College Coach
Volunteer to impact a student’s future with just a few hours per month.
What is a College Coach?
A College Coach provides critical guidance to high school students during the college application process. In your role, you will:
- Explore college options and help students find colleges that match their academic profile, financial fit, and general interests
- Guide students in developing and editing personal statements
- Support students with filling out financial aid applications
- Motivate students to stay organized during the application process
- Help students review financial aid award letters and make their final college decision!
Ready to make a difference? Complete our Interest form:
Qualifications
Interested in being a College Coach with ScholarMatch? To qualify, Coaches must:
- Hold a Bachelor’s degree
- Complete our sequence of online trainings
- Pass a criminal background check
- Commit to supporting 1-2 students for 4-6 hours a month between July 2020-June 2021 (Matched Coaches)
- Commit to at least 2 drop-in coaching sessions a month at one of our centers (Drop-In Coaches)
Match with a Student (In-Person)
Location: San Francisco or Los Angeles
“Match” with a student and provide support for a year as they apply for college. Matched Coaches and their students can meet and utilize resources at ScholarMatch’s college centers in San Francisco and Los Angeles, in addition to connecting via phone calls, video chats, and email.
Match with a Student (Virtually)
Location: Virtual/Remote
“Match” with a student virtually and provide support for a year as they apply for college. This is a great volunteer opportunity for individuals who don’t live near our college centers, but still want to make a difference! Virtual Coaches connect with students via phone calls, video chats, emails, etc.
Drop-in Support
Location: San Francisco or Los Angeles
Work directly with students at our college centers in San Francisco or Los Angeles to tackle college applications! This is a great volunteer opportunity for someone who wants to make an impact but has a limited schedule. In-Person Coaches “drop-in” and provide support twice a month during the fall semester.
Volunteer Training
Don’t have college access experience? No worries! We provide robust training for volunteers, both online and in-person:
- We host an annual in-person training conference in San Francisco in July. Resources from this conference will be shared with all coaches who are unable to attend in person.
- Coaches will receive continued training and resources throughout the year, which include webinars, access to our growing volunteer community and support platforms, and resource newsletters.
Meet a Current Coach!
Interested in learning what it’s like being a volunteer with ScholarMatch?
Meet virtual College Coach Burcak, a two-year volunteer from New Jersey. Read her Medium blog for insight on her experience coaching her students to success and tips she shares for new coaches joining our volunteer program!