Asset 1ScholarMatch

College Coach Onboarding


Complete the steps below to begin helping students!

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Onboarding

  1. Matched Coaches

    For new coaches: Congratulations on completing our introductory modules! We appreciate your time and effort.

    For returning coaches: Thank you for continuing with us as a volunteer!  We’re so grateful for all that you do.

    Whether it’s your first or fourth year with ScholarMatch, the objective of this module is to ensure that you understand our expectations, resources, support systems, and your role as a College Coach within the current program design.
        1. Expectations

          • Data Tracking Responsibilities: Every month, you will be required to submit a detailed Coach Report for each of the students you are matched with. The information we collect in this form helps us understand trends in student behavior and outcomes, as well as, how we can improve our program to best serve them. The Coach Report informs coach and student programming, as well as, the resources we share via the coach and student newsletters. Furthermore, we must collect and report this information to partners and funders to sustain support for this program.
          • Twice a year, once about midway through the program and once at the end, we send out a coach survey. These surveys are a place for you to leave feedback on the program, your experiences, and make recommendations.
            • We cannot stress enough how critically important your role is with this data collection, and we’re grateful for your help with it. As a College Coach, you will have a much more personal relationship with students than our staff, and you will be students’ primary connection to ScholarMatch. Coach Reports are a great place to let us know your successes and challenges each month and a place to ask for support! If you need a staff member to follow up with you, just select “follow up” at the bottom of the report and one of our staff members will reach out. We recommend sending yourself a copy of your Coach Report once you complete it.
            • We rely on our coaches to help us gather information on pivotal college application milestones for students, such as when financial aid forms are submitted, how many colleges a student applied to, and which scholarships they received. For a detailed overview of our data tracking expectations, please review this document.
          • Multiple Missing Coach Report Policy: For transparency, we want to share that coach reports are both a mandatory part of our program and a tool that we use to evaluate coaches at the end of the program year. After missing three coach reports in one program year, we begin the rematching process for students to ensure they’re receiving the support they need and begin our dismissal process for college coaches who fail to submit their reports. Submitting a coach report every month ensures that you are invited to continue as a volunteer next year. For an FAQ regarding this policy, please review this document.
        2. Communication

          One of the biggest factors in a successful coaching relationship is communication. This section will cover information about how to build rapport with your students during your first meetings, what to do if you can’t get in contact with your student, and our Youth Protection Policy.  

          • Building Rapport With Your Student: We suggest using this guide to foster productive conversations with your student, gain further insight into their college process, and understand the best ways to offer support and guidance.
          • Student Engagement: Now that you’ve reviewed the overview on student engagement and our expectations of your work, please review our perspective on unresponsive students. We want to prepare you for the possibility that a student you’re matched with may not engage as much as you’d hope or at all. This guide will help you maintain a student-centered perspective if such a situation arises. Review our guide here.
          • Youth Protection Policy: Additionally, our students’ safety is our priority. Please review our Youth Protection Policy.
        3. Resources

          Our goal is to ensure you have all the tools necessary to support your student throughout the college application process. Below is a list of resources we provide our coaches, in addition to a quick introductory video about where and how to access them.

          • Watch this Video! 
          • Coach Resource Page: Your one stop shop for all tools, links, announcements, and resources. Including all the documents linked in this module.
          • College Toolkit: An interactive base with resources where you can filter by topic (i.e. scholarships, financial aid, etc). This is linked on the Coach Resource Page, and you can also submit materials for consideration.
          • Ongoing Support: You’ll have access to a Student Support Playbook (an advising guidebook you receive when matched with students), monthly newsletters with relevant announcements and reminders, and webinars throughout the year on specific topics. (PS – all of these are also housed in the College Toolkit.)
        4. Community: Where to Ask Questions?

          It’s normal to have questions as you work with students. Here’s how you can seek support throughout the year:

          • Community Support Platforms: We highly encourage you to join our LinkedIn Group, and the ScholarMatch Forum email listserv (you’ll be added automatically on July 1 of each program year). Both of these resources are places you can field questions from our college coach community, many of our coaches have years of experience as college counselors!
            • The Varsity Coach Gallery is filled with our expert College Coaches who have offered to serve as points of contact for questions from other coaches. You can email or even text with Varsity Coaches to get 1-on-1 support. Coaches will receive a private link to view this gallery at a later time.
          • Advising Email: Have questions about the program, the student milestones, or a ScholarMatch form you submitted? Need to follow up after a challenging student meeting beyond your notes in a coach report? Reach out to us at advising@scholarmatch.org! One of our team members will respond within 48 business hours.
          • Coach Coffee Chats: Every month we host Coffee Chats (like Fireside chats in college, but this time with other volunteers!) for coaches who need additional support. Each month we have Varsity Coaches join these chats so you can get perspectives from your peers as well.
          • Do you have questions about how to use these resources or want to see them all in one place?  Click here to learn more.
        5. Scholars Program

          Our Scholars Program is our college persistence scholarship program. Students who are eligible for this program will be contacted directly (as their coach you will be too) when our application season begins. During this time we host info sessions and workshops for students and coaches so they can get all their questions answered.:  

          • Scholarship Eligibility: Learn how students can become eligible to apply for our Scholars Program, which provides students with up to $20,000 in flexible college scholarships, and college and career mentoring all the way through graduation.

      How to complete this module:

      Thanks for your attention to this program introduction! The mastery assignment linked below consists of just one free-response question and a chance for you to raise anything you’re still wondering about.

      USEFUL DOCUMENTS, SLIDES, & LINKS

      1. Multiple Missing Coach Reports FAQ
      2. Building Rapport With Your Student
      3. Student Engagement Guide
      4. Youth Protection Policy
      5. College Coach Onboarding
      6. Coach Resource Page
      7. College Toolkit
      8. Student Support Playbook
      9. LinkedIn Group
      10. ScholarMatch Forum email listserv

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