Director of Enrollment and Guidance
Sophia Academy is the only independent middle school in Rhode Island that provides a gender specific, holistic middle school education focusing on the intellectual and emotional growth of girls in grades 5-8 who are from low-income families. Founder Sr. Mary Reilly’s vision remains Sophia’s goal: to provide a rigorous, relevant, empowering education, preparing our students to be successful in high school and beyond, and helping them to move out of poverty and to lead lives as confident, compassionate women. One hundred percent of Sophia graduates complete high school and most continue on to postsecondary education. The school is accredited by the Association of Independent Schools of New England (AISNE) and is nonsectarian.
Sophia’s social justice ethos has attracted the attention of such inspiring women as #MeToo cofounder Tarana Burke and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, and its dedicated and talented faculty are recognized nationally and state-wide for their excellence. Aligned with our Guiding Principles, the curriculum provides a forum to explore the values on which the school was founded, upholding Sophia’s commitment to social justice and equality and its appreciation for diverse perspectives and experiences.
Guiding Principles
1. We are student centered. We encourage moments of deep reflection, based on a firm belief that each student possesses inherent wisdom which will guide her in her learning and life journey.
2. We are gender responsive. We take a relational approach which is strength-based, which emphasizes cultural competency, and which focuses on each middle school girl’s unique and affirming qualities.
3. We have an intellectually engaging and holistic curriculum. We employ research-based best practices in middle school education that prepare our graduates for the world.
4. We cultivate community leaders. We help our students advocate for themselves, for one another, and for a just society, and we provide them with opportunities to lead within the school and community.
5. We engender lifelong learning. We deliver a wide array of on- and off-campus experiences which promote active hands-on learning by our students, and which inspire our faculty, parents, and alumnae to fully engage as learners and teachers.
Major areas of responsibility
The Director of Enrollment and Guidance is a relationship builder and communicator who guides each student and family through a lifelong relationship with Sophia Academy. This exciting position provides a passionate professional with the opportunity to play a leadership role in supporting and facilitating high quality educational experiences for Sophia students and graduates.
Administrative
Serves as a member of the school’s administrative team
Supervises volunteers and interns
Other duties as assigned
Enrollment Management and Admissions
Responsible for planning, managing, and implementing the recruitment, enrollment, orientation, and retention process, enrolling mission-appropriate students and meeting annual enrollment and re-enrollment goals
Partners with Head of School and Director of Development to communicate the differentiators of Sophia Academy and to develop and implement an admission marketing program that includes relationship building in the community; articulation and evaluation of mission appropriate candidates; awareness building strategies; and targeted outreach. Networks and meets with area referral sources to create a pipeline for prospective students
Plans and implements admission events including prospective parent gatherings, open houses, admission testing and interviews, the acceptance process, and new family orientation
Serves as main point of contact during the admissions process, meeting with prospective families, answering questions, monitoring progress in applications, and following up with families
Convenes an internal admissions committee to interview and assess candidates for admission and welcome new families to the school
Maintains an admissions database; tracks inquiries, visits, applications, enrollments, and attrition. Prepares statistical reports and regularly updates the Head of School and other key administrators on enrollment
Collaborates with and supervises the School Secretary to:
Create and maintain student records
Serve as registrar for incoming and outgoing students
Support new families as they prepare to matriculate to Sophia
Execute uniform ordering processes
Mentor Coordinator
Evaluates effectiveness of mentor program and shapes it to reflect best practices in the field and to meet needs of students and the school
Works closely with the Development team to recruit and orient mentors
Supports mentors, communicating and meeting with them regularly and facilitating their participation in the Sophia community
Works with students and families to facilitate ongoing positive relationships
Communicates success stories to connect program with other school wide efforts
High School Guidance
In partnership with Head of School and other administrators, develops enrichment opportunities for students
Guides and supports Sophia students through the process of searching for, applying to, enrolling in, and matriculating to high school. Develops, manages, and implements a comprehensive high school guidance program:
Serves as key point of contact and relationship builder with area high schools
Evaluates the current program and innovates to create a mission-appropriate, student-centered program
Collaborates with and supports families through the high school admission process including but not limited to applications, interviews, essays, financial aid, and scholarship applications
Works with faculty members to prepare students for various high school entrance exams and to coordinate recommendation letters for student applications
Communicates with high school admissions departments
Organizes high school information sessions to familiarize families with the high school application process (including financial aid) and graduate support program. Collaborates with High School Placement Coordinators at San Miguel & Community Preparatory School to host annual high school placement fair
Establishes and maintains strategies/methods for effective communication with Sophia families/faculty/staff to convey important deadlines and other critical information leading to the successful completion of the high school guidance process
Collaborates with and supervises the School Secretary to:
Process student records in support of applications
Register students for placement tests
Submit applications
Maintain high school matriculation records
Graduate Support
Serves as the point of contact for Sophia graduates currently enrolled in high school and college, initiating regular communication with the Sophia young alumnae community
Determines interest and needs for graduate support. Works with the Head of School and Development team to set goals and plan for support
Maintains, in partnership with the Development team, an active database of all Sophia Academy young alumnae
Develops system to collect data, track graduate academic progress to assess the impact of a Sophia education
Evaluates and cultivates secondary and postsecondary learning opportunities with community educational partners. Determines interest and needs for assisting graduates in finding summer work and enrichment opportunities. Investigates summer intern programs and summer job opportunities for Sophia graduates and communicates these opportunities to them. Identifies and cultivates funding sources for the program.
In partnership with the Director of Development, establishes and maintains strategies/methods for effective communication with Sophia graduates including but not limited to face-to-face meetings with recent graduates, use of e-newsletter and social media platforms, and establishing regular reunion(s); ensure that Sophia graduates are invited to important Sophia rituals and events.
Desired Qualifications:
Passion for the Mission, Core Values, and Guiding Principles of the school
Bachelor’s degree, with a preference for a degree in education, social work, or a related field
Dedicated educator and administrator with a demonstrated commitment to middle school education, urban education, and girls’ education
Strong internal and external communicator
Possesses the following qualities: initiative, influence, empathy, creativity, collaboration, team building
Ability to efficiently manage ambiguity and multiple priorities inherent in an entrepreneurial environment; set strategic goals and achieve measurable objectives; drive new initiatives forward; set and meet deadlines
Experience in outreach, marketing, and communications
Able to maintain confidentiality
Strong interpersonal and relationship building skills; ability to serve as a professional ambassador and representative of the school, and to work effectively with a wide range of people in a diverse community
Excellent organizational, planning, and implementation skills
High level of computer literacy, including experience with social media, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office. Experience with databases is a plus.
Clearances required
Bilingual (English and Spanish) strongly preferred
To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter to Marie D. Myers, Head of School, at mmyers@sophia-academy.org.
Sophia Academy is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, disability, veteran’s status, genetic information, and any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.