Applying to college puts stress on students and their families, and the hype surrounding the process makes it worse. The truth? A majority of the more than 3,000 colleges in the U.S. accept most of their applicants. My mission is to bring sanity to the transition from high school to college.

A young person’s transition from high school to college doesn’t have to be a source of conflict in the family. A qualified college adviser knows what needs to be done and when. I provide an application timeline, assistance with completing all forms of applications, a process for developing and refining essays, help with the FAFSA and CSS Profile. When decisions roll in, I enable the family to compare apples to apples to see what the bottom-line cost of attendance will be. When it’s time to pick the best college, I help the student develop a rubric to decide which college will be The One.

A lifelong educator and learner, I actively continue my own education as a student of colleges and trends in higher education. For each one of my students, I formulate an individualized college list based upon academic, social, emotional, and financial fit. How do I know what makes a good fit for a particular student? I spend hours getting to know each one, using personality and skills assessments, plus lots of conversation.

I completed the Independent Educational Consultant certificate program at University of California at Irvine with a 4.0. I had a long career in public schools, where I taught English, journalism, and newspaper production. In my decades of teaching, I came to know and understand all sorts of teenagers--the self-driven, the intermittently motivated, the unmotivated; the high achievers, the underachievers; the confident, the anxious, the certain and the uncertain; the neurotypical as well as the neurodiverse with 504 plans or IEPs.

I love working with all kinds of teenagers as they contemplate and step into their future.


SPECIALTIES:

Expert Guidance for College Admissions, Evaluating Financial Aid Awards, College Application Timeline, Ethical Coaching, Essay Composition, Unmotivated Students, Semi-Motivated Teens, Extremely Motivated Teens, Identifying Unique Talents & Strengths, Best Academic Fit, Best Social Fit, Best Emotional Fit, Best Financial Fit, Trends in Higher Education, College Financial Aid, Learning Differences, Private Colleges & Universities, Public Colleges & Universities, Community Colleges, Transfer Students, Independent Educational Consultant Association (IECA), College Planning, College Essays, College Counselor, College Admissions

About Me

I love working one-to-one with teens as they navigate the transition from high school to college.

An educator with a lifetime of experience working with teens and young adults, I am committed to helping students make informed, deliberate choices about their future.

I have worked successfully with every kind of teenager—the highly motivated, the moderately motivated, the periodically motivated, and the not-so-motivated. I’ve worked successfully with class valedictorians and with those who need to explain what the heck happened junior year.

I’m a student, too—of teens, colleges, college admissions, and trends in higher education. I educate families about what’s happening in today’s college admissions landscape, bringing sanity to this charged transitional phase.

Before becoming an independent college counselor (also called an “independent educational consultant,” or IEC), I taught AP English Language and Composition, journalism, and newspaper production at a Maryland public high school. As a classroom teacher, I was certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and was also a Certified Journalism Educator. Teaching and the art of writing inform my work as a college adviser.

Each student who comes to my practice finds that I meet them where they are. They will have to do all the work, but I am there to guide and support them along the way.

Education

B.S. in Education, University of Maryland, College Park

M.A. in Liberal Arts, St. John’s College, Annapolis

Certificate in Independent Educational Consulting, University of California, Irvine

Professional affiliations

Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), Professional member

Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), Professional member

National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC)

Why “Two Bridges” College Consulting?
I chose the name “Two Bridges” because it works on two levels. Figuratively, it reflects my belief that every student has more than one pathway to a successful future. On a literal level, it refers to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Maryland and Tampa Bay’s Sunshine Skyway in Florida. In my practice, I help students build bridges to successful futures.

Karen Hott on Essay Writing
An admissions counselor once said, "I've never rejected someone because of their essay, but I have accepted someone because of it."

I’ve spent a lifetime working with student writing–in a completely ethical, hands-off manner. I call my approach “coaching.” Coaching is different from editing. The coaching philosophy begins with the premise that your essay belongs entirely to you. You will not send me your essays to revise in isolation. I will sit down with you, in person at my Kent Island office, at an Annapolis-area Starbucks, or through Zoom. If you don’t know what to say, we’ll talk. If you have something already written, I will ask you to read it aloud to me. We will talk about what’s strong and what’s not so strong, what should lead and what should finish it off. I will listen to you and question you so that you say what you mean to say.

You have a unique voice. Unfortunately, sometimes voices get muffled, drowned in excess wordiness and stiff formulas, or in someone else’s idea of what sounds “smart.” As your coach, I will not be changing your writing; rather, I will help you find out what you mean to say. Your essay will be a perfect representation of you. Colleges want to hear your authentic voice, not mine or your mom’s, so we’ll be sure to keep the essay all yours, from start to finish.

Specialty Areas

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