Meet Karen!

Karen Kimball, College Counselor

Karen has spent the majority of her professional career working in education to help students succeed. Karen joined Collegewise in 2022, and since then, her students have been accepted to more than 75 colleges and universities, including Cornell, Northwestern, Rice, Bard, University of Chicago, USC, Boston College, Boston University, American University, George Washington, UCLA, UT Austin, Texas A&M, Trinity University, and Ohio State.

Karen serves as the Co-Lead of our internal Collegewise Freshman Forum, a series of professional development opportunities to help new Collegewise counselors further enhance their best counseling practices. A Texas resident, Karen also frequently delivers in-person admissions workshops at local high schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and she is a regular Collegewise webinar presenter.

Karen’s counseling magic lies in her appreciation for teenagers and her understanding of their current developmental state. A parent herself whose child has been through the college admissions process, Karen relishes the opportunity to help students of all academic abilities and college goals discover more about themselves and plan their next educational steps. As Karen describes it:

I love teenagers and consider myself honored to have a front row seat to this developmental stage. From 9th and 10th grade when it’s all just starting, to 11th grade when they’re managing the overwhelm of their academic lives, to application season when it all comes together—I enjoy helping them figure it all out. It’s a magical, important time in their lives, and to be there for their changes and discoveries is such a joy.

Parents frequently praise Karen for her unflappable demeanor, steady communication, excellent project management, and her ability to connect with students. She has been described as a “parent whisperer” who can relieve admissions-induced blood pressure spikes, as well as a “Mary Poppins of counseling” for her ability to guide students and their grown-ups through the process with firm humor.

Put a different way, Karen demonstrates to all her families that they now have an invested partner in this process—one who’s been here many times before, who knows the way forward, and who communicates at every turn, “Don’t worry—we’re in this together now.”

When she’s not guiding students in their college application process, you can find Karen creating pottery, reading a good book, and wrangling her abundant collection of house plants.

Education & Experience

UC San Diego, college counseling certification

University of North Texas, M.A.

Trinity University, B.A.

Honors College adjunct instructor, University of North Texas

Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, John Paul II High School

Interim Head of School, The Hillcrest Academy

Professional Organization Memberships

Texas Association for College Admission Counseling

NACAC: National Association for College Admission Counseling