DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING
SEARCH
MARIN ACADEMY
San Rafael, California
ma.org

Start Date: July 2023

CARNEYSANDOE.COM

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates page 1

Mission Statement
Marin Academy asks every individual to think, question, and create in
an environment of encouragement and compassion and challenges
each person to accept the responsibilities posed by education in a
democratic society.

At a Glance

Established Enrollment Total Faculty Student-faculty ratio

1971 448 65 8.3:1

Students of color Financial aid awarded Faculty with advanced degrees Campus size

35% $4M 70% 11-acres

Faculty of color: 34% Endowment: $18.3M

Students receiving aid: 20% Annual operating budget: $24M

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Overview
“Think. Question. Create.” Marin Academy (MA) located in San Rafael, CA, just north of San Francisco,
is a co-ed day school serving students grades 9–12 and has long been a leader in progressive education.
At present, MA is just over halfway through an ambitious strategic plan that emphasizes interdisciplinary
and transdisciplinary teaching and learning, competency-based education, and equity and inclusion.

The Director of College Counseling leads an office that cultivates deep relationships with MA’s students,
promotes self-reflection, and emphasizes a values-driven college process focusing on four values:

• Choices: Every student should have choices in where they can attend college or pursue

postsecondary options.

• Self-Awareness: Students should learn about themselves throughout the process.

• Autonomy: Throughout the college search and application process, students should begin to take

ownership over their goals and organization.
• Self-Worth: While college is a transformative and impactful period in a person’s life, applying to

college is itself a valuable experience in developing confidence and understanding of self. MA’s
office challenges students to identify intrinsic and internal sources of fulfillment beyond college
outcomes.

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In its next Director of College Counseling, Marin Academy seeks an experienced and skilled college
counselor whose philosophy and approach to their work align with MA’s mission and values. Commencing
their work in July 2023, the Director will lead and manage a four-person college counseling office and
administer and participate in the school’s day-to-day college counseling activities. In addition to leading
the College Counseling team, the Director will serve on the Head of School’s Administrative Team,
providing advice on school policies and strategies. Candidates must be relational, dynamic, team-
oriented, and effective communicators and leaders. Their passion for working with high school students
and their families and commitment to serving as an informed and wise guide through the constantly
evolving college admission world should be front and center as they engage in conversations about the
opportunity and describe their work.

Priorities and Opportunities
Build relationships, inspire confidence, and be an active community member.
MA seeks a relationship driven and community minded Director who is ready to invest in a vibrant,
joyful community for a lengthy tenure. The Director will want to focus on building family and student
connection to and confidence in the college counseling office through skilled, responsive communication,
relationship building, and demonstrated investment in the life of the community.

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Mentor and grow the team and build college office practice.
In addition to an Interim Director, two Associate Directors of College Counseling and an Assistant Director
of College Counseling and Office Manager comprise the current team. The team has established a
collaborative and trusting working relationship, and the Associate Directors and Assistant Director look
forward to receiving mentorship and guidance from their new Director. Additionally, the Director will
lead the development of shared practice among the team members to ensure consistent experience for
students and their families even as the office’s work honors the unique needs and individuality of MA’s
students.

Assess and evolve the program.
The current college counseling program is dynamic and organized and includes such pieces as senior
seminar, an in-house case studies program for juniors, multiple parent and guardian presentations, and
more. Still, the new Director’s arrival will provide an ideal opportunity to evaluate and evolve the college
counseling program, especially in light of the changing college landscape and needs of MA’s student
and parent populations.

Keep admission offices current as MA continues to evolve.
MA is committed to pushing against the old ways of doing school. As the school and the college
admission process continue to evolve, the Director and team will need to serve as the link between the
two, keeping MA’s college and university admission partners informed about the school’s academic
and co-curricular programming. In this way, the institutions receiving applications from MA students
can accurately assess them.

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Qualifications and Personal Attributes
This position requires someone with significant passion and exceptional experience and skill. The ideal
candidate will offer most, if not all, of these characteristics:

• Experience in independent school college counseling, ideally at the Director level;
• A relational leadership style built on approachability, transparency, and responsiveness;
• Skill and investment in mentoring and supervising college counseling team members and modeling

and skills to design and deliver a program that meets the specific needs of individual students and
families;

• Excellent communication skills, especially engaging and polished public speaking, close listening,

and clear and dynamic writing abilities in the range of forms required of college counselors in
independent schools;

• An appreciation for the joys and challenges of working with high school students, including a particularly

strong understanding of the intellectual, social, and emotional development of adolescents;

• Commitment to engaging parents as partners in their child’s search process and skill in managing

and navigating the expectations of invested and aspirational families with grace and aplomb;

• The flexibility and collaborative spirit necessary to partner with other members of the administrative

team, teachers, and department heads and the confidence and humility to advocate for and embrace
new ideas, invite disagreement, and welcome feedback;

• A broad knowledge of the programs and requirements at a wide range of colleges and universities,

including fluency with the University of California system;

• An expansive professional network amongst the college admission and college counseling

community;

• Superior organizational and executive function skills;
• The highest standards of professionalism, with a focus on creating warm, uplifting, and trusting

working relationships with students, their families/caregivers, and colleagues that are marked by
humor, optimism, humility, empathy, emotional intelligence, extraordinary interpersonal skills, and
collaboration.

The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates page 6

Learn More
Click on the links below to learn more about Marin Academy.

School Website Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

MA College Counseling Program Signature Programs

School Profile Virtual Campus Tour

The MA Competencies About San Rafael, California

Strategic Plan

To Apply
Interested and qualified candidates are invited to contact the consultants in confidence. Candidates will
ultimately need to submit the following materials as separate PDF documents:

• A cover letter expressing their interest in this particular position;
• A current résumé;
• A list of five professional references with name, relationship, phone number, and email address of

each (references will not be contacted without the candidate’s permission) to:

Chris Boyle
Search Consultant
chris.boyle@carneysandoe.com

Jess Roberson
Search Associate
jess.roberson@carneysandoe.com

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