Founded in 1961, Sandy Spring Friends School is a progressive, coed, academically-rigorous day and boarding school serving approximately 700 students from age three through 12th grade. The campus is located on 140 acres in the historic Sandy Spring area of Montgomery County, Maryland, and the School is approved by the Maryland State Board of Education and accredited by the Association of Independent Maryland Schools.

Our school’s culture, rooted in the idea that collaboration engenders achievement, can be traced to our Quaker heritage and abiding belief in the Quaker values of simplicity, equality, integrity, stewardship of the environment, and peaceful resolution of conflict.

2024 - 2025 Upper School College Counselor

Summary: Sandy Spring Friends school seeks a college counselor for our Upper School who will collaborate closely with the Director of College Counseling to implement thoughtful and innovative community education programming about post-secondary school planning and contribute toward the development of the office for the benefit of the SSFS community. The College Counselor provides academic and personal advising for students and discusses high school plans through the lens of the college admissions process. Ideal candidates function as a team player and self-starter who can both collaborate effectively as well as think independently.

Responsibilities:

• Guide caseload of students and their families through all aspects of the college search, financial aid and college application process and help identify a range of colleges that provide the best intellectual, personal, and financial fit that meets individual student needs.

• Compose effective letters of recommendation to support the candidacy of assigned students

• Host college admission representatives who visit SSFS throughout the school year

• Assist with organization and presentation of college counseling sponsored programs, events, and workshops during the school day and evenings. This may also include some weekends.

• Keep current on the evolving college admissions and financial aid landscape through research, participation in college campus visits and counselor tours, networking with college admission professionals and active association memberships in professional organizations, including NACAC, PCACAC, ACCIS, College Board, ACT etc.

• Serve as a resource for and partner with faculty members, advisors, and Upper School administrators on ways they can best support students in the college search and admission process.

• Coordinate PSAT, Pre-ACT and AP testing for Upper School students

• Perform other duties assigned by the Director of College Counseling

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required

• Three to five years in a college counseling department and/or selective college admission office preferred

• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal) and capable of multitasking and managing multiple projects

• Familiarity with and a desire to continue to learn about a wide range of colleges and universities in the United States and abroad, as well as gap year opportunities.

• Knowledge of Maia Learning and Google Office Suite is a plus

• A commitment to developing one’s own cultural competency in a community that values social justice, equity and belonging and capable of working with students and families from diverse racial, socioeconomic, neurodivergent, and other varied family structures.

Physical Requirements: Daily desk work includes significant amounts of telephone and computer time as well as mobility around the entire campus. This includes frequent walking inside and outside, maneuvering stairs as a part of daily routines. Bending and squatting as required to participate in activities; lifting/carrying boxes up to 25 pounds; and the ability to maneuver as necessary within a regular classroom and office setting.

Please note that the School has a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, which requires that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination, which includes a bivalent dose of the vaccine given on or after 9/1/2022.

Commitment to Diversity: Sandy Spring Friends School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or a person's status as a qualified candidate with a disability in administration of its educational program, admission policies, financial aid program, staff hiring, and other school-administered programs.