Advising Specialist- Milwaukee Office

Advising Specialist

College Possible Office in Milwaukee

This Work Is Our Mission

At College Possible, we believe talent is universal, but access to opportunity is not. For many students, the path to college can feel overwhelming or out of reach. That's where you come in.

We support students on their journey to higher education by providing personalized coaching, resources, and guidance. When you join College Possible, you become part of a team dedicated to making college access and success a reality. Together, we help students navigate the admissions process, overcome challenges, and earn their degrees.

Our Impact

80% of College Possible students are admitted to college
86% of College Possible students enroll in college
93,000+ students served nationwide since 2000

Why Join Our Team?

When you work at College Possible, you're not just taking a job-you're advancing a mission to help more students get to and through college. You'll play a direct role in helping students achieve their educational goals and build brighter futures.

Key Benefits

Professional Growth
Access training, mentorship, and career development opportunities as you support student success.

Mission-Driven Impact
Make a direct difference in students' lives by helping them access and complete college.

Collaborative Community
Join a team that values teamwork, innovation, and excellence in service of students.

Work-Life Balance
Enjoy flexible work options, unlimited PTO, and resources to support your well-being.

Your Role as an Advising Specialist

The Advising Specialist is responsible for providing support to college students in the areas of financial aid, course registration, internships, career exposure, campus connection, and more via virtual methods as well as in-person. The Advising Specialist position advocates for College Possible's college students, communicating to both College Possible and higher educational institutions as to the needs of the students and resources needed for the students to persist and graduate.

Primary Responsibilities:

Direct Student Support - 65%

Follow College Possible structured college curriculum, which supports students in four areas: financial aid, academics/registration, social emotional, and career planning to help students progress towards specific goals/milestones.
Coach students toward reaching College Possible programmatic milestones
Conduct and document end-of-semester assessments for each student (twice
annually)
Create individualized support plans for students
* Maintain ongoing communication with all students in caseload.
Lead and engage in coaching conversations with 15-20 students per week virtually or on designated campuses. Visit frequency for campuses varies depending on caseload. Individuals in this role can expect to be on a campus typically 1-3 days per week.
Meet with rising college students throughout the school year through high school visits and/or individual meetings over the summer to support successful enrollment and transition to college.
Send messages of encouragement, congratulatory cards, care packages, etc.
Respond to all student texts/calls/emails/social media messages within 2 business days.
* Guide students through the financial aid renewal process by appropriate deadlines.
* Support students to ensure semester-to-semester registration and that they remain on track to graduate with BA within 4-5 years.
Collect and analyze transcripts to understand where students are academically and identify early warning indicators.
Provide tools, resources, and/or templates that allow students to learn and own
their college journey with confidence.
* Support students through career exploration, career planning, and career development.
Research relevant career information and resources to send to students.
Identify students for specific partner internships and opportunities, and support
students through the related application processes.

Market career opportunities and events.
* Empower students to resolve obstacles throughout the school year by coaching them to become self-advocates and identify campus resources.
* Refer students to appropriate resources.
* Proactively communicate with college/university departments to advocate for students.
* Develop and maintain external relationships, particularly with campus staff. Individuals will be expected to participate in partnership meetings and/or institutional meetings and events.

Caseload & Data Management - 20%

Manage a caseload of up to approximately 250 College Possible students, including, but not limited to:
Manage time and calendar to meet minimum meeting standards as outlined by KPIs.
Provide curriculum and resources relevant to student enrollment status and students' indicated needs.
Support students who have become unenrolled or who have transferred out of their initial institution.
Utilize creative problem solving techniques to address student engagement.
Incorporate effective and efficient time management practices to understand each student's support needs and deliver accordingly.
* Track and record student progress, using both quantitative and qualitative measures.
Enter essential student data into CoPilot in a timely manner. Data includes contact information, transcriptions, coach assessments, support plans, engagement notes, milestone progress, and others.
Identify, run, and summarize reports into a presentable form to share key information about caseload trends and progress.
Support key data projects as needed, such as enrollment verification.

Secondary Responsibilities

Project Management - 10%

* Provide project leadership and support for program design initiatives that further College Possible's goal of improving student engagement and persistence rates.
* Utilize data, including student outcomes and feedback from partners and students, to inform new ideas and interventions.
* Program design projects include, but are not limited to, the development or refinement of program model initiatives and resources.

Program & Organizational Support - 5%

Support student and AmeriCorps recruitment

* Attend key program events, including Launch, college visits, and career-related student workshops, among others. Support the External Relations team by attending events, networking with guests/supporters, and providing event logistics as needed.
* Represent the College Possible brand in a positive light and take actions to increase
brand awareness throughout the community.

Other Duties/Projects as Assigned

What You Bring

Education/Certifications/Licenses:

* Bachelor's degree required

Related Work Experience:

Minimum 2 years of full-time experience related to teaching, mentoring, advising, and/or coaching post-secondary students from underserved populations
* Must have experience in designing student communication, activities, and resources for high school and/or college students
* Preference given to those with experience in college advising, student re-engagement/persistence and academic success/completion of college students
* Preferred experience in workforce development.

Computer/Software Skills:

* Well-developed computer skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Office

Other Skills, Abilities and Requirements:

Must possess exemplary verbal and written communication skills including writing
reports and giving presentations. Able to respond to questions from the public, students, partners and managers
* The ability to work well with diverse groups of people in both a highly collaborative team environment and independently
* Must have strong interpersonal and coaching skills to quickly develop rapport and build trust
* Eagerness to help young people achieve success
* Excellent organization and time management skills
* Ability to multitask, meet deadlines, and handle potential stressful situations calmly and appropriately
* Desire to work in a growing nonprofit organization. Ability to adapt, creativity, commitment to excellence, and comfort with some level of ambiguity are highly valued
* Must have a desire to engage in diversity, inclusion and/or equity work
* Must demonstrate an ability to solve practical problems and deal with frequently
changing variables
* Data-entry experience is strongly preferred
* Flexibility to work in multiple locations, including affiliated schools
* Access to reliable transportation required

Physical Requirements

* Ability to lift up to 15 pounds when needed
* Hybrid office/remote environment with potential travel outside of the Milwaukee area; individuals in this role will work from a college campus 1-3 days per week.
* Ability to stand and/or sit for a minimum of 7 hours a day

What We Offer

In addition to joining a committed, diverse, values-based organization, we offer:

* An opportunity for you to have a tremendous impact both internally and in the broader country
* A competitive salary commensurate with experience
* Excellent benefits including complete health, dental, life, short-term and long-term insurance
* 401(k) retirement plan
* Encouraged sustainability through a generous unlimited paid time off policy.

To Join Our Growing College Possible Team

Please apply at: www.CollegePossible.org/careers. Include a resume