The College and Career Counselor is responsible for ensuring that every graduate earns admission into a best-fit college or university or Career and Technical Education (CTE) program and commits to matriculating to their best-fit postsecondary pathway following high school graduation. The Counselor provides close guidance in college and career-aspiration research, as well as the application, financial, and decision processes. Counselors play a key role in building and implementing a strong and strategic Counseling and Match program for all students through the College Knowledge and Career Success curriculum via seminar and providing 1:1 college and career advising.
Other common role titles: Match counselor, college Match counselor, postsecondary Match counselor, college counselor
Launch
July: Before students return to school
- Attend relevant KIPP Foundation and school training, including College Knowledge and Career Success (CKCS) curriculum training, if applicable
- Prepare to execute ongoing Network recommended counseling and Match practices with students and families, including:
- Use Overgrad and YouScience in counseling conversations to support quality wish lists, applications and career exploration opportunities
- Hold at least two 1:1 counseling meetings with 90%+ of juniors and seniors
- Host one family meeting/event with all junior families and two family meetings/events with all senior families
Strong Start
August-September: When students return to school
Match goal: Senior wish lists due by September 30
- Use the Counselor Match Tool dashboard to monitor progress of senior wish lists by focus academic segments (3.0+ GPA, 16+ ACT, 2.00-2.99 GPA, 16+ ACT, <2.0 GPA, <16 ACT)
- Support fall and spring opt-in campaigns to ensure 75% of seniors are signed up to receive Nudge messages
Rigor I
October–December: Ratio, Lift, & Monitoring
Match goal: Early decision and college applications due November 30
- Use Counselor Match Tool dashboard to monitor progress on early decision and college applications (due November 30)
- Ensure timely data entry of early decision and college applications in Overgrad for progress monitoring to regional goals and identify target students for intervention and support
- Engage students to prepare for financial aid submissions, including and not limited to submitting required documents and creating financial student aid IDs
Rigor II
January–March: Monitoring and Response to Data
Match goal: Financial aid submission due by February 28
- Use the Counselor Match Tool dashboard to monitor regional progress on financial aid form submissions
- Execute ongoing practices with students and families to successfully meet key Match milestones and goals:
- Use Overgrad and YouScience in counseling conversations
- Hold at least two counseling 1:1 meetings with all juniors and seniors
- Hold one family meeting/event with all junior families and two family meetings/events with all senior families
- Begin planning junior wish list strategy ahead of the network May 31 deadline (create student Overgrad accounts, introduce wish lists and Overgrad with students)
- Attend state of the state programming for key updates on current state of KIPP Forward student outcomes (reference: 2023–24 sessions); participate in results review and action-planning conversation with regional leaders and counseling team
- Attend relevant spring Foundation-led professional development and training learning session
Strong Finish
March–Early May
Match goal: Senior decisions and junior wish lists due by May 31
- Use the Counselor Match Tool dashboard to monitor progress of senior decisions and junior wish lists
- Meet with senior students and families to ensure college and postsecondary decisions are aligned across six fit factors, including financial fit
- Engage juniors to research, build and finalize quality wish list drafts by the May 31 network deadline
Plan
May-June
Match goal: Senior decisions and junior wish lists due by May 31
- Support students to meet senior decisions and junior wish list goals by the May 31 network deadline; use the Counselor Match Tool dashboard to monitor progress to goals and identify target students for continued outreach and support
- All National Counseling Institute participants complete the full arc of learning (prework and in-person training in May/June and practicum in September/October)
- All CKCS curriculum facilitators complete curriculum training prelaunch (in person or asynchronously)