Position:

Head Advising Fellow (HAF)

About Matriculate:

Matriculate’s mission is to empower high-achieving, low-income high school students to make the leap to our best colleges. Our vision is that one day all the best students in America will have access to and be supported in the best colleges—regardless of their socio-economic status or background—which will give them a unique opportunity to change the trajectory of their own lives and the lives of their families.

Matriculate leverages peer-to-peer relationships and networks to empower high-achieving, low-income high school students to enroll in our best colleges. We train talented college students at top institutions to provide the information, guidance, and support that these high school students need to apply to, gain admission to, and excel at leading schools. 

Position Overview:

HAFs serve as the leader and manager of Advising Fellows (AFs) on their campus, as well as a representative of their college/university’s Matriculate Fellowship to the Matriculate national leadership team. HAFs play a critical role in ensuring the quality of the Matriculate model by ensuring AFs excel in supporting their HSFs, troubleshooting and solving AF challenges, helping train AFs, monitoring program implementation, and suggesting and implementing program improvements.

HAFs also act as one-on-one partners and guides for Matriculate’s high school fellows (HSFs) across the country applying to college. They will provide the information, guidance, and support that these high school students need to apply to, gain admission to, and excel at the best colleges.

HAFs are unpaid volunteers who receive a monetary stipend. Some colleges may provide compensation or other opportunities for Head Advising Fellows, including the opportunity to receive course credit and/or work study. HAFs may have the opportunity to travel to training conferences across the country.

Position Responsibilities:

Successfully complete HAF training:

●       Attend mandatory weekend HAF trainings in New York

●       August 3^rd – August 6^th, 2017

●       August 2018: TBD

●       Pass a background check and series of assessments confirming content retention, readiness to advise, and readiness to manage and assess AFs

Help AFs learn how to advise HSFs:

●       Help lead a mandatory on-campus AF training retreat during the 2017-2018 school year

●       Lead weekly AF meetings and support sessions

●       Provide ongoing feedback to AFs

Virtually advise two HSFs:

●       Spend a minimum of one hour per week with each HSF during the school year from January 2018 to May 2019, including:

o       Meet virtually with each HSF weekly to help them through the college process by covering topics such as developing a college list, applying for college and financial aid, and preparing for the transition to school

o       Be available by phone and email to review documents, answer questions, and provide support in between meetings

●       Touch base with HSFs through the summer to help them stay on track towards their college applications

Lead recruitment of 2018-2019 cohort on your campus:

●      Create strategy to reach the recruitment goals set for your campus

●      Manage AF Leadership Team and work collaboratively to execute recruitment campaign and select a group of top caliber Advising Fellows

●      Conduct assessments of AFs’ content knowledge and advising skills as part of the certification process

Ensure program quality by serving as the coordinator for your Advising Fellow cohort:

●      Ensure AFs connect with their HSFs each week and update database with these interactions

●      Ensure AFs submit their AF Monthly Reports and post-session summaries

●      Organize a weekly on-campus training session for AFs under the guidance of Matriculate staff

●      Review tracking system and make sure that system accurately reflects AF-HSF communication

●      Proactively troubleshoot problems AFs experience

●      Report weekly to Matriculate team on status of AFs and HSFs

Help improve the Matriculate program:

●       Participate in evaluations during the semester

●       Conduct outreach to potential High School Fellows

●       Provide and incorporate feedback on the program

Be accountable to Matriculate’s national leadership team:

●      Set clear expectations for AFs and manage AFs to meet those expectations

●      Meet weekly with Matriculate staff

●      Act as the quality control on campus, discussing critical issues to staff attention as needed

●      Ensure that AFs receive the support needed to meet all AF expectations and responsibilities

●      Disseminate updates or other messages from staff to AFs and vice versa

Time commitment:

●      August 2017 to May 2019 (four semesters + two summers)

●      HAF Training Retreats in August 2017 and August 2018

●      One AF Training Retreat per academic year

●      September 2017 to December 2017 (10 hours a week) to:

o       Manage the AF Leadership Team

o       Conduct outreach on campus to potential Advising Fellows

o       Ensure that Matriculate site reaches target AF number by recruitment deadline

o       Conduct interviews with AF applicants

o       Select cohort of high performing AFs

o       Assist in onboarding AFs through Fall 2017 events

o       Score and track AF content tests

o       Administer Advising Skills Evaluations

●      January 2018 to May 2019 (8-10 hours a week) to:

o       Talk with up to two HSFs

o       Provide virtual support to HSFs between meetings

o       Talk weekly with Matriculate staff

o       Help lead weekly training and support sessions

o       Review AF monthly reports, identify problems, and implement solutions

o       Support other Matriculate classes through collaborative trainings

o       Support the recruitment for the next Matriculate class

●      Summer 2018 (2 hours a week) to:

o       Connect weekly with each HSF

o       Provide virtual support to HSFs between meetings

o       Talk monthly with Matriculate staff

o       Check in monthly with each AF

Qualifications:

Matriculate is looking for people who:

●      Are committed to the Matriculate mission

●      Are able to commit 10 hours a week during the fall and spring semesters of 2017 – 2019

●      Are highly organized and have excellent judgment

●      Have demonstrated leadership abilities

●      Have exceptional communication and helping skills

●      Have a GPA of at least 3.0

●      Can be sensitive, supportive allies to low-income students who face obstacles in applying to college

●      Are freshmen, sophomores, or juniors enrolled at a Matriculate college site

●      Are in good standing with their college/university with no current pending disciplinary action

Benefits:

The HAF will:

●      Help forever change the lives of HSFs

●      Help build a sustainable, equitable solution to college access in America

●      Receive recommendations for jobs, internships, and graduate school from program staff

●      Have a hands-on leadership role

●      Gain leadership, management, communication, coaching, writing, teaching, and advising skills

●      Develop valuable interview and job skills

●      Learn how a nonprofit organization works

●      Lead an elite fellowship on campus