College Counseling Administrative Assistant in Ashburnham, Massachusetts at Cushing Academy

Under the general supervision of the Director of College Counseling, the Administrative Assistant provides a wide variety of administrative and support duties to all personnel in the college counseling office. The position will be responsible for answering all telephone calls and email directed to the College Counseling Office; handling routine questions from students, parents and college admissions officers; greeting all office visitors, rerouting calls to appropriate persons, taking detailed messages with instructions and call back information; helping to establish and maintain appointment calendars for four counselors; managing the flow of work surrounding major deadlines; and providing a range of different supports for international students.

• Coordination, formatting, and preparation of all counselor and teacher recommendations, including proofreading for spelling errors and grammatical correctness.
• Organizing all college application materials, mailings, and electronic submissions with the students and the registrar/academic office. Maintaining all college/student files.
• Providing auxiliary support, as needed, to the standardized testing coordinator, including helping with registration and test center logistics.
• Maintaining the office calendar for college visitors and parent/student appointments and meetings. Sending students reminders of appointments.
• Overseeing and updating college/student databases (Naviance, Slate, etc.), and assisting the Director with projects such as the annual Cushing Profile and various Board reports.
• Maintaining a comprehensive office communication binder.
• Designing and updating all bulletin boards.
• Assisting college counselors with athletic recruitment of students. Corresponding with coaches and sending unofficial transcripts.
• Coordinating TOEFL transportation for international students and assisting with TOEFL registration.
• Signing I-20 documents and overseeing I-20 transfers to colleges and universities as a Designated School Officer.
• Assisting international students with the completion of the Certification of Finances forms, required in the college process.
• Collecting and overseeing the completion of the college representative surveys.
• Submitting application documents for Cushing graduates who decide to transfer colleges, or for students who pursued a gap year of one form or another.
• Providing administrative support to the Director of College Counseling, as well as the other members of the department.
• General office support including, but not limited to, assisting with Parent’s Weekend schedules, handling daily mail, general office filing, ordering and organizing office supplies, maintaining the office budget and processing invoices, and forwarding to accounts payable for payment on a timely basis.
• assignments that the Director of College Counseling, the Head of School or other members of the College Counseling Office may assign from time to time.

Other:

• Assist the Registrar with Awards and Graduation Ceremony.
• Assist the Director of College Counseling with Cum Laude Ceremony preparation.
• Assist the College office with College Decision Day, “I applied to College Celebration”

Summer:

• Summer Session Travel Coordinator: Enter all travel forms, coordinate reports for the arrival and departure of students.
• Work with Summer Session staff and the Activities Director to coordinate staffing for the airport and transportation. Confirm all travel information with travel agencies.

• High school graduate or equivalent.
• Two-year college training in office administration desired, but not a requirement.
• Prior experience as an Administrative Assistant or similar position preferred.
• Excellent computer skills and proficient in various software applications such as Excel, Word, and Google Docs. Familiarity with Naviance and Slate a plus. Willingness and comfort learning new technology.
• The ability to use the Internet for research and email communication is required.
• Outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal, are mandatory.
• Excellent telephone, interpersonal, and office etiquette skills required.
• Ability to work independently, as well as with students, faculty, and staff in other offices, and must be able to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Attention to all levels of detail is an essential and required skill for this position.
• Ability to communicate well with students, parents, and fellow professionals.
• Keen analytical skills and a detail-oriented work style.
• Ability to maintain high standards of confidentiality.
• A sense of humor, patience, and a genuine desire to work with a diverse group of high school students are mandatory.

• Generally, works in standard office conditions and climate.
• Works in a moderately stressful environment, dealing with a wide variety of challenges and deadlines, and a varied and diverse array of contacts.
• May work at a desk and computer for extended periods of time.