Director of College and Academic Counseling

St. Michael’s Prep in Austin, TX has engaged DovetailED to lead a search for a Director of College and Academic Counseling to start in the 2027-28 school year. Interested candidates should review the Opportunity Statement and submit a cover letter, resume, and list of references as a consolidated PDF to Zack Lehman, President at DovetailED Talent Sourcing, at [email protected], and Victoria Jones, Recruiter, at [email protected].  

St. Michael’s Prep Director of College and Academic Counseling Opportunity Statement Link: https://bit.ly/SMP-college-counseling. 

Why St. Michael's Prep?

Located in the hills of southwest Austin, Texas, St. Michael’s Catholic Preparatory School is an outstanding co-educational Independent Catholic school serving students from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade. The Lower School comprises PreK 3–4th grades, the Middle School houses grades 5–8, and the Upper School contains grades 9–12. We are distinguished by our Catholic tradition, a welcoming and diverse community, excellent academic programs, and a variety of extracurricular activities. Additionally, we are a technology-rich school. Thus, teachers and staff are expected to demonstrate meaningful skill with technology and an enthusiasm for technological growth in order to create authentic learning experiences for their students. Teachers and staff at St. Michael’s Prep further serve as role models that inspire students to think critically, reflect, explore, and apply their faith concretely to their lives. We are one community with three divisions, united in our commitment to put students first as we educate them in mind, body, and spirit.

Our values: Integrity, Courage, & Excellence

Our mission: St. Michael’s Prep cultivates a transformative, Independent school experience rooted in Catholic spirituality where we seek excellence in every pursuit and form virtuous leaders who positively impact the world.

We are anchored by the Catholic Social Teachings (CST) and promote inclusion by advocating for a society based on love and justice, where all people have inherent dignity. We are passionate about cultivating a diverse and inclusive working and learning environment, celebrating and supporting differences. We employ and optimize practices that promote growth of critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity.

About the Position

SMP seeks an experienced Director of College and Academic Counseling who is excited to engage in the community and dedicated to the mission of the school. This position reports to the Head of Upper School. The Director will lead the college and academic advising program and support students throughout the entire college admission and academic counseling process beginning in the spring of 8th grade, using a cohort-looping model in which each counselor accompanies a group of students from 9th grade through graduation. The Director will work closely with the Head of Upper School and Academic Deans to help create and implement a forward-thinking approach to academic and college advising  This is a full-time, exempt (salaried), in-person, 12-month (year-round) position.

Primary Responsibilities

College Counseling

• Educates students and parents about colleges, the college admissions process, trends, procedures, and testing; advising and supporting classes of 100 seniors and families.
• Helps students and families aspire realistically and choose wisely.
• Meets with 9th–12th grade students, individually and in groups, to discuss the college admission process and timeline.
• Facilitates college admission representative visits on campus and serves as a liaison with college admissions offices throughout the year.
• Writes a letter of recommendation and advises over one quarter of the senior class.
• Prepares and presents informational sessions for parents, including college information nights for all grade levels.
• Keeps current on issues and trends in college admission, higher education, and testing; maintains membership in professional organizations (NACAC, TACAC, ACCIS); attends counselor fly-ins and conferences.
• Helps coordinate PSAT and AP exams on campus.
• Maintains a list of scholarships and summer programs.
• Communicates effectively through newsletters and social media to all stakeholders.

Academic Advising-- The SMP Framework (9th-12th Grade)

St. Michael’s Prep operates within a structured PK–12 formation framework. The Director serves as one of four College & Academic Counselors, each using a cohort-looping model to accompany students across all four Upper School years. The specific advising responsibilities across each grade level are detailed below.

9th Grade — Foundation & Exposure

• Review incoming students' 8th Grade Exploration Portfolios and participate in Middle School articulation meetings to ensure a smooth transition.
• Meet with each new 9th-grade student and family in August to begin the counseling relationship and academic planning.
• Guide students through curriculum exposure, study/organizational skills, course selection, and Winter Term choices that support discernment and college readiness.
• Serve as primary academic contact for assigned students and families, coordinating with Advisors on whole-student concerns.

10th Grade — Discernment

Support students through curricular and extra-curricular choices and conduct regular check-ins on their evolving interests, growth, and sense of purpose.

• Lead a structured academic discernment process:
• Distribute materials and hold an initial discernment conversation with each student.
• Support the student in completing a reflection document and meeting with a prospective faculty mentor.
• Convene a family conference including the student, family, Counselor, and mentor as appropriate.
• Document the student's emerging direction and align it with junior-year course registration.
• Confirm the student's direction ahead of the transition to 11th grade.
• Draw on the student's Middle School exploration portfolio during discernment conversations to connect earlier formation to current reflection.
• Guide students toward experiential and Winter Term programs that help clarify interests in advance of this process.

11th & 12th Grade — Pathway Pursuit & College Counseling

• Serve as primary academic and college counseling contact from 9th grade on, owning the student's academic trajectory alongside the Advisor and Academic Lead.
• Meet regularly with each student's Advisor to coordinate concerns and family communication (more often for complex needs).
• Guide AP course planning aligned with interests and college goals.
• Help students choose 11th- and 12th-grade Winter Term experiences that deepen pathway commitment and strengthen applications.

Ongoing Academic Advising Responsibilities (All Grades)

• Serve as academic counselor for approximately one quarter of the 9th–12th grade student body, maintaining the cohort-looping relationship from 9th grade through graduation.
• Oversee an Advisory group of approximately 10 students.
• Assist with course registration and ongoing course advising for assigned students at each grade level.
• Maintain shared student documentation across the counseling team, ensuring continuity of the student’s academic story across all four years.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree and 3–5 years of college counseling and/or college admission experience.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, strong organizational ability, and the ability to meet deadlines.
• Flexible self-starter.
• Warm and friendly demeanor with effective communication skills for a highly engaged student and parent population.
• Genuine interest in student development and enthusiasm for helping guide students through the important transition from high school to college.
• Familiarity with or enthusiasm for learning school-wide advisory and pathway models; experience working within a structured 9–12 advising framework is a plus.

St. Michael’s Catholic Preparatory School is an Equal Opportunity Employer and offers equal

employment opportunity to all applicants for employment and all employees without regard to race,

color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information,

veteran status, military service, application for military service, or any other status protected by

applicable law.