Director of College Counseling

Tandem Friends School, an all-gender, Quaker, 5th-12th grade independent day school in Charlottesville, Virginia, seeks an experienced college counselor to serve as our next Director of College Counseling. Position to begin on or before July 1, 2025, dependent upon candidate availability. This is a salaried and exempt full time role, but a part-time configuration of this role may also be a possibility.

The Opportunity:

A unique school with a unique history, Tandem Friends School of Charlottesville, VA is guided by the Quaker principles that define Friends Schools and has three school mottos: kindness and wisdom, creativity and integrity, and freedom with responsibility. Founded in 1970 as an inclusive alternative to the segregation academies that had proliferated in Virginia at that time, Tandem was the first school in the area founded as both coeducational and racially integrated. Over time, Tandem found Quaker schools to be kindred spirits and joined the Friends Council of Education, becoming a Friends School in 1996.

With approximately 250 students and spanning only grades 5-12, Tandem Friends aims to cultivate a school culture in which adolescents feel invested in their school community, feel seen and appreciated, and feel comfortable being their full selves at school. By encouraging the exploration of new activities and experiences and supporting students’ sense of community responsibility and belonging, the school strives to create challenging and engaging academic and extracurricular experiences that feel purposeful to our students. 

In keeping with our ethos as a school, we are looking for a professional who takes great joy in working with adolescents and helping to guide them and their families through the steps that take them into higher education and fulfilling lives of integrity, creative expression and service.

Position Summary:

The Director of College Counseling is responsible for all aspects of the college counseling program.

Core responsibilities:

• Meet individually with juniors and seniors and their families throughout the college process, helping students and families select appropriate colleges and universities.
• Develop and lead upper school programming for students to educate them and their families about the nuances of the college admissions process.
• Support students in their submission of applications and manage the school’s submission of official transcripts, recommendations, report forms, and school profile, as needed.
• Write counselor letters of recommendation for each senior (approximately 36 students).
• Schedule and host college admissions representatives for visits to Tandem Friends.
• Counsel and assist students and families as they identify resources for scholarships and financial aid for colleges and universities. 
• Manage PSAT, SAT, ACT and AP testing for students, including scheduling test dates, registering students, and administering exams.
• Develop and maintain relationships with colleges through attendance at conferences, counselor information sessions, and college visits.
• Participate in professional development to promote self-growth, build relationships, and remain current with programs, policies, and practices that meet the needs of our students.
• Lead and implement a week-long “Senior Week” to support seniors in all aspects of the college application process.
• Serve on the school’s Academic Committee and advise students, families and teachers regarding curricular and programmatic issues.

AT TFS, all members of school administration are active community members who share in the general support and care of the school community and participate in schoolwide programming and activities, including overnight trips.

Wages/Benefits:

This is a full-time, 10.5-month salaried and exempt Upper School academic administrative position that reports to the Upper School Director. Full benefits include a dental plan, a retirement plan, tuition remission, and a robust health insurance plan, including a school contribution that covers the employee cost. This position begins with two weeks of summer onboarding in early July; option to start earlier during the current academic year based on candidate availability. 

Depending on candidate interest and level of experience, a part-time position in our college counseling office may also be a possibility.

How to Apply:

Tandem Friends School aspires to be an equitable and inclusive school community. The school welcomes applications from candidates who will contribute to an atmosphere in which all are valued and supported. People of color and members of other underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. 

We are now accepting applications. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume and a list of three to five professional references, including contact information to collegecounselingposition@tandemfs.org. References will not be contacted until after initial interviews with candidates. Review of submitted materials will begin immediately. 

Requirements:

Tandem Friends seeks faculty and administrators who bring diverse skills and knowledge, a willingness to learn new things, and an appreciation for collaboration with students. Ideal candidates will possess:

• Significant experience in college counseling
• A strong working knowledge of current college admissions processes, such as  admissions trends, approaches to applying for financial aid and scholarships, and the nuanced differences between standardized testing options
• A high level of cultural competency and a demonstrated commitment to DEIJB principles and practices
• Stellar interpersonal and written communication skills
• Excellent presentation skills
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• The ability to respond effectively to the needs of a diverse student and parent/guardian population that includes first generation college students, children of college professors, student athletes, nonbinary/trans students, and neurodivergent students.
• A Bachelor’s degree is required for this position; a Master’s degree is strongly preferred.

Physical Requirements: 

• Daily desk work, including significant amounts of telephone and computer time.
• As part of daily routines, frequent walking inside and outside and managing stairs as part of general job duties moving around a large campus with uneven pavement.
• The employee must be able to work the standard week of Monday through Friday during regular business hours on campus, with additional hours required outside those hours to attend events and meetings.

About TANDEM FRIENDS SCHOOL

At Tandem Friends School, we believe that the finest education is achieved through an active partnership between faculty and students. We honor students by holding them to high standards. Teachers are dedicated to the intellectual, aesthetic and moral growth of each student. In turn, our students are expected to enter into this partnership with a sense of responsibility and respect for their mentors and for the entire school community. Our high expectations of students are possible because our faculty and staff meet a high standard of professional and personal excellence in their work. All teacher candidate finalists spend a full day here and teach sample classes. We actively foster our employees' continuing growth through professional development funding and an environment that is characterized by open communication, collaboration and a strong sense of community. The combination of motivated students, engaged families, active institutional support and highly qualified employees makes this a dynamic learning community. Tandem Friends School is a co-educational, independent day school for grades 5-12 with a diverse enrollment of 250 students. The school is located on a 31-ac...re campus in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was founded as The Tandem School in 1970 and was affiliated as a Quaker (Friends) school in 1995. Tandem Friends is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation or national ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, hiring policies, admissions policies, scholarship or loan programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs. People of color and members of other underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

Show more

Show less

Connections working at TANDEM FRIENDS SCHOOL