About Me

HigherGrounding College Counseling was created to bring a calm, pragmatic approach to college admissions—cutting through the chaos with clarity and compassion.

Based in San Carlos, California, we serve families across the Bay Area and Silicon Valley, providing expert guidance in:

College search and college list building

College “shopping” and selection strategy

Application audits and essay development

Academic résumé writing and enrollment decision support

Final steps like “what to pack for college”

Founder Margaret Rothe brings humor, heart, and decades of admissions experience to every session—whether at the kitchen table or over Zoom. She specializes in using CounselMore software tools to streamline every phase of the process, including:

Prioritized college list building

Application strategy and timeline management

Essay drafting and review via Google Drive

Organizing application requirements by readiness

Centralized communication via a parent dashboard, student portal, and counselor tracker

Not all HigherGrounding students apply to the Ivy League—but most demonstrate exceptional academic commitment and a strong connection to their personal interests and goals.

Margaret takes a student-centered, strengths-based approach, helping each applicant build a balanced college list, craft an authentic story, and stay on top of every deadline with confidence.

Families choose HigherGrounding for:

Strategic college admissions planning

Deep expertise in the evolving admissions landscape

A personalized, stress-reducing process that honors each student’s journey

We work with a limited number of full-service clients each year and also offer hourly consultations, application audits, and referrals to trusted counseling partners. Whether you need help with UC applications, college essays, or finding the right-fit school, HigherGrounding College Counseling is your trusted partner in navigating the college admissions journey.

Specialty Areas

General Ed Counseling, Restorative Education Services, Career/Aptitude Assessment

Students Enrolled

Princeton University, University of Rochester, Swarthmore College, Boston College, Boston University, The College of New Jersey, Indiana University Bloomington, Seton Hall University, Emory University, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey -- New Brunswick, Northeastern University, Brandeis University, Texas A&M University -- College Station, Harvey Mudd College, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Purdue University -- West Lafayette, Georgetown University, The George Washington University, The University of Chicago, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey -- Camden, New York University, Moravian College, Cornell University, University of Maryland, College Park, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Vanderbilt University, Case Western Reserve University, University of New Brunswick, Stevens Institute of Technology, University of Michigan -- Ann Arbor, Rowan University, The Ohio State University -- Columbus, Pennsylvania State University -- University Park, University of California, Berkeley, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Northwestern University, The University of Texas at Austin, University of Washington, Seattle, Dartmouth College, Lehigh University, Connecticut College, Chapman University, University of Illinois at Chicago, Yale University, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, New Jersey Institute of Technology, University of Pennsylvania, University of California, Santa Barbara, University of Pittsburgh, Colby College, Skidmore College, Pitzer College, Occidental College, Tufts University, Binghamton University, The State University of New York, Bard College, Arizona State University -- Tempe Campus, The University of Arizona, Harvard University, Barnard College, Franklin & Marshall College, Carleton College, Bates College, University of California, Davis, University of California, Irvine, University of California -- Los Angeles, University of California, Riverside, University of California, San Diego, University of California, Santa Barbara, University of California, Santa Cruz, California State University, Bakersfield, California State University, Chico, California State University, Dominguez Hills, California State University, Fresno, California State University, Fullerton, California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, California State University, Long Beach, California State University, Los Angeles, California Maritime Academy, California State University, Monterey Bay, California State University, Northridge, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California State University, Sacramento, California State University, San Bernardino, San Diego State University, San Francisco State University, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California State University, San Marcos, Sonoma State University, California State University, Stanislaus, Occidental College, University of Southern California, Loyola Marymount University, Pepperdine University, Chapman University, University of San Diego, Arizona State University -- Tempe Campus, The University of Arizona, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University, University of Nevada, Reno, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Highlands Certified