College Counselor

Do you believe that the college admissions process should be a journey families actually enjoy?

Do you believe the college admissions process should be an exciting journey for families, not an anxiety-inducing rite of passage?

Are you looking for a place that will train you well, surround you with great colleagues, and give you the platform to do the best counseling work of your career?

Collegewise is hiring college counselors across multiple tracks — and we're looking for people who are excited not just about the job, but about finding the right fit within it. If you're passionate about helping students (and their families) navigate the college admissions process with confidence, clarity, and (dare we say?) a little optimism, you might be exactly who we're looking for.

Please note that this position is fully remote, but applicants must reside (and be eligible to work) in the U.S. and be able to work with students based in the Pacific timezone as a standard part of their caseload. 

Who We Are

Collegewise is a college counseling company that helps high school students confidently navigate their journey to college. We believe the college admissions process has spun out of control, with too much confusion, too much anxiety, and too many students losing agency for what should be their path to higher education. We’re out to change all that.

Since 1999, we’ve helped more than 35,000 students apply and get accepted to schools—sometimes famous, often not—that they’re excited to attend. We do it all with just the right mix of advice, encouragement, and occasional cheerleading—all backed by data and experience—to ensure that each student’s college admissions process runs smoothly and thoughtfully. And our work doesn’t stop with students who enroll in our program. We speak in public, write, and constantly look for ways to spread relevant college planning information to anyone who needs it, whether or not they work with us. To learn more about Collegewise, check out this short video.

Three Tracks, One Mission

Collegewise counselors all do the same essential work: help students build authentic, meaningful high school experiences, develop differentiated applications that reflect who they genuinely are, find colleges that are the right fit for them, and help their families breathe a little easier along the way. 

But we serve families through different models, and the right track depends on how you work best and where your strengths shine — read about the counseling roles at Collegewise.

We're currently hiring for:

• Signature Counselor— Relationship-based counseling for our highest touch offering. Signature Counselors bring more frequent meetings and deep engagement to the families they work with (caseload equivalency is no more than 25 students).

These descriptions are intentionally brief. For the full breakdown including caseload expectations, day-to-day responsibilities, counselor levels, and compensation ranges by track, visit our Counselor Roles page. Please review this before you apply.

Who We’re Looking For (You)

• You’re someone who’d rather be challenged by something important than phone it in for something mundane. You want to commit to a calling that matters to you, and you have high expectations of yourself, your job, and your employer. 
• You understand parents and their high school-aged students. And you’ve run in the circles you’re seeking to serve, as a high school counselor/director, or a professional who’s worked closely with those populations. 
• You’re inspired — not intimidated — by the prospect of finding families who want to engage with a college counseling service like ours.
• You’re a continuous learner who believes that college counseling is a craft that needs to be nurtured and put to the very best use to help kids. You're not intimidated about being expected to achieve results.
• You win people over easily and earn trust quickly. Whether you’re working on a project with a coworker, meeting with a student about a college list, or talking to a concerned parent on the phone, people enjoy and benefit from their interactions with you.  
• Most importantly, you believe in the vision of Collegewise. You want to empower students to identify and reach their goals (for college and beyond). You want to be a supportive guide to those students and their families. You’re passionate about what Collegewise stands for and our drive to help as many families as possible transform their journey to college. 

Bonus points if you have experience working at a highly selective college in admissions, academic advising, or student affairs. We don't believe selective colleges produce better counselors — they don't. But many families use that experience as a proxy for trust, and we've learned it's not fair to put great counselors in a spot where they have to fight that perception every day.

Ambition with heart. Strategy with soul. 

You definitely wouldn’t be crossing over to the for-profit “dark side” here. We have an excellent reputation with both high school counselors and admissions officers. We present at NACAC, local ACACs, and at high schools and community events. We partner with community-based organizations to directly support their students and increase college access. We tell the truth, we treat people right, we recycle, and we have at least five confirmed vegans on the team. We’re biased, but really, this is a pretty great place to work.

Compensation

We try to make comp conversations straightforward. Here's an honest look at where the ranges land:

• Partnerships Counselor: $65,000+
• Core Counselor: $68,000+, depending on counseling level at hire. Deeply experienced counselors may start at a higher level, with pay to match.
• Signature Counselor: $75,000+, with additional potential bonus based on caseload. 

Compensation grows with your counselor level, which we discuss openly during the hiring process.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) — eligibility at 1 year
• Paid parental leave
• Flexible PTO, paid sick time, 10 paid company holidays, Wiser Relief Days, and Summer Fridays
• NACAC membership, sponsored by Collegewise
• Professional development resources and ongoing training

Location: Remote. Remote. Applicants must reside and be eligible to work in the U.S. The role includes students based in the Pacific timezone as a standard part of your caseload, so availability during those hours is a must. 

Start Date: We're hoping to bring new counselors on by October, but we can be flexible for the right person.

We want to hear from you
If you’re excited about this opportunity but unsure if you’re the right fit, we hope you’ll take a shot. There is no such thing as a perfect applicant (or a perfect job, for that matter). And we promise to give a fair and thorough read to every applicant who takes the time to submit a thoughtful application to us.

Collegewise is stronger because of the different perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences our team brings. We're committed to building a place where everyone can do their best work—and we actively work toward that through our IEA Committee, our resources for students from all backgrounds, and our everyday practices. If that matters to you too, we'd love to meet you.

How to Apply

Instead of a traditional cover letter, answer the required question below, then choose two more from the list (150-250 words is a helpful guideline, but use as much or as little space as you need). We're most interested in learning about your counseling philosophy, skills, and experiences—the things that will set you (and your students) up for success.

Application Questions:

1. Required: We have three different counseling tracks: Partnerships, Core, and Signature. Which track interests you most, and why? If more than one appeals to you, tell us that too — and what draws you to each.

Choose two of the following questions to respond to:

1. Collegewise counselors guide students through the entire college application process, which means building trust and relationships over time. Tell us about a situation where you built a meaningful relationship with a student that directly impacted their outcome.
2. Working with high schoolers means balancing student needs with family expectations, and sometimes they don't align. Tell us about a time you had to manage a difficult conversation or disagreement with a parent or stakeholder. How did you handle the situation, and what was the outcome?
3. What is your typical caseload, and how do you productively manage your time?
4. Great college counseling is proactive, not reactive. Tell us about a time you anticipated a problem before it became one — for a student, a family, or in your work more broadly.
5. Collegewise counselors aren't just great with students — they help build the business through referrals, outreach, and community relationships. Tell us about a time you built trust within a community or network that created real momentum for your work.

Please submit your resume and responses through our Careers page. Every single applicant will receive a response from us, and we do our very best to reply within 10 business days.

Questions?
Feel free to email us at [email protected] (please no phone calls). We promise to respond to you quickly.

Thanks for reading! We’d love to hear from you, but if we don’t, we hope you find the perfect professional fit someplace else.