ofHanna Stotland, JD has been an admission trendsetter since 1997, when she was accepted at Harvard College with a G.E.D.

Hanna Stotland has been an independent educational consultant specializing in crisis management for over two decades. She has helped students overcome virtually every kind of educational interruption, from mental illness to academic failure to disciplinary and criminal consequences.

Based in Chicago, Hanna serves families from California to Maine. Whether your goal is to overcome a problem on your permanent record or simply learn more about the educational options available to you, Hanna can help.

Hanna Stotland is a professional member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association and a member of the Higher Education Consultants Association, the National Association for College Admission Counseling, and the Western Association for College Admission Counseling. Hanna is an adjunct faculty member in the Independent Educational Consultant certificate program of the University of California, Irvine’s Division of Continuing Edcucation

Hanna in the Press

Additional Press

The Harvard Crimson: Hanna Stotland Is Not Like Other College Consultants

October 7, 2024

U.S. News and World Report: How to Go Back to College After Dropping Out

Saptember 5, 2024

U.S. News and World Report: 13 Ways to Get Ready to Pay for Law School

July 24, 2024

Test and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast:
IEC Profile: Hanna Stotland
April 4, 2024

Journal of the National Association for College Admission Counseling: Suspended, Expelled, Addicted, Convicted: Six Simple Rules for Explanation Essays
May 4, 2022

Real Talk Podcast: Educational Crisis Management: Making Higher Educational Dreams a Reality
March 30, 2022

The Chronicle of Higher Education: Why Are Scholars Such Snitches?
March 17, 2022

Inside Higher Ed:  Formerly Imprisoned Students Struggle to Shed Their Past
March 10, 2022

IECA Insights: Making Sure Your Clients Never Need Crisis Management
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Summer 2021

Mark Cruver and Hanna Stotland Discuss Students at Risk and College Admissions
June 17, 2021

College Planning Tip of the Week: Tips for Applying to Law School
February 25, 2021

Interview with Stuart Nachbar of Educated Quest: The Dining Life on Campus
December 22, 2020

American Council of Trustees and Alumni: Hanna Stotland: The Pandemic’s Impact on College Enrollment
July 20, 2020

CBS Chicago: U Of C Students Continue Tuition Strike ‘To Make It Easier For Folks Who Can’t Afford To Pay Right Now’
April 29, 2020

Success is Subjective Podcast: Hanna Stotland
March 8, 2020

Newsweek Article: “Getting ‘Varsity Blues’ Kids Into College After Scandal”
October 23, 2019

New York Times Article: “Lori Loughlin Appeared in Court as Admissions Scandal Looms Over New School Year” 
August 27, 2019

Thinking Like a Lawyer Podcast: “Facing Consequences And Moving On”
June 25, 2019

Femsplainers Podcast: Season 4 Epsiode 5 “Who Ya Gonna Call?”
June 11, 2019

Letter to the New York Times: “The Fates of Those Accused of Sexual Assault”
May 7, 2018

The Harvard Crimson: “The Hidden Perils of Affirmative Consent Policies” 
March 22, 2017

Buzzfeed Profile of Hanna Stotland
July 28, 2015

Hanna’s Upcoming and Recent Presentations

College Planning Summit

Crisis to Clarity: Explaining Problems and Owning Mistakes While Applying to College

November 21, 2024

Higher Educational Consultants Association (HECA) 2024 HECA on My Mind Conference

Suspended, Expelled, Addicted, Convicted: The Explanation Essay

June 12, 2024

Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) Professional Development Institute

Legal Basics for IECs

June 10, 2024

Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia

Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) 2024 Annual Conference

Campus Sexual Misconduct: A View From The Trenches

May 7, 2024

Mohegan Sun Resort, Uncasville, CT

WACAC Southern California Share, Learn, & Connect 2024

Explain Fully: The Special Circumstances Essay

March 1, 2024

Loyola Marymount University

Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) Professional Development Institute

