Hott off the Press

A blog about college insights and more.


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This is Karen Hott!

By Karen Hott, June 2024
I’m Karen Hott, founder of Two Bridges College Consulting. I bring sanity to the transition from high school to college. How? One, by helping students to find colleges where they will thrive, colleges that fit them academically, socially, emotionally, and financially Two, by guiding students to develop their self-confidence, self-reliance, maturity, and responsibility. Three, by reducing tension within the family
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U. Hartford offers surprising range of programs

By Karen Hott, June 2024
Just two hours from two major cities, the University of Hartford lies halfway between New York City and Boston, in Connecticut’s capital, Hartford. ESPN broadcasting, insurance, health care, and government entities are in the school’s backyard, opening up opportunities for internships and networking. The University of Hartford has about 3700 undergrads and about 2000 graduate students in seven colleges. With
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Graduates, write your thank-you notes!

By Karen Hott, June 2024
The Art of Writing a Thank-you Note Graduates, you’re going to be getting lots of congratulations from family and friends, and along with that, you will probably get gifts! That’s nice. Now write your thank-you notes. My dear mom taught me the art of the thank-you note by example. In fact, at 91, Mom’s still the best note writer I
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JMU applications up 89% since joining Common App

By Karen Hott, May 2024
James Madison University, a public institution in Virginia, provided counselors with an overview of their admissions for the senior class of 2024 (JMU 2028) in a webinar on May 21. Anecdotally, I can tell you there’s been more interest in JMU than ever before, and the numbers bear that out. With nearly 40K applications this year, JMU has seen an
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Quinnipiac offers more than ice hockey and political polls

By Karen Hott, May 2024
Hott off the Press by Karen A. Hott, May 2024 You may know Quinnipiac for their political polls, or you may know them for their standout ice hockey team. But there’s more to QU. Quinnipiac comprises nine schools and colleges attended by 6000 undergraduates and 3000 graduate, law, and medical students. Most students come from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, with
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Consider Eastern Connecticut for liberal arts at low cost

By Karen Hott, May 2024
Hott off the Press by Karen A. Hott, May 2024 Eastern Connecticut State University primarily serves in-state residents, with only 10% coming from beyond Connecticut. It’s a rarity in state university systems, a public liberal arts college. ECSU, or “Eastern” as the natives call it, defined their liberal arts outcomes in 2019-20. They’re implementing that curriculum now. Liberal arts learning
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Trinity College combines liberal arts, real-world experience

By Karen Hott, May 2024
Hott off the Press, by Karen A. Hott, May 2024 Celebrating 200 years of “preparing independent thinkers with purpose and pride,” Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, has around 2100 undergraduate students and a student-to-faculty ratio of 8:1. Though students hail from 47 different states and 86 countries, Trinity would like to see more engagement from their “backyard,” especially New Jersey
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Wesleyan U. attracts independent, passionate students

By Karen Hott, May 2024
Admissions at Wesleyan University
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UConn’s first-year programs ease transition to college

By Karen Hott, May 2024
Hott off the Press by Karen A. Hott, May 2024 At “the basketball capital of the world,” University of Connecticut welcomes new students into the Husky pack with programs that ease the transition to college and make a large school feel much smaller. “How do I discover this place and make it work for me?” The First Year Experience (FYE)
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The USC in South Carolina

By Karen Hott, April 2024
Karen Hott, Hott off the Press, April 2024 South Carolina is a BIG school with BIG sports and BIG spirit. Going from a high school of 2,000 to a university of 27,000+ can be intimidating for even the most confident student, but USC (we’re talking about the South here, not the West where that other USC lives) has for the