WHO YOU ARE

As a full-time or part-time college counselor, you will be a key part of an engaging, close-knit, yet partially dispersed team. Your work will center on advising DC College Counseling students and families, with opportunities to apply that same expertise in a school-based setting through a limited partnership with a local private school.

When you first join us, you will jump right in to support an active caseload of Class of 2027 seniors, helping students finalize essays and application materials prior to submission. You will collaborate closely with our part-time essay coaches, providing guidance, feedback, and oversight as they work with students in 1:1 coaching sessions.

Over time, you will partner with students in grades 8–12, supporting them across the full arc of the college planning process. For younger students, this includes interest exploration, academic and extracurricular planning, and thoughtful decision-making about high school experiences. For juniors and seniors, you will provide comprehensive guidance through the college search and application process, including strategy development, list building, application planning, and essay review. You will hold regular meetings and tailor your approach to each student’s personality, learning style, and goals.

You will be trained in DC College Counseling’s proprietary processes and methods for producing “17-year-old-perfect” applications. These methods will guide all of your student work and ensure a consistent, high-quality experience across clients and partner organizations.

Part of your duties will entail providing our services to a small, defined cohort of students at a local private school through an established partnership. This school-based work is episodic and structured, and allows you to apply your college counseling expertise within a school environment while delivering individualized support using DC College Counseling’s established frameworks and timelines.

This role requires exceptional attention to detail. You will prepare polished documents and correspondence, contribute to the maintenance of handbooks and internal resources, and engage in research, collaboration with colleagues, and occasional campus visits.

You may also have opportunities to support special projects, events, and initiatives such as social media efforts and our Pro Bono program. Strong organizational skills and comfort managing multiple priorities will be essential.

You will assist in creating communications for a range of audiences, including students and families, extended team members, and, as relevant, school partners within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan community. Most importantly, you will make an impact every day by guiding students toward thoughtful, well-matched college outcomes.

WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED

• At a minimum, you have 2+ years of professional success in an undergraduate admissions office, independent school college counseling office, or both (preference for a combination of admissions and independent school college counseling)
• You are a calm yet dynamic, detail-oriented professional who is energized by providing top-notch service and anticipating needs
• You love collaborating with team members and have experience juggling many projects at once
• You are looking to utilize your college admissions background and superior organizational skills to make a difference
• You have an in-depth understanding of the current college admissions landscape and are excited by the opportunity to grow and innovate
• You have a great work ethic and thrive on a fast-paced, collaborative team
• You are an excellent writer and communicator
• You don’t sweat shifting priorities and are calm under fire
• You love social media and online tools
• You are intrigued about efficiency and making systems and work processes better
• You believe in the importance of abiding by NACAC’s Guide to Ethical Practice in College Admission
• You are trustworthy and can be counted on to safeguard the confidentiality of our clients and our business
• You have excellent taste in candy and snacks when it comes to agreeing on how to stock the office
• You are currently living in or willing to relocate close enough to the Washington, DC metro area to work on site twice per week during certain times of year
• You are willing to transition to this position by June 2026

About DC College Counseling

DC College Counseling is a sixteen-year-old educational consulting firm located in Vienna, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. Our mission is to combine strategic decision-making, time-tested processes, and new innovations in order to assist students, families, and organizations with educational placement.

Connections working at DC College Counseling