College Advisor

College Adviser

USC College Advising Corps (USC CAC) Advisers play a critical role in delivering high quality postsecondary advising to students within a high school setting. College Advisers assist students with their college searches, applications, financial aid, and enrollment. They also host presentations, workshops, and events focused on supporting postsecondary attainment. College Advisers carefully track student interactions and outcomes via our online student tracker to meet performance metrics and goals. As well, College Advisers are responsible for attending summer training, on-going professional development training, team meetings, and may be asked to work on other partnership projects. College Advisers report to the Program Director at USC and an on-site liaison at their assigned school.

College Advising is a full-time position (37.5 hours/week). The rate for this position is $22.00 per hour.

Please note that the adviser IS a USC employee, but will NOT work on the USC campus. The College Adviser’s primary work location will be a local high school. The high school campus will be in the greater Los Angeles area. (Potential areas include: Los Angeles, Long Beach, Compton, Lynwood, Paramount and various cities in the San Gabriel Valley).  

The College Adviser position is fixed term and limited to two years. Continuation for the second year is conditional, based upon performance in the first year and funding availability.

Hiring Windows

Traditional (summer)

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.

Year-round

While most advisers are hired at the beginning of summer, applications are reviewed, candidates interviewed and positions are filled throughout the year.

Overview

Launched in 2013, the University of Southern California College Advising Corps’ (USC CAC) has grown from 3 schools within one district to over 40 schools in more than 8 districts. This program is a partnership between the USC Center for Enrollment Research, Policy and Practice (CERPP) and the national College Advising Corps.

CERPP is an independent research center that 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. CERPP analyzes salient enrollment issues through the critical perspectives of social science researchers, policymakers, education leaders and enrollment practitioners. The establishment of the USC CAC program grew from the center’s mission to foster greater equity and expertise in educational access, admissions and outcomes. 

Since 2013, USC CAC advisers have collectively provided college advising services to over 74,000 seniors. Our program works in high schools that have demonstrated need:

• 89% of students are underrepresented minorities (URM: Latinx, African American, American Indian or Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander)

• 74% of students qualify for free and reduced lunch

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

College Advisers work within a local high school to build a positive and inclusive college going culture on campus for all students. Their responsibilities include:

• Assist students with college searches, applications, applying for financial aid for Community Colleges, 4-year Universities, private colleges and trade schools.

• Organize workshops, presentations, and events that encourage students and their families to consider post-secondary education.

• Establish productive and strategic relationships with counselors, teachers and administrators 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.

• 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 (12 months) of service, with a preferred two-year commitment if mutually agreed upon by the program staff and the adviser.

Required Qualification:

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

Preferred Qualifications:

• Student program or services experience

• 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

• Ability to speak Spanish, Armenian, or other language is a plus but not required

Application Instructions:

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

• Resume
• Cover letter

If you have a question about your application, please email: [email protected]

The hourly rate for this position is $22.00. 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.

Minimum Education:
Bachelor's degree
Additional Education Requirements
Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education
Minimum Experience:
1 year
Addtional Experience Requirements
Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum work experience
Minimum Skills:
Administrative experience.
Understanding of community outreach programs.
Familiarity with relevant programs and applications (e.g., Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite).
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Preferred Education:
Bachelor's degree
Preferred Experience:
2 years
Preferred Skills:
Demonstrated experience interacting with diverse groups, exercising diplomacy, good judgment and discretion.
Familiarity with local community.
Demonstrated experience with office management communication software and tools (e.g., Google suite, Slack, Skype) and social media management. Fluency in one or more language in addition to English (e.g., Spanish, Korean).

USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying. 

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at [email protected]. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

• Notice of Non-discrimination
• Employment Equity
• Read USC’s Clery Act Annual Security Report
• USC is a smoke-free environment
• Digital Accessibility

If you are a current USC employee, please apply to this  USC job posting in Workday by copying and pasting this link into your browser:

https://wd5.myworkday.com/usc/d/inst/1$9925/9925$125082.htmld