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College Adviser Job Announcement

***Subject to Change***

College Adviser – Greater Los Angeles area (Fixed term)

Southern California College Advising Corps

Greater Los Angeles area

College Adviser

Placed full time in a high school, the college adviser assists large numbers of students with all aspects of their college access process. Advisers are recent college graduates who undergo four weeks of full-time paid training, then begin working at their assigned high school in one-to-one and group settings with all students.

Program Introduction

The mission of the University of Southern California College Advising Corps’ (USC CAC) is to improve college outcome for low-income, first-generation and underrepresented students. USC CAC places recent college grads on high school campuses to serve as the full time college advisers. Advisers assist students and their families with college planning, admissions and financial aid and enrollment in postsecondary institutions that will serve them well.

Apply Now to be a College Adviser

The USC College Advising Corps is committed to ensuring our students have excellent support in their college access journeys--this begins with assembling an excellent team. Below you’ll find an overview of our hiring process.

College Advising is a full-time position (37.5 hours/week). Please note that the adviser is a USC employee, but will NOT work on the USC campus. The adviser will work on a high school campus in the Greater Los Angeles area. (Potential areas include: Los Angeles, Long Beach, Compton, Downey, Lynwood and various cities in the San Gabriel Valley).

Traditional (summer) hiring cycle

We begin reviewing resumes and scheduling interviews in February. We typically continue interviewing candidates through June. If offered a position, a candidate can expect a start date in July alongside several other new hires starting the same day.

Mid-year hiring cycle

If a position opens mid-year, after the July start date, we review resumes and schedule interviews as soon as the new position is posted. Start date will be ASAP. 

The College Adviser position runs for a full year. The position may be extended to another year, depending on grant funding and performance. The position is fixed term and WILL NOT last longer than two years. Compensation will include an hourly wage of $19.00 / hour, and USC benefits, including health insurance.

Please Address cover letters to our Program Director Ara Arzumanian. 

If you have a question about your application please email usccac@usc.edu

About the USC Center for Enrollment Research, Policy and Practice (CERPP)

The USC College Advising Corps in an initiative of the Center for Enrollment Research, Policy and Practice. CERPP is housed in the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California (USC) partnered with the College Advising Corps (CAC) to launch the University of Southern California College Advising Corps (USC CAC) in Fall 2013.  CERPP analyzes enrollment issues through the critical perspectives of social science researchers, policymakers, education leaders and college practitioners. The center is rooted in the belief that college admission, student financial aid and degree completion processes must become better informed, more expertly practiced and more equitable. Thus the center brings together individuals and groups with a vested interest in promoting access and student success to inform and enhance knowledge of the enrollment management profession and facilitate practices that serve to better meet the needs of students, institutions and society as a whole.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• The primary focus of this position is to provide individualized support with college and financial aid applications to high school seniors and their families. Depending on the campus assigned, this can mean hundreds of students for each adviser. Through this direct work and some of the other efforts outlined below, the adviser works toward building a general college going culture on campus for all students.

• Organize group events that encourage students and their families to consider, plan for and apply to colleges and universities.

• Establish productive and strategic relationships with principals, counselors and teachers within the partner school.

• Assist in the efforts of other college adviser(s) within the service area.

• Document all student interactions on daily basis to assist in the assessment and long-term sustainability of the program.

• Work closely with college admissions representatives to support students and plan and conduct college visits

• Prepare regular progress reports for USC program staff and school administration.

• Participate in a 4-week paid training during the summer and ongoing professional development throughout the school year

• Commit to one academic year (11 months) of service with a preferred two-year commitment if mutually agreed upon by the program staff and the adviser.

Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required (College seniors may apply before graduation for the following school year.)

• Proven ability to organize and manage many tasks and projects simultaneously

• Attention to detail and excellent quantitative and record-keeping skills

• Flexibility, creativity, independence, accountability and passion

• Experience working with diverse populations is a plus

• Ability to speak Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Arabic or other language is a plus but not required

The hourly rate for this position is $19.00. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

Application Instructions:

Please upload the following documents in the Resume/CV section found on the second screen of the application.

• Resume

• Cover letter