Hott off the Press
A blog about college insights and more.
Denison: Connection driven, relationship focused
By Karen Hott, December 2024
If you’re a parent who’s skeptical that a liberal arts school can prepare your child for a successful business career, admissions at Denison University said you can call and they’ll explain it to you. Denison doesn’t offer a degree in business. Yet most students at Denison major in something leading to business or the medical field. Its “pre-business” advising involves
Carnegie Mellon Qatar sounds like paradise
By Karen Hott, December 2024
I worked with Ragad and Tala as they explored and applied to colleges in the U.S. They went to an international school in Saudi Arabia and their English was impeccable. Originally, their goal was to study in the States, but ultimately, the twins decided to stay closer to home and to study at Carnegie Mellon Qatar. Here I’ll share what
Forms you need when your teen turns 18
By Karen Hott, November 2024
This 2023 article does a good job of explaining! https://blog.massmutual.com/planning/legal-forms-for-18-year-olds
How hiring a college consultant can save money
By Karen Hott, November 2024
A college adviser helps you think about what you want in a college.
TCNJ is #1 but little known outside NJ
By Karen Hott, November 2024
The College of New Jersey has so much going for it, recognized by USNWR as #1 overall in Northeast regional publics (2025) for its great retention and graduation rates and its focus on undergraduate teaching. But only 6% of its undergraduates come from outside New Jersey, even though they’ve lowered out-of-state tuition to within $6000 of in-state tuition. C’mon, Maryland, New
Duquesne commits to every student’s success
By Karen Hott, November 2024
Duquesne University overlooks the Monongahela River, one of the three rivers that intersect in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It has access to the cultural center and downtown businesses in Pittsburgh yet is set on 48 acres of secluded, park-like campus. The university is affiliated with the Catholic Spiritans. Students who identify as Catholic make up 45% of the population; 27% are students
Seton Hall eases transition to college
By Karen Hott, November 2024
I met with Director of Admissions Katherine Fainer (pronounced “Finer”) and Assistant Director of Admissions Joey Puleo on November 14, 2024. Reducing food waste Joey and Katherine treated me to lunch in the school dining hall, which, renovated in 2018, was clean, bright, and open. The signs to reduce food waste weren’t only on the screens above the food stations;
Carnegie Mellon aims to use knowledge for good
By Karen Hott, November 2024
The sky’s the limit The first thing I saw when I found the campus of Carnegie Mellon University was a silver pole reaching diagonally about three stories into the sky, with colorized sculptures of men and women walking up it. It’s called Walking to the Sky, and it represents the belief that at Carnegie Mellon, “the sky’s the limit.” Know
Rolling admit means early answer from Pitt
By Karen Hott, November 2024
On my first day ever in the city of Pittsburgh, my friend and colleague Dianne Keilholtz and I left Carnegie Mellon, lunched at a sidewalk table in the sun (it was in the 80s on Oct. 22), and then walked downhill to learn what makes Pitt so appealing to students. Cathy The Cathedral of Learning rises from the campus like
Lynn U. weaves AI into curriculum
By Karen Hott, October 2024
Of the 3500 students at Lynn, the majority come to Boca Raton from outside the state of Florida, and 16% are international students. Lynn awards merit aid from $10K to $22K per year based on your weighted GPA (and test scores, if submitted) and has an acceptance rate of 80%. Though this school in Florida is private, Floridians can still