Legal Basics for IECs

January 23, 2024

Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) 2023 Fall Conference

Coping with Uncertainty in an Emergency-Heavy Practice

November 15, 2023

JW Marriott Tampa Water Street, Tampa, FL

Higher Educational Consultants Association (HECA) 2023 Capitolize Conference

Title IX Over Time: Obama to Trump to Biden

June 14, 2023

Hilton Alexandria Mark Center, Alexandria, VA

Independent Educational Consultants 2023 Spring Conference

Neurodiverse Students and Institutional Discipline

May 9, 2023

Hyatt Regency Seattle, WA

PNACAC, RMACAC, and WACAC SuperConference

Title IX Over Time: Keeping Up With the Changes

April 18, 2023

Spokane Convention Center, Spokane, WA

Friday Forum with Cyndy McDonald

Kicking the Imposter Syndrome Out the Door

March 31, 2023

Independent Educational Consultants – Growing our Business Webinar

Women Entrepreneurs: Charging What We are Worth

January 17, 2023

Gateway to Grad School Consulting Group of the Independent Educational Consultants Association

The ABCs of JDs: Intro to Law School Admission

January, 13, 2023

Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) 2022 Fall Conference

The ABCs of JDs: Intro to Law School Admission

November 7, 2022

Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, San Diego, CA

National Scholarship Providers Association (NSPA) Resilience 2022 Conference

Suspended, Expelled, Addicted, Convicted: The Explanation Essay

October 20, 2022

Hilton Chicago, Chicago, IL

Higher Educational Consultants Association (HECA) Annual Conference  

The ABCs of JDs: Intro to Law School Admission

June 14, 2022

Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center, Denver, CO

Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) Professional Development Institute

Legal Basics for IECs

June 23, 2022

College Consultants of Colorado

Felons, Cheaters, and Varsity Blues: Working with the Hardest Cases

June 8, 2022

Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC) 2022 Transfer Summit

Explain Fully: The Special Circumstances Essay

February 17, 2022

Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) (Virtual) 2021 Fall Conference

FERPA, HIPAA, and More: Higher Ed Law for IECs 

November 11, 2021

Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) (Virtual) 2021 Spring Conference

Specialization for IECs: The Wave of the Future? 

June 8, 2021

UC Irvine: Developing an Independent Consulting Business

Visionary Voices Speaker

May 19, 2021

ReEnvision 2021 HECA Virtual Conference

Felons, Cheaters and Varsity Blues: Working With the Hardest Cases

April 14, 2021

Trevor Ramos, Author of How To Get Free Money For College, Webinar

Getting Accepted To A Top Law School With Free Money

February 8, 2021

Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) Professional Development Institute

Legal Basics for Educational Consultants

June 15, 2020

Hyatt Regency Tech Center, Denver, CO

Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) Annual Conference

Felons, Cheaters and Varsity Blues: Working
With the Hardest Cases

June 16-17, 2020
Hyatt Regency Tech Center, Denver, CO

Union College Constructive Engagement Forum

Cheaters, Felons, and Title IX: Second Chances for the Hardest Cases

May 26, 2020

Union College, Schenectady, NY
Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) Spring Conference

The ABCs of JDs: Intro to Law School and Pre-Law Admission

May 14, 2020

Mohegan Sun Resort, Uncasville, CT

Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC) District Seminar

The Special Circumstances Essay

March 13, 2020

Lewis Universiity, Romeoville, IL

New Civil Liberties Alliance Lunch & Learn

The Title IX Travesty

March 11, 2020

Washington, DC

Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) 2020: Professional Members Retreat
Women Entrepreneurs: Charging What We Are Worth 

January 14, 2020

Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort, Phoenix, AZ

Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) Fall Conference

Explain Fully: The Special Circumstances Essay
November 7, 2019

Marriott Marquis, Atlanta, GA

Gap Year Association Conference

The Gap Year and College After Crisis

October 21-23, 2019

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC