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School counselor resume examples

Full-length K-12 school counselor resumes from elementary SEL-focused to high school college access. Each leads with caseload + school + cert, names outcomes (graduation, college access, SEL), and surfaces the ASCA + clinical signals districts grade on.

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ByTomás Albrecht·Senior Resume Writer·Reviewed byDaniel Ortega· Head of Writing·1 example

School counselor hiring grades on three axes: caseload + outcomes (school, caseload, graduation, college access), program model (ASCA Tier 1/2/3 + classroom + group + individual), and clinical + crisis + community (suicide protocol, mandated reporting, 504/IEP collaboration, bilingual). Counselor resumes are 1-2 pages.

For elementary candidates, the structure adjusts (SEL + small-group focus). For HS + college-access-focused, college outcomes lead. For middle, MTSS + SEL + groups lead.

The example

Esperanza Müller-Quintanilla

HS Counselor · 280 Caseload · 96% Grad · 78% College · 92% FAFSA
San Bernardino·US·[email protected]·+1 (909) 555-0381

Profile

High school counselor at a 1,400-student Title I HS (62% F/RL); caseload 280 (grades 11-12); 4-year graduation 96% (state 87%); 78% college enrollment (state 64%); 92% FAFSA + 100% Cal Grant completion. CA PPS credential + bilingual Spanish + ASCA National Conference presenter 2024.

Experience

Senior High School Counselor (Grades 11-12)
Cajon High School (San Bernardino City USD, 1,400 students, Title I) · San Bernardino, CA
Aug 2020—Present
  • Outcomes 2024: 96% 4-year graduation (state 87%); 78% college enrollment (state 64%); 92% FAFSA completion + 100% Cal Grant; 14 students earned community-college dual-enrollment credit; 4 students earned full-tuition merit scholarships.
  • Program model: ASCA National Model alignment with Tier 1 (4 classroom lessons/grade/year), Tier 2 (4 small-group programs — grief, college-app, anxiety, study-skills; 38 students served), Tier 3 (38 individual ongoing counseling caseload).
  • Crisis + clinical: led 14 suicide-screening (Columbia Protocol) sessions in 2024 + 4 mandated-report calls; co-led 4 child welfare check coordination with district MH team; partnered with 504/IEP teams on 28 students.
  • College access: 280-student grade-12 caseload; led 14 FAFSA workshops (220 family attendees); built college-app curriculum (8 lessons, used by 4 colleagues); 4 first-gen students admitted to top-14 colleges.
  • Bilingual + cultural: Spanish (heritage fluency); led 14 family meetings in Spanish + reviewed 28 parent communications in Spanish; co-led the school's First-Gen College Club.
Middle School Counselor
Sierra Middle School (San Bernardino City USD) · San Bernardino, CA
Aug 2017—Jul 2020
  • Counselor at a 1,100-student MS; caseload 320; ran 6 SEL small-groups (grief + anxiety + transition).
  • Earned CA PPS credential 2017; transitioned to HS 2020 on internal posting.

Credentials + PD

CA PPS — School Counseling Authorization
CA Commission on Teacher Credentialing·Aug 2017
QPR Suicide Prevention Trainer (current)
QPR Institute·Feb 2024
Mental Health First Aid Certified
National Council for Mental Wellbeing·Sep 2023
ASCA National Conference 2024 Presenter ('Bilingual College Access in Title I Schools')
ASCA·Jul 2024

Tools + Programs

College Planning + SIS
Naviance (4 yrs) + Cialfo (transition 2024)Common App + Coalition + UC + Cal State portalsPowerSchool + Synergy SIS
SEL + Crisis Tools
Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale + safety planningSources of Strength + RULER SEL curricula

Education

M.Ed. in School Counseling
San Diego State University · San Diego, CA
Aug 2015—Jun 2017
BA in Psychology + Chicano/a Studies (minor)
UC Riverside · Riverside, CA
Aug 2010—May 2014
senior

Senior HS College-Access Counselor

HS Counselor · 280 caseload · 96% grad · 78% college · 92% FAFSA

Use this template

Live preview · Senior HS College-Access Counselor

Use this resume

Why this resume works

Header names caseload + outcomes. Bullets quantify graduation + college + program model + crisis.

Esperanza Müller-Quintanilla

HS Counselor · 280 Caseload · 96% Grad · 78% College · 92% FAFSA
San Bernardino·US·[email protected]·+1 (909) 555-0381

Profile

High school counselor at a 1,400-student Title I HS (62% F/RL); caseload 280 (grades 11-12); 4-year graduation 96% (state 87%); 78% college enrollment (state 64%); 92% FAFSA + 100% Cal Grant completion. CA PPS credential + bilingual Spanish + ASCA National Conference presenter 2024.

Experience

Senior High School Counselor (Grades 11-12)
Cajon High School (San Bernardino City USD, 1,400 students, Title I) · San Bernardino, CA
Aug 2020—Present
  • Outcomes 2024: 96% 4-year graduation (state 87%); 78% college enrollment (state 64%); 92% FAFSA completion + 100% Cal Grant; 14 students earned community-college dual-enrollment credit; 4 students earned full-tuition merit scholarships.
  • Program model: ASCA National Model alignment with Tier 1 (4 classroom lessons/grade/year), Tier 2 (4 small-group programs — grief, college-app, anxiety, study-skills; 38 students served), Tier 3 (38 individual ongoing counseling caseload).
  • Crisis + clinical: led 14 suicide-screening (Columbia Protocol) sessions in 2024 + 4 mandated-report calls; co-led 4 child welfare check coordination with district MH team; partnered with 504/IEP teams on 28 students.
  • College access: 280-student grade-12 caseload; led 14 FAFSA workshops (220 family attendees); built college-app curriculum (8 lessons, used by 4 colleagues); 4 first-gen students admitted to top-14 colleges.
  • Bilingual + cultural: Spanish (heritage fluency); led 14 family meetings in Spanish + reviewed 28 parent communications in Spanish; co-led the school's First-Gen College Club.
Middle School Counselor
Sierra Middle School (San Bernardino City USD) · San Bernardino, CA
Aug 2017—Jul 2020
  • Counselor at a 1,100-student MS; caseload 320; ran 6 SEL small-groups (grief + anxiety + transition).
  • Earned CA PPS credential 2017; transitioned to HS 2020 on internal posting.

Credentials + PD

CA PPS — School Counseling Authorization
CA Commission on Teacher Credentialing·Aug 2017
QPR Suicide Prevention Trainer (current)
QPR Institute·Feb 2024
Mental Health First Aid Certified
National Council for Mental Wellbeing·Sep 2023
ASCA National Conference 2024 Presenter ('Bilingual College Access in Title I Schools')
ASCA·Jul 2024

Tools + Programs

College Planning + SIS
Naviance (4 yrs) + Cialfo (transition 2024)Common App + Coalition + UC + Cal State portalsPowerSchool + Synergy SIS
SEL + Crisis Tools
Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale + safety planningSources of Strength + RULER SEL curricula

Education

M.Ed. in School Counseling
San Diego State University · San Diego, CA
Aug 2015—Jun 2017
BA in Psychology + Chicano/a Studies (minor)
UC Riverside · Riverside, CA
Aug 2010—May 2014

What hiring managers look for

The specific signals an experienced school counselor hiring panel grades on during the eight-second scan.

  • Caseload + school

    'High school counselor; caseload 280; 4-year graduation 96%' beats 'counselor.'

  • Credentials

    PPS / state license + M.Ed./M.A. + ASCA membership.

  • Outcomes

    Graduation, college enrollment, FAFSA completion, SEL data.

  • Program model

    ASCA National Model + multi-tier delivery.

  • Bilingual + cultural

    Heavy in Title I + diverse schools.

  • Crisis + clinical

    Suicide protocol, child welfare, 504 / IEP collaboration.

How to write a school counselor resume

  1. 1

    Open with caseload + school + outcomes

    Caseload + grades + state-comp metrics.

  2. 2

    Surface ASCA + tier delivery

    Tier 1 classroom + Tier 2 group + Tier 3 individual.

  3. 3

    Quantify college / SEL outcomes

    Graduation + enrollment + FAFSA + SEL.

  4. 4

    Name crisis + clinical work

    Suicide screening + reports + IEP/504.

  5. 5

    Close with credentials + bilingual

    PPS + M.Ed. + languages.

Pro tip

Lead with caseload + outcomes

'HS counselor; 280 caseload; 96% 4-year grad + 78% college enrollment + 92% FAFSA' is the counselor signal.

Pro tip

ASCA framework signals craft

Reference the ASCA National Model + tiers explicitly.

Pro tip

Multi-tier delivery

Tier 1 (universal) + Tier 2 (small group) + Tier 3 (individual) signal modern counseling.

Pro tip

Bilingual + cultural compound

Surface with applied use.

ATS notes

School counselor ATS pipelines screen for credential + framework + tool tokens. Credentials: PPS (Pupil Personnel Services, CA), state-specific school counseling certificate. M.Ed. / M.A. / M.S. in School Counseling, Counseling Psychology. Frameworks: ASCA National Model (American School Counselor Association), MTSS, PBIS, RULER (SEL), Second Step (SEL curriculum), Sources of Strength, Mindful Schools. Crisis: Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer), Mental Health First Aid, ASIST. Tools: PowerSchool / Infinite Campus + Naviance + SchoolMint + Cialfo (college planning) + Maia Learning. College access: FAFSA + Cal Grant + Common App + Coalition + UC + Cal State + ApplyTexas + private app systems.

Sample bullets you can adapt

Each follows the [verb] [object] [number] structure hiring managers grade against. Copy them as a starting point, swap in your own numbers, and read the annotation to understand why each one works.

  • Outcomes

    Outcomes 2024: 96% 4-year graduation (state 87%); 78% college enrollment (state 64%); 92% FAFSA completion + 100% Cal Grant; 14 students earned community-college dual-enrollment credit; 4 students earned full-tuition merit scholarships.

    Why it works: 5 outcomes + state comps.

  • Model

    Program model: ASCA National Model alignment with Tier 1 (4 classroom lessons/grade/year), Tier 2 (4 small-group programs — grief, college-app, anxiety, study-skills; 38 students served), Tier 3 (38 individual ongoing counseling caseload).

    Why it works: ASCA + tiers + numbers.

  • Crisis

    Crisis + clinical: led 14 suicide-screening (Columbia Protocol) sessions in 2024 + 4 mandated-report calls; co-led 4 child welfare check coordination with district MH team; partnered with 504/IEP teams on 28 students.

    Why it works: Protocol + count + cross-functional.

  • College

    College access: 280-student grade-12 caseload; led 14 FAFSA workshops (220 family attendees); built college-app curriculum (8 lessons, used by 4 colleagues); 4 first-gen students admitted to top-14 colleges.

    Why it works: Caseload + workshops + curriculum + admits.

  • SEL

    SEL: led 4 small-group programs (grief, anxiety, study-skills, social-skills); used RULER framework + Sources of Strength curriculum; 38 students served + 4-week curriculum cycle each.

    Why it works: Programs + framework + cycle.

  • Tools

    Tools: Naviance (primary college planning) + Cialfo (transition Q3 2024) + PowerSchool + Common App + Cal Grant + UC + Cal State portals.

    Why it works: Tools by category.

  • Bilingual

    Bilingual + cultural: Spanish (heritage fluency); led 14 family meetings in Spanish + reviewed 28 parent communications in Spanish; co-led the school's First-Gen College Club.

    Why it works: Language + applied + program lead.

  • 504/IEP

    504 + IEP: attended 28 IEP + 504 meetings in 2024 as counselor; partnered with SPED case manager + admin on goals + accommodations; tracked progress in 4-week check-ins.

    Why it works: Meeting count + cross-functional + tracking.

  • Schedule

    Master schedule + courses: collaborated with admin on master-schedule build (4 weeks pre-school-year); ensured caseload students met A-G (CA UC/CSU) requirements; 96% met A-G.

    Why it works: Cross-functional + outcome.

  • PD

    Professional development: presented at ASCA National Conference 2024 ('Bilingual College Access in Title I Schools'); 14-page session attended by 220 counselors.

    Why it works: Conference + audience.

  • Mentorship

    Mentorship: mentored 2 first-year counselors through induction; built the team's onboarding doc (28 pages); both retained at 2-year mark.

    Why it works: Mentees + doc + retention.

  • Arc

    Career arc: 4 years HS counselor (current); 3 years middle school counselor (prior district); CA PPS credential 2017; M.Ed. School Counseling at SDSU 2017.

    Why it works: Tenure + ladder + credentials.

Wrong vs Right · bullet rewrites

Same intent, two phrasings. Read why the right column lands on the keep-pile and the wrong column doesn't.

Summary

Wrong

Caring school counselor.

Right

High school counselor at a 1,400-student Title I HS (62% F/RL); caseload 280 (grades 11-12); 4-year graduation 96% (state 87%); 78% college enrollment (state 64%); 92% FAFSA + 100% Cal Grant completion. PPS credential + bilingual Spanish.

Why: Names school + caseload + grades + 3 outcome metrics + state comps + credentials.

Outcomes

Wrong

Helped students graduate.

Right

Outcomes 2024: 96% 4-year graduation (state 87%); 78% college enrollment (state 64%); 92% FAFSA completion + 100% Cal Grant; 14 students earned community-college dual-enrollment credit; 4 students earned full-tuition merit scholarships.

Why: 5 outcomes + state comps.

Program model

Wrong

Provided counseling services.

Right

Program model: ASCA National Model alignment with Tier 1 (4 classroom lessons/grade/year), Tier 2 (4 small-group programs — grief, college-app, anxiety, study-skills; 38 students served), Tier 3 (38 individual ongoing counseling caseload).

Why: ASCA + 3 tiers + numbers.

Crisis + clinical

Wrong

Handled crises.

Right

Crisis + clinical: led 14 suicide-screening (Columbia Protocol) sessions in 2024 + 4 mandated-report calls; co-led 4 child welfare check coordination with district MH team; partnered with 504/IEP teams on 28 students.

Why: Protocol + count + cross-functional.

College access

Wrong

Helped students apply to college.

Right

College access: 280-student grade-12 caseload; led 14 FAFSA workshops (220 family attendees); built college-app curriculum (8 lessons, used by 4 colleagues); 4 first-gen students admitted to top-14 colleges.

Why: Caseload + workshops + curriculum + admits.

Skip the blank page

Start from the senior hs college-access counselor example

Edit the names, the numbers, the company — yours in under a minute.

Use this template

Common mistakes (and how to fix them)

Patterns our writers see most often when reviewing school counselor resumes — each one disqualifies candidates faster than weak experience does.

  • Mistake

    Generic 'helped students.'

    Fix

    Caseload + outcomes + state comps.

  • Mistake

    ASCA model missing.

    Fix

    Tier 1/2/3 with named programs.

  • Mistake

    College + SEL outcomes generic.

    Fix

    Graduation + enrollment + FAFSA + SEL.

  • Mistake

    Crisis work absent.

    Fix

    Columbia Protocol + reports + cross-functional.

  • Mistake

    504 / IEP missing.

    Fix

    Meeting count + collaboration.

  • Mistake

    Tools generic.

    Fix

    Naviance / Cialfo + portals.

  • Mistake

    No bilingual.

    Fix

    Surface with applied use.

  • Mistake

    Three-page resume.

    Fix

    1-2 pages.

Resume format for School Counselors

Reverse-chronological. Header → caseload + outcomes summary → experience (with outcomes + ASCA + crisis + college detail) → credentials + education + tools. 1-2 pages.

Salary & job outlook

Median annual salary

$61,710 (HS counselors $65-95k; senior + bilingual + private school often higher)

Range: $38,790 to $100,520+

Projected job growth

+4% from 2023 to 2033 (about as fast as average)

Source

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 (Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors, 21-1012)

Action verbs for school counselors

Strong verbs lead strong bullets. Replace generic openers (worked on, helped with, was responsible for) with the specific verb that matches what you actually did.

counseledscreened (suicide)FAFSA-ledgraduatedenrolled (college)ASCA-alignedTier-1-deliveredsmall-group-ran504-attendedIEP-attendedColumbia-Protocol-appliedmandated-reportedNaviance-managedCialfo-onboardedSpanish-servedfirst-gen-supportedscholarship-coached

Skills hiring managers screen for

ATS pipelines weight your Skills section as a structured list. Include 15-25 of the items below if they match your experience — not soft skills.

CA PPS Credential / state equivalentM.Ed. / M.A. / M.S. in School CounselingASCA National Model + Tier 1/2/3 deliveryMTSS + PBISRULER + Second Step + Sources of Strength (SEL)Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)QPR + Mental Health First Aid + ASISTNaviance + Cialfo + Maia Learning (college planning)PowerSchool + Infinite CampusCommon App + Coalition + UC + Cal State + ApplyTexasFAFSA + Cal Grant + state-specific aid504 + IEP collaborationMandated reporting protocolsCrisis intervention + safety planningBilingual counseling (Spanish + others)Master schedule + A-G coordinationASCA National Conference presentingCounselor induction + mentorship

FAQ

How important is the ASCA National Model?+

Critical. Tier 1/2/3 delivery + counselor-to-student ratio + outcomes are universal.

Should I include college outcomes?+

Yes at HS level. Enrollment + FAFSA + state comps.

How important is bilingual fluency?+

Significant. Title I + EL-heavy schools. Surface with applied use.

What about crisis + clinical?+

Surface specifically. Columbia Protocol + mandated reports + cross-functional.

Should I list 504 + IEP work?+

Yes. Meeting count + collaboration + tracking signals breadth.

What tools should I name?+

Naviance + Cialfo + PowerSchool + Common App + portals. Specificity helps.

How important is the M.Ed. / M.A.?+

Required for credential in most states.

Should I include conference presentations?+

Yes — ASCA National + state conference presenting signals leadership.

Are private-school counselors different?+

Yes — heavier college-access focus + smaller caseloads + different aid systems.

How does elementary differ from HS?+

Elementary = SEL + small-group + family + classroom delivery. HS = college + career + crisis + grad-tracking.

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