Program Coordinator – College Access Program - CollegeTracks : Job Details

ABOUT COLLEGETRACKS

CollegeTracks' mission is to empower first generation-to-college students and students from

low-income and immigrant households in Montgomery County, Maryland by helping them bridge

systemic opportunity gaps with enough support to get to and through postsecondary education and

on a career pathway. We envision a future in which every student who graduates from high school in

Montgomery County, Maryland has equitable access to their chosen career pathway.

We believe that EVERY student deserves a pathway to prosperity, regardless of who they are, how

much they have, or where they come from, and we know that not every student in Montgomery

County is getting that opportunity. We believe that postsecondary education is one of the most

proven pathways to socio-economic mobility. And we believe that equitable access to postsecondary

education is not only a moral imperative, but an economic necessity, as it will help us build a stronger,

healthier, and more just future for Montgomery County.

We currently serve 1,600+ high school and college scholars each year, who attend or are alumni of

four (4) high schools within Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) - Bethesda-Chevy Chase,

Paint Branch, Watkins Mill and Wheaton High Schools. We want to expand our program into more

MCPS schools and communities, to live up to our vision of a County in which EVERY student gets

the support they need and deserve.

OUR PROGRAMS

The Access Program focuses on admissions and financial aid advising, expands awareness of

college and career options, identifies colleges that fit each student, uses the “Milestones to College”

to guide students through the critical milestones of the college admissions process, advises on

college decisions, engages parents, provides hands-on help with the Free Application for Federal

Student Aid (FAFSA) and other scholarship applications, advocates with college financial aid officers,

and helps analyze financial aid packages to find enough financial aid to ensure students will not be

saddled with burdensome debt.

The Success Program teaches students critical college success skills, helps each student develop a

degree plan, monitors and supports student academic performance and helps students secure

ongoing financial aid. The Success program uses a caseload management approach to provide

individual coaching for students as they transition from high school to college, to increase the

likelihood that they will enroll, persist, and graduate from college.

POSITION SUMMARY

CollegeTracks seeks an energetic, passionate, and highly skilled individual to serve as Program

Coordinator for our College Access Program at our MCPS High Schools. The majority of the

Program Coordinator's work will be performed at an assigned high school, with work performed at

partner high school sites on an as needed basis.

The Program Coordinator will perform the day-to-day operations of CollegeTracks' College Access

Program, which guides students and parents through the college search, application, standardized test

preparation, financial aid, and transition to college processes. The Program Coordinator will report

directly to their respective Program Director.

Each high school Access team works collaboratively to guide students and families through the

following eight (8) milestones:

1. Plan Your Higher Education & Career Path

2. Prepare for Standardized Tests

3. Create Your Higher Education List

4. Submit Your Applications

5. Apply for Financial Aid

6. Apply for Scholarships

7. Decide Where to Attend

8. Enroll

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Coordination

● Provide college and career advising to students and families about the college admissions

and financial aid process in a fast and complex nonprofit environment with multiple competing

priorities

● Recruit students into the program with the goal of active and continuous engagement

● Coordinate and conduct workshops on key steps (“Milestones”) in the college application

process and track individual student's attendance and progress

● Utilize computer and web-based tools (Excel, Salesforce, Google Suite, etc) to provide

efficient individualized and group advising to students in an organized and detail-oriented

manner

● Coordinate standardized test preparation and registration for students (SAT, ACT, TOEFL,

Accuplacer, etc.)

● Assist in training, supporting, and/or managing College Access & Test Prep volunteers

● Identify and help students apply for local and national scholarships

● Maintain knowledge about colleges, scholarship opportunities, and local programs that best

serve our student population

● Utilize various popular social media platforms (e.g. Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Remind,

etc.) for effective student outreach and program engagement

Data Collection & Analysis

● Assist Program Director in accurately recording data through an online Salesforce database

platform and effectively use student folders to track program activities and student outcomes

● Analyze and use data to help determine next steps for individual students and for the program

● Deliver regular programmatic reports on test prep, student progress, and concerns at monthly

meetings and as needed

Internal Program Collaboration

● Nurture collaborative relationships with CollegeTracks staff and volunteers

● Work in concert with other CollegeTracks' Access teams to update tools, develop strategies,

and create solutions to meet student needs

● Collaborate with CollegeTracks Success team to successfully identify, recruit, and transition

high school seniors to the Success Program

External Partner Collaboration

● Serve as a CollegeTracks champion with a wide range of audiences and communicate

effectively (verbally and in writing) with these audiences

● Support Program Director in developing relationships with high school administrators,

counselors, teachers, and staff; community partners; and college admissions and financial aid

staff, university administrators, and campus departments to increase opportunities and

support services for CollegeTracks' student population

QUALIFICATIONS

● Bachelor's degree with coursework in education, counseling, social work, psychology or a

related field

● Prior work experience with students in high schools, college access, college admissions,

higher education (certificate, 2-year, or 4-year programs), youth development, teaching and/or

counseling, or college retention programs

● Understands and values racial equity as an organizational operating principle and is committed

to continued learning on issues related to race, equity, diversity, and inclusion

● Working knowledge of college admissions, higher education (certificate, 2-year, or 4-year

programs), college retention, and/or public school systems

● Work experience in multicultural and multilingual student and family environments

● Proven interpersonal and relationship-building skills

● Proven problem-solving, decision-making, and program coordination skills

● Must be extremely organized and detail-oriented

● Bilingual or fluent in Spanish is highly preferred

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

● Sense of humor

● Passionate about equal access to higher education

● Willing to advocate relentlessly on behalf of our students

● Access to reliable transportation and smart phone required

THE DETAILS

The Access Program Coordinator position is an on-site, full-time, permanent, and salaried position.

We offer a generous benefits package, including: We offer a generous benefits package, including:

● Health care

● Dental

● Vision

● Retirement (403b plan)

● Life Insurance

● Short and Long Term disability plans

● Employee Assistance Program

● Pre -tax Commuter Benefits Program

● Dependent Care Options

● Paid Time Off (PTO)

The compensation for the Access Program Coordinator position is $55,000, and is non-negotiable.

HOW TO APPLY

Qualified candidates should send an email to [email protected] with “CollegeTracks

Access Program Coordinator” in the subject line. Please include your resume and a cover letter

that explains how your skills and qualifications meet the position requirements. Please note:

CollegeTracks will verify academic credentials before hiring. New hires will be required to submit

fingerprints for criminal background checks.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

CollegeTracks understands and values racial equity as an organizational operating principle and is

committed to continued learning on issues related to race, equity, diversity, and inclusion. We believe

that diversity, equity, and inclusion among our team is critical to our success and mission. We seek to

recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. CollegeTracks is

an Equal Opportunity Employer and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex,

color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, or national origin, marital

status, genetic information, or political affiliation, or gender identity and expression. We encourage

people from all backgrounds to apply for open positions.