Matchlighters volunteer counselor
guidelines and commitments
Thanks for your interest in being a Matchlighters volunteer. Your wisdom, guidance, and time will be a long way in helping a young person reach their goals.
Don't believe us? Hear what a few had to say:
“Getting to know Matchlighters team has been one of the best experiences in my life. I would never be where I am right now - getting excited to attend my dream college with my studies fully funded - if it wasn’t for you. I am so grateful for all of your kindness, thoughtfulness and always available support.”
“Denise is the nicest human being on the face of the earth! she has been such a huge help to me throughout the entire college applications process, she has made herself readily available to me at all times, and she has even face-timed with for hours at a time! Denise helped me edit and brainstorm supplemental essays as well as advise me on schools that I had little to no knowledge about that I was applying to. ”
“I was looking for some help with the college application process because there are no such services where I am from and there was no one at my school who could guide me through the process. With a bit of help from Google, I found the Matchlighters team, sent in my documents, and in a couple of weeks started working with my counselor. Fast forward a couple of months, I am accepted to a highly competitive college and my counselor is visiting me for the holidays. I guess it is fair to say that the Matchlighters experience was more than just essay writing.”
“Hope. Yep, CEG kindled hope when I thought I was losing it. All the deadlines, rejections can be really overwhelming, but you guys make things easier. Thanks ”
Before agreeing to be a scholar, we ask that volunteers commit to these things:
Commitments of volunteer counselors
Work with one student (or more) for at least ten hours, on both essay development and college list development, unless a different agreement is made in writing with the Program Director.
Respond within two business days to emails from the Program Director to work with a student and requests for feedback from Scholars, unless written prior notice of unavailability is given to the Program Director or Scholar.
Make a reasonable effort to reach out to students. Our goal is for this program to be student-driven and that they take ownership of the process. With that in mind, we know that some gentle nudging and a quick email check-in from a counselor every two weeks or so can be helpful and motivational, especially as the senior year course load kicks in.
Why the above? We think these guidelines are important and the minimum commitment needed for Matchlighters Scholars to have a solid experience. Responding to emails promptly will allow us to connect students with other counselors if you're too busy, and responding to emails from students will allow you to schedule sessions more effectively.
In rare cases, we've had counselors who have stopped responding to student emails, gotten too busy to continue helping, and have not notified us. Most of the time, students don't reach out to us know they've lost contact. We want to avoid this as much as possible. While we understand that life gets busy, we'd prefer that counselors only commit to work with students if they can agree to be available for the full 10 hours.
Sound good? If so, read on. :)
WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DO YOU REQUIRE OF YOUR VOLUNTEERS?
We take newcomers with college counseling certificates or seasoned veterans! We do ask that you commit to responding to your student’s emails within 48 hours, that you meet your student “face-to-face” via Skype/FaceTime/Zoom (or whatever platform works for you), and that you can feasibly offer your student at least ten hours of assistance.
If it’s too busy of a season for you, let us know and we can contact you next year. We fall in love with these scholars (you will, too!) and we want to make sure they receive the assistance they’ve earned.
DO I HAVE TO HAVE A SPECIFIC AREA OF COUNSELING EXPERTISE TO VOLUNTEER?
Nope! However, in your interest form we’ll ask you if you have any experience with any of the following groups:
Undocumented/DACA students
LGBTQ+ students
Questbridge applicants
Students with learning differences
Student-athletes
Student-artists
Pre-med students
Pre-law students
Transfer students
General graduate school applicants
MBA program applicants
Medical school applicants
Law school applicants
Service Academy applicants
Homeschool students
HOW LONG AFTER I SUBMIT MY INTEREST FORM WILL I BE PAIRED WITH A STUDENT?
We match students on a rolling basis, and you have the opportunity to share your preferences in the application. During the especially hectic application months, you may hear back within a week. In slower months, you may not hear from us until a new group of students applies, perhaps a month or two after you submit your initial interest form. But don’t worry! We will always email you before connecting you to a student; if your situation has changed and you can no longer volunteer, you can let us know and we will remove your name from the list.
WHAT RESOURCES WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ME?
You’ll have access to Ethan's free resources that cover all aspects of the college search and application process!
The Official Matchlighters Counselor Guide which walks you through possible structure for your student sessions.
WHAT PROGRAM/PLATFORM SHOULD I USE?
CEG creates a Google folder for each of our Scholars, and we’d love for you to use this folder with your student – encouraging them to add essay drafts and other materials you collaborate on throughout your work together. Otherwise, you can use any platform you’d like! CollegePlannerPro, Guided Path, Naviance, Trello — whatever works for you and your scholar. We understand that each counselor has her own style, tools, and method.
Other questions? We have more information specifically for counselors that you’ll receive after you apply. If you have any further questions, email us at matchlighters@collegeessayguy.com.
I’ve never worked with low-income students before. What should I expect?
Here are some key points we’ve learned from our counselors in previous years:
Be flexible and give grace. Although we tell our students in the beginning to communicate with you regularly, some of them may disappear for a week or two as they attempt to juggle multiple jobs, college applications, school work, and, for many, serving as a primary caregiver for their siblings.
College list development will require you to deeply consider “financial fit.” For many of our domestic students, their EFC will be low, often $0. It’s important to remember that these kids will often need to seek places that meet full demonstrated financial need.
Essay revision may include some on-the-spot grammar moments. Some of our students may need guidance with punctuation, syntax, etc. We consider these opportunities “teachable moments” and hope you will, too.
What if I want to work with my student longer than 10 hours?
Please do! Usually counselors build a special rapport with their students, and it can be difficult to bid your Scholar farewell. However, if ten hours is all you can give, that’s okay too!
What if I don’t want to work with my student longer than 10 hours?
No problem! We understand that you have a life and a counseling practice beyond Matchlighters. So, we tell students up front to only expect ten hours from you. If you feel as though you’re committing to too much after you’ve hit your ten hours, set boundaries and gently tell your student that your work together is finished. If you need help with this or simply want to talk through it, contact us at matchlighters@collegeessayguy.com.
What if I am a mandatory reporter and I hear about abuse from a Scholar?
Serving as a volunteer counselor for College Essay Guy does not release you of your state or national responsibilities to report abuse as it is outlined in guidelines that legally bind you as a mandatory reporter. Typically, these reports are confidential. You are under no obligation to report the abuse to anyone at College Essay Guy. Refer to your state or national guidelines for more information on what to do in a situation where you may believe you have to make a report.
