Director of College Guidance

Job Title: Director of College Guidance

Department: Upper School

FLSA Status: Exempt

The Hewitt School - New York, NY

ABOUT HEWITT

Established in 1920 and located in New York City, The Hewitt School is an independent K-12 girls’ school whose mission is to inspire girls and young women to become game changers and ethical leaders who forge an equitable, sustainable, and joyous future. Hewitt empowers and expects our community members to embrace multiple points of view, to engage others with empathy and integrity, and to champion equity and justice in all areas of our lives. As a community, Hewitt is fully committed to a culturally diverse faculty, staff, and student body.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Hewitt School seeks a director of college guidance. Hewitt’s college office consists of a full-time director and a part-time associate director, with a graduating class averaging 40-50 students. The director reports to the head of upper school/assistant head of school.

In the spring of 2020, Hewitt launched a strategic vision which boldly calls for the school to redesign learning around transdisciplinary real-world challenges; to reimagine where school happens within the greater context of New York City; and to redefine women’s leadership. 

In addition, Hewitt is one of the first high schools in the country to join the Mastery Transcript Consortium (MTC), which is currently developing a digital transcript that better reflects students’ “unique strengths, abilities, interests, and histories” and is attempting to rehumanize the college admissions process. This past summer, Hewitt faculty began redesigning curriculum using a standards-based learning approach, as part of our continued engagement with MTC. Our next director of college guidance will play an integral role in our continued evaluation of alternatives to the traditional transcript.  

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Initiating regular meetings with class advisors and visits to class meetings and small-group advisories (grades 9-12) to guide an ongoing discussion of decision making, co-curricular aspects, ownership, and autonomy of the college process 
• Educating parents and guardians, faculty, and constituents on components of the college process — adolescent development and decision-making, shifting trends and policies in college admissions, standardized testing content and calendars — through group and individual meetings and online communication and updates
• Guiding students and families in the college search, selection, application, and admission process through group, individual, and family meetings
• Coordinating administration of the PSAT exam for Hewitt
• Working with Private Prep in coordinating diagnostic testing for standardized testing during students’ sophomore year
• Designing and teaching a college seminar course for spring juniors and fall seniors
• Designing springtime transition-to-college workshops for seniors 
• Writing the school’s recommendation for two-thirds of graduating students and overseeing the process of compiling teacher recommendations, uploading transcripts, and submitting supplemental materials
• Building on current knowledge of colleges, domestic and abroad, through College Kickstart data and other sources
• Updating colleges about Hewitt and advocating for Hewitt students throughout the application process
• Ensuring that The Hewitt School profile effectively conveys who we are as a school through collaboration with the communications and academic leadership teams
• Working with the communications office to update the college guidance section of the school website  
• Representing Hewitt at relevant local, state, and national conferences and workshops and in NACAC, College Board, NAIS, NCGS, and ACCIS memberships
• Scheduling speakers and college visitors to Hewitt to educate the school community about the college process, financial and merit aid, and particular colleges and universities

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

• A Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of three to five years of experience in an independent school and/or college admissions environment
• Demonstrated commitment to anti-bias education and social justice
• Interest in, and relevant first-hand experience of, the college admissions process and the marketplace
• Must be a highly effective and engaging public speaker as well as a strong written communicator who is compassionate, flexible, and has a good sense of humor
• Familiarity with standards-based grading and the Mastery Transcript
• Experience with advocating for students and working with families
• Experience with and a commitment to culturally responsive practice in working with students and families 
• A commitment to work with high school students through the college process in a manner that recognizes and highlights each student’s strengths and individuality 
• An appreciation for, and understanding of, the complexities of high school-aged young women is essential
• Experience working with Google Suite for Education, including collaborating and editing with Docs, organizing and sharing resources with Drive, and fundamentals of spreadsheets

QUALIFICATIONS DESIRED

• Inquiry-based pedagogy
• Culturally responsive approach to teaching
• Fluency in multiple student-centered instructional approaches
• Commitment to participating fully in student life and the upper school community
• Proven dedication to professional growth and purpose-driven practice
• Professional practice and ability to model contemplation as part of intellectual exploration

TO APPLY: Please submit a resumé, cover letter, and examples of previous relevant work to [email protected]  Cover letters should reflect a careful reading of The Hewitt School’s website, including the school’s academic philosophy. Please reference the job title in the subject line of your email. No phone calls, please. Recruitment will remain open until the position is filled; applicants should apply as soon as possible for consideration.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The Hewitt School is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It has been and will continue to be a fundamental policy of the school not to discriminate on the basis of any category prohibited by applicable federal, New York State and/or New York City laws/regulations. This policy applies to all aspects of the employment process, including hiring, promotion, demotion, compensation/benefits, performance evaluations, disciplinary actions, training, working conditions, layoff, and termination.