Hott off the Press

A blog about college insights and more.


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You’re in control: Admitted Students Days

By Karen Hott, March 2026
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
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Juniors: The question spring break should answer 

By Karen Hott, March 2026
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
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Whitman College worth the trip to Walla Walla

By Karen Hott, March 2026
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
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Be a good person. Decline.

By Karen Hott, March 2026
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
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At Lynn U. it pays to learn

By Karen Hott, March 2026
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
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At Willamette, liberal arts meet the real world

By Karen Hott, March 2026
Willamette University combines a liberal arts foundation with real-world career preparation. In fact, the Salem, Oregon, school of 1620 undergraduates and 550 graduate students lies just across State Street from the Oregon State Capitol building, a mere 76 feet (they measured it) from campus. Many Willamette Bearcats have an easy commute to internships at the seat of the Oregon government
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U. of Puget Sound broadens horizons

By Karen Hott, March 2026
“How has the University of Puget Sound changed you?” a counselor on the Pacific Northwest college tour in early March 2026 asked a student panel of five Loggers. In short, every student said they were profoundly changed by their experience at UPS. Jordan came in wanting to make a fortune in business and found that his true passion was in
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UW Seattle plugs you into the world

By Karen Hott, March 2026
I toured the University of Washington (U Dub) in late February, just a couple of weeks too early to catch the famed cherry blossoms but in time to see the daffodils blooming. The campus is truly green and lovely, and when the sky is clear, majestic Mount Rainier rises above a large pool and fountain in the midst of a
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Applying to St. John’s College, Part 2 of 2

By Karen Hott, February 2026
by Karen A. Hott To learn about what makes a St. John’s College education unique, read Part I, “Great Books Are the Teachers at St. John’s College”  https://www.twobridgescollegeconsult.com/blog/2026/02/05/great-books-are-the-teachers-at-st-johns-college/ How to Apply You can apply to St. John’s College via the Common App, the Coalition App, or directly through the SJC application. What St. John’s Values in Your Application You will
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Great Books are the teachers at St. John’s College

By Karen Hott, February 2026
Reading the Great Books I received my master’s degree from St. John’s many years ago, but I knew that the undergraduate program probably still followed the protocols I did in reading the Great Books. Though I felt confident that I understood St. John’s, I decided to take a tour as a counselor on a day when the snow and ice