College Access Manager

Location: In Office, Newark, NJ

*On-Site Summer Academy residential program in South Jersey during a three week period in July & August.

Type: Full Time

Salary Range: $68,000 - $75,000 and a competitive benefits package, including subsidized health insurance (medical, dental), disability insurance, 401(k) match, unlimited sick time, 17 holidays, and 15 PTO days. 

Cooperman College Scholars is a scholarship program that supports academically talented, highly motivated students with financial need from Essex County, New Jersey, to attain a four-year college degree. Cooperman College Scholars identifies students whose experiences exemplify leadership, integrity and perseverance to succeed and helps them gain admission to and graduate from competitive colleges and universities across the U.S. The program’s framework is based on the recognition that while funding for college is important, it’s not enough. Cooperman College Scholars provides 4-year college scholarships along with solid support systems that help Scholars overcome obstacles to earn a college degree and launch successful professional careers.

Cooperman College Scholars is seeking a College Access Program Manager to facilitate the college coaching and processes necessary to help Scholars identify, apply to and enroll in competitive colleges and universities. Under the Director of College Prep Programs, you will develop and document knowledge of the college admissions landscape in order to guide Scholars in their High School Senior year to develop strong college lists and corresponding competitive applications. The College Access Program Manager will develop relationships with Colleges and Universities, help to coordinate college visits, and manage other processes vital to the success of college applications such as determining SAT/ACT prep needs, management of writing coaches for personal statements and supplemental essays, supporting financial aid appeals, and comprehensive tracking of college applications and statuses.

• Confidence and strong knowledge of the college application landscape or a genuine enthusiasm to build actionable expertise in this area.
• Joy in connecting with young people! This role is a coach - someone who can build trust, actively listen, and feel comfortable providing guidance and critical feedback.
• A deep commitment to educational access for all young people! We’re building a new approach to college access and we need teammates who are excited to help!
• A love of data and spreadsheets! We believe data tells a story that helps to guide students to the best path forward. You are not just proficient with spreadsheets, but intuitively rely on them to keep track of information and discover interesting trends.
• A love of collaboration: You enjoy working alongside your teammates to find creative solutions to complicated challenges in a fast-paced, adaptive, hands-on environment.

Under the Supervision of the Director of College Prep Programs and informed by the Associate Director of Data Analytics and Insights, the College Access Manager will help to: 

• Facilitate the college application and decision process for 80 high school Scholars through development of college lists, conducting one-on-one or group coaching and decision meetings, and reviewing financial aid packages
• Conduct conversations and occasional workshops with Scholars to help them understand the college landscape, select a best fit college, and understand the financial viability of enrollment.
• Collect and enter college prep program data in order to make real time adjustments to program operations and ensure data-driven results. 
• Review Scholar data regularly to track student progress, determine where additional counseling or intervention may be required, and support continual improvement in the coaching process
• Manage the college prep communication calendar making sure all messages are sent in an accurate and timely manner with follow-up where needed.
• Build and steward relationships with College Admissions Counselors via admission representative visits, conferences, counselor sessions, and direct outreach
• Track Scholar application activity and outcomes to understand where they ultimately enrolled in college, ensuring deposits are submitted by the national May 1st deadline.
• Co-manage in a 3-week summer academy to manage outcomes, facilitate curriculum, and build knowledge of Scholars.
• Liaise with Summer Academy Staff and professors to ensure consistency in outcomes on curricula and assigned tasks. 
• Build and facilitate student workshops on college application strategies and manage Scholars to identified deadlines
• Coordinate College Admission Representative visits to the Cooperman College Scholars Offices and Scholar visits to selected College Campuses
• Document and transition key information to ensure a smooth handoff to the College Success team

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 3 years of experience working with young people in an educational or mentoring capacity.
• Strong ability to coach, motivate, and inspire young people to achieve ambitious goals
• Proficiency in Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, and experience with CRM Databases such as Salesforce
• Strong attention to detail and aptitude for working with data
• Experience coaching college admission and/or financial aid is a plus
• Willingness to maintain a flexible work schedule, working evenings and pre-selected weekends as needed in order to accommodate the scheduling needs of Scholars and support one off events