Spark Admissions Careers

College Admissions Consultant

About the Position
We are looking for a full-time college admissions consultant who shares our belief that great advising is rooted in empathy, encouragement, and high standards. If you’re someone who loves building relationships, coaching students to reach their full potential, and working closely with caring, collaborative colleagues, we’d love to hear from you!

Work hours for this position are generally flexible but involve both tasks and internal meetings during normal business hours and client meetings in the afternoons/evenings and/or on weekends. This role is fully remote and does not require any travel.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Meeting one-on-one with high school students and their parents to guide them through the college admissions process
• Coaching students to reach their full potential vis-a-vis students’ academic, intellectual, and extracurricular profiles
• Supporting students with skill-set development to build their confidence and academic curiosity
• Working closely with students on essay brainstorming and development
• Conveying expertise in all areas of college admissions

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (All Required):

• An undergraduate and graduate degree, at least one of which comes from a Top 50 university (Ivy League preferred)
• Admissions experience (at the K-12, undergraduate, or graduate level) and/or college counseling experience
• At least 5 years of work experience (or a combination of work experience and graduate school)
• An outgoing, empathetic personality with outstanding relationship-building skills
• A strong work ethic, with a constant desire to exceed expectations
• The ability to handle high-stress situations and interactions
• Proven, exceptional writing skills
• Excellent attention to detail and robust project management skills
• Comfort working in an entrepreneurial, small-company environment
• Availability to work some evening and weekend hours

To be considered for this role, candidates must meet the qualifications listed above. We encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. While experience matters, we seek someone who aligns with our values and team dynamic – someone who feels like a natural fit for our thoughtful and mission-driven team.

New hires for the College Consultant role undergo an intensive training process and typically begin their Spark careers as members of our Research Team. New College Consultants are paid an $80,000 base salary until their training is complete. Note that during this initial training period, new hires are expected to work a more traditional 9am-6pm Monday to Friday EST schedule.

Benefits & Compensation:
The Spark Admissions Consultant is a full-time, salaried role with the following compensation and benefits:

• Competitive Salary ranging from $80,000–$110,000, based on experience
• Performance-Based Bonus Opportunity
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
• Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance Plans
• Generous Holiday and Vacation Package
• Fully Remote Role (no travel required)

To Apply:
If this role sounds like a fit, we’d love to hear from you. Please send your resume, a cover letter, and responses to the three short-answer questions below to recruiting@sparkadmissions.com with “College Admissions Consultant” in the subject line.

To be considered, we ask that you meet the qualifications above and share meaningful responses to the questions below. Only applications with carefully crafted cover letters and short-answer responses will be reviewed.

Cover Letter:
We know no one loves writing cover letters, but we read them closely. We value cover letters as a chance to hear your story – what draws you to this work, what excites you about Spark, and why you’d thrive on our team.

Short-Answer Questions (each response should be 125-250 words in length):
1. A student is strongly drawn to a highly selective school where they have a very low chance of admission. How would you navigate this situation?
2. A student has stopped sending you essay drafts by the deadlines you’d discussed and is no longer responding to your emails. What steps would you take?
3. How would you approach a scenario where a parent is encouraging their child to declare a major on their application that doesn’t align with the student’s true interests?

Research Analyst

We are a thriving educational consulting firm seeking a full-time, salaried research analyst to join our team. We offer a flexible work environment and supportive, thoughtful colleagues. We are Boston-based but completely open to telecommuting candidates. This position requires no travel.

The strength of Spark Admissions is in its company culture, which fosters a work environment that is respectful, kind, and collaborative. If you are interested in joining a team of encouraging, brilliant, thoughtful, and creative colleagues, we urge you to apply.

The primary responsibilities for this position are as follows:

• Editing and providing constructive criticism on short pieces of writing
• Conducting research on educational topics
• Developing strategic education plans
• Finding and describing extracurricular, volunteering, and research opportunities
• Updating and maintaining databases
• Producing assorted client deliverables

The ideal background for the Research Analyst includes:

• An undergraduate or graduate degree from a selective university
• A graduate degree (candidates with degrees in fields like history, literature, languages, and political science have historically thrived at Spark, but we are open to all fields)
• Exceptional writing and editing skills
• Experience with research and comfort with outreach to individuals and organizations to gather information
• Impressive work ethic and high level of efficiency
• Excellent organizational, analytical, and communication skills
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively and to respond well to feedback
• At least 3 years of work experience or combination of work experience and graduate school

Please do not apply for this role if you do not have the aforementioned skills and background.

Overall, we will favor fit with our culture above all else.

The Spark Admissions Research Analyst is a full-time, salaried role with bonus potential. Benefits include a strong Blue Cross Blue Shield health plan, a 401(k) offering, a generous holiday and vacation package, and ample flexibility of scheduling.

All interested parties, please send a resume and cover letter to the following address: recruiting@sparkadmissions.com, with the phrase “Research Analyst Application” as your subject line. Please craft your cover letter carefully, as only applications with cover letters will be reviewed.