Recommendation Etiquette by Karen Anne Hott I’m an independent educational consultant and the founder of Two Bridges College Consulting. Before going into college advising, I taught AP English Language & Composition, standard and honors English, journalism, and newspaper production in a Maryland public high school. Today I love working with students on their college searches, applications, and essays, facilitating the

Disappointed that your phenomenal, amazing child didn’t get into UCLA or Stanford? Stanford’s admit rate was 3.6 percent, and UCLA was 9.4 percent. But your child worked hard to build an impressive record, right? Let’s consider the actual numbers. Stanford had over 57,000 applications and only about 2,000 were accepted. UCLA had over 145,000 applications and fewer than 14,000 were

This isn’t just a month to study for AP exams, though that is something AP students should be doing. Here’s what each class should be doing NOW. Freshmen Look for summer programs that sound interesting to you. Some have deadlines coming up soon. A great resource is Snowday (snow.day), a free, searchable database of more than 1,100 summer programs for

The first thing I noticed at Louisiana State University was the trees, spreading their branches wide across the grounds of campus when I visited with a busload of counselors on March 21. Our tour guide, Emily, a pre-med senior, said, “I always feel like the trees are giving me a big hug.” Thriving from land to sea to space LSU

Seniors, have you been invited to Admitted Students Days?  GO!  Going to admitted students events will give you a better idea of how good a fit the school is for you. Try out the food in the dining hall, check out the dorm you’d be living in, sit in on a class.  But keep in mind that the college needs

How college visits can help you figure out what you actually want Spring break’s a perfect time for juniors to visit colleges—you won’t have to miss classes or make up work. Most juniors don’t have a definitive college list yet, so think of the spring break visit as list-development research. It’s already spring, and in summer, you’ll start applying to

They almost named their mascot the Moss. The rainy, cool climate of Portland provides the prime conditions for moss to grow everywhere at Lewis & Clark College. It’s on the cobblestone walks, the rock walls, the branches and trunks of trees about to bloom. But the L&C colors are orange and black, so the bright green of the moss wouldn’t

With 40 counselors on the Pacific Northwest 5 tour, I took a five-hour bus ride from Seattle to Walla Walla, Washington, this March to visit Whitman College. The liberal arts school of about 1,600 students in the Cascades Mountains enrolls undergraduates only, so all their resources funnel into undergraduate success. Unlike Seattle, Walla Walla enjoys a high desert climate with

Be a good person. Decline. Once you’ve decided where you’re going to go to college in the fall (WOO HOO!), it’s time to let the other schools that accepted you know that you won’t be attending. You should decline their offers of admission. Don’t wait. Do it as soon as you’ve made your final decision and deposited. When you decline

I know Lynn University pretty well, after visiting twice and interviewing Stefano Papaleo, executive director of admission, in March 2025. This March, I met with Levi Bowen, senior assistant director of admission, and learned what’s new on campus. A growing campus Lynn welcomed 1,250 into its largest freshman class this year, bringing the total undergraduate population to over 3,550—a 14