Hott off the Press

A blog about college insights and more.


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What to do while waiting for college decisions

By Karen Hott, January 2026
Waiting is hard.  Whether you were deferred or just waiting for later admission decisions, like UMD Early Action decisions on February 1 or Regular Decision answers that come in March and April, you’re stuck in that very hard place of having to wait. It may seem that you are powerless, but you aren’t. You can take meaningful action. First, focus
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Deferred? What to do while you wait

By Karen Hott, January 2026
If you applied in the Early Action/Early Decision round, you’ve probably started hearing from some of your colleges by now. I hope you’ve opened an email or letter in your portal that starts with “Congratulations!” and confetti. I know how disappointing it is to read “We regret to inform you that we cannot offer you admission. . . .”  Or
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Time for your teen to own their own calendar

By Karen Hott, January 2026
One life skill that I like to teach my college-curious kids is calendaring. It’s common for Mom to maintain a master calendar for the family, and that makes sense when the family has so many moving parts. But as teens hit their junior and senior year of high school, they need to be responsible for scheduling and managing their own
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Demonstrating interest can make the difference

By Karen Hott, December 2025
This week a high-achieving student of mine was deferred from a school where she was more than qualified to be admitted. I called, and the admissions representative checked her file. “She didn’t engage with us at all. We leaned heavily on demonstrated interest in the Early Action round,” she said. They admitted 50% of the EA applicants, but this student
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Hood College links liberal arts, career success

By Karen Hott, November 2025
A small college can offer a big return on investment by concentrating on doing what it does well. Hood College, located in Frederick, Maryland, 45 miles from both Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, has strong programs in education, business, nursing, and psychology, and pre-professional pathways to law, medicine, dentistry, and veterinary schools. It prioritizes experiential learning and inclusivity. Hood is a
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Tame the teen inbox

By Karen Hott, November 2025
Kids tend to ignore their emails. (Perhaps you’ve noticed.) When you ignore college emails, you miss important information about portals, missing documents, scholarship deadlines, and even acceptance notifications. The hundreds of unsolicited emails from colleges can be overwhelming, but creating folders gives you POWER over your mailbox. Sorting, reading, unsubscribing, and deleting is easy and satisfying. Students, do this: Now
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JMU Honors College Overview

By Karen Hott, October 2025
Honors Course Characteristics Honors courses are designed to be broader, deeper, and more complex than regular courses. They often feature smaller class sizes and discussion-based formats that encourage active engagement. H seminars are particularly distinctive, offering interdisciplinary content that often focuses on leadership, research, and global engagement themes. Program Structure: Three Paths The JMU Honors College offers students three distinct
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Otterbein University: Exceptional support, surprising affordability

By Karen Hott, September 2025
Otterbein University cares about supporting you from Day 1 through launching your career. It’s also very attuned to affordability. Just 15 miles from downtown Columbus, Otterbein University is located in a quaint suburb, Westerville, Ohio, known for its parks, restaurants, and shops. Otterbein University is loosely associated with the United Methodist Church but has no religious requirements. The campus is
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Ohio State: School pride meets limitless opportunities

By Karen Hott, September 2025
It’s THE Ohio State University. They actually trademarked the word the. Pride is big here. You see it on the building signage but also on the sea of Ohio State clothing and gear. They even carry a buckeye in their pockets. (The buckeye is a seed like an acorn or chestnut with a tan patch that looks like the eye
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Denver delivers student satisfaction

By Karen Hott, August 2025
What makes DU special The University of Denver–known as DU–ranked #1 in Princeton Review 2024 for Students Who Love Their University. Princeton Review also gave the school #23 for Happiest Students and #24 for Most Beautiful Campus. But it’s not just those rankings that make this a school worth heading to Colorado for. The school is based on “The 4D