Director of College Counseling

The Director of College Counseling will assist in guiding students toward post-secondary education and career success. This position will provide counseling, career exploration, college readiness support, and collaborate with school staff and community resources to help students achieve their post-secondary goals.

All Hill-Murray employees are expected to support, model, and champion Hill-Murray’s mission statement: Hill-Murray empowers students to reach their fullest potential by inspiring them to utilize their God-given strengths to become leaders who will make a positive difference in the world.

Key Responsibilities:
Relationship Building / Guidance for Students and Families

• Build strong relationships with students and parents beginning at the freshman level and provide personalized guidance and support throughout the college selection and application process.

• Educate students and parents about colleges, the college admissions process, financial aid, trends, procedures, and testing.

• Regularly communicate with students and parents about crucial related information.

• Advise students and parents individually and in small and large groups

• Guide students on academic and personal planning and skills essential to the college search, including resume writing and review, essay writing and review, interviewing techniques, scholarship search and applications, and college entrance testing.

• Provide student/family meetings to support the post-secondary planning process.

Relationship Building with Colleges / Universities and Specialty Programs

• Research programs, majors, and schools for students interested in specific pathways, and become familiar with new and emerging programs nationally.

• Build strong relationships with key colleges that HM students attend and develop professional working relationships with admissions staff.

• Actively seek opportunities for HM and our students to gain exposure to colleges/universities and specialty programs they do not regularly see.

• Visit colleges to stay updated on new majors, building projects, and happenings, especially at the colleges most important to HM students.

• Plan an annual college fair in collaboration with partnering schools for students and families.

Programming Support and Delivery

• Serve as the Test Supervisor for HM-administered Practice ACT exams each year. Score the exams and return results to students along with suggestions for self-study.

• Compile and update the school's annual profile.

• Work with the Registrar to maintain student records and provide access to Naviance.

• Evening and weekend hours are required to support special events, including parent programs, Open House, Back to School Night, Conferences, and all special college programming.

• Regularly update important informational sources, including the bulletin board in the senior hall, Naviance, Happenings, and the College part of the HM website.

• Actively promote and encourage applications for scholarships and keep the Naviance list updated.

• Write letters of recommendation for students as needed. Administer yearly training for faculty and counselors who write letters on both content and the process for uploading into Naviance.

Ongoing Professional Development

• Take an active interest in current trends and issues in college admissions. Maintain membership in NACAC and MACAC and attend regular meetings of the private school counselors’ group and other metro area counselors’ groups.

• Provide thought leadership and training to the school counselors to support their work with students and families.

General Responsibilities of Catholic School Employment:

Employment in and by a Catholic school is substantially different from secular employment. Catholic school employees must conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with and supportive of the mission and purpose of the school. An employee’s behavior must not violate the faith, morals, or laws of the Church or the Archdiocese to embarrass the school or give rise to scandal. It is preferred that all employees be active, participating members of a faith community.

Compensation: 1.0 FTE, exempt position; annual salary is based on degree and years of teaching experience (paid off the established salary scale).

Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, retirement, paid time off, flexible spending accounts, EAP, life, and disability insurance.