its Scholars enter high school and continues until they graduate. It features five core programs: the Bridge to Excellence summer session, mentoring, tutoring, the summer opportunities program, and college counseling. DMSF’s objective is to do everything possible to support the success of its Scholars.

DMSF works strategically with bright and talented students who would not otherwise have access to the resources necessary to attend a high performing high school. DMSF’s Scholars live in Cook County, and more than 90% reside in the City of Chicago. The current classes of DMSF Scholars reflect the diversity of the City: 49% are Hispanic, 37% are African American, 5% are Caucasian and the balance are of mixed race, Asian or other ethnicities. The average DMSF Scholar comes from a family of five with an income of $33,000. Approximately two-thirds of the Scholars come from single-parent households. The vast majority of DMSF Scholars will be among the first generation in their families to graduate from college.

DMSF begins educating Scholars about college before their first day of high school. Every DMSF Scholar is expected not only to attend, but to graduate from college. We want every DMSF Scholar positioned to secure the financial aid they will need to succeed in college. To help DMSF Scholars achieve this goal, DMSF has implemented a four-year college counseling curriculum designed to ensure that its Scholars are familiar with the college application and financial aid process, will be eligible to attend a selective college, and are ultimately well-positioned to attend a college which is an appropriate match. We also strive to ensure that the parents and guardians of our Scholars, many of whom have not attended college, are well versed in the college selection and application process and are able to support their sons and daughters throughout that process.

Director of College Counseling

DMSF seeks a dynamic and accomplishedcollege counseling professional to join its teamas the Director of College Counseling. Reporting to the Chief Education Officer, the Director of College Counseling is a full-time, year-round position. This individual, in collaboration with DMSF’s Chief Education Officer and the Education Department staff, as well as with oversight from DMSF’s College Counseling Committee,will be responsible for the continued development and implementation of DMSF’s college counseling curriculum. In addition, the Director of College Counseling will be responsible for managing partnerships and programming designed to help DMSF graduates persist in college. The Director of College Counseling will expand and deepen DMSF’s existing relationships with colleges, universities, scholarship providers and others.

Primary responsibilities of the role include:

  • Implementation and continued innovation of DMSF’s four-year college counseling curriculum.
  • Provide one on one college counseling to DMSF Scholars during their junior and senior years of high school, working hand in hand with Scholars, their families and the college counselors at their high schools.
  • Plan and chaperone college visits
  • Facilitate a variety of admission and financial aid workshops for current Scholars
  • Creation of handbooks and other materials for DMSF Scholars, as well as their parents and guardians.
  • Devise and implement events for parents to help them better understand the college counseling process and the value of their children attending selective colleges and universities across the country.
  • Arrange for and oversee ACT test prep classes.
  • Expand DMSF’s relationships with organizations which provide financial aid to students attending college, and strengthen DMSF’s relationships with organizations which are already providing financial support to DMSF Scholars who are in college.
  • Collection and evaluation of college persistence, financial aid and standardized testing data.
  • Work with the members of the DMSF Education Department, as well as the College Counseling Committee, to devise and implement tools to evaluate DMSF’s college counseling efforts.
  • Represent DMSF before NACAC, IACAC and other similar organizations.
  • Manage DMSF’s efforts to increase the college persistence rates of its alumni, including helping implement partnerships with other nonprofits who are involved in working with students at the college level.
  • Be an eager member of the DMSF team and participate as needed in the organization’s activities, including scholar recruitment, donor-related events and alumni activities.
  • Attend Board meetings and make presentations to the Board, as appropriate.

Ideal Candidate Qualifications

DMSF seeks candidates who bring strong leadership and relationship skills, balanced by analytics,detail orientation and the willingness to work as part a team. The role of the Director of College Counselingis a dynamic one, and activities will vary significantly from daytoday, as the position requires careful program planning and management as well as significant time spent nurturing external relationships. Candidatesmust beself-motivated,innovative and flexible, and able to effortlessly switch from driving planning and execution efforts to face-to-face meetings with Scholars and parents. Candidates must possess a broad knowledge of U.S. colleges and universities, and be proficient at identifying schools that could be a potential fit for individual Scholars. Excellent writing, presentation, interpersonal and organizational skills are essential.

Experience and Qualifications Include but not limited to:

  • Ability to provide counseling services to a diverse population
  • High level of organizational sophistication and understanding of college counseling process
  • Able to foster relationships with admissions officers and senior level college administrators
  • Strategic thinker and inspiring communicator
  • Adept at engaging participants in large group discussions
  • Sensitive to the obstacles faced by first generation families
  • Shows perseverance in the face of significant challenges
  • Exemplify, maintain and promote the image and culture on which the SSP was founded
  • Ability to speak/read Spanish is preferred, but not required
  • This position is full time. Occasional attendance at events/programs on evenings and weekends will be required as will seasonal overnight travel to colleges and universities.

Education:

Bachelor’s degree. Advanced degree in a related field a plus.

Experience:

Qualified applicants will have a minimum of 6 years professional work experience as a high school college counselor or in a college admissions office is preferred.

To Apply

Interested applicants should send a cover letter andresume to the attention of DMSF’s Chief Education Officer, Demisha W. Lee at . Preferred start date is August 1, 2018.