Alison Cotten, M.Ed., Educational Consultant
Born and raised in the Houston, Texas area, my first career aspiration was to become a rock star. My destiny, however, lay elsewhere, and I embarked on my own collegiate adventure to Texas Christian University.
As an undergraduate student I worked in the TCU admissions office where I fell in love with connecting with high school seniors to help them figure out the next chapter of their life stories. My first job out of college was teaching 12th grade English to prospective first generation college students. The rest, as they say, is history.
In 2003, I created The College Scout while working as a high school counselor and senior coordinator in Cy-Fair ISD. I saw an unmet need for families who wanted one-on-one help from an experienced college consultant in the Houston area to assist students throughout the entire college admissions process, from finding the right school, figuring out a college major, and receiving customized test preparation to navigating financial aid to pay for college. I wanted to provide highly individualized comprehensive college consulting, expertise and guidance for high school students and their families in the Cypress, TX area.
Getting to know (and love!) each student personally is my main area of emphasis, which greatly helps in finding a best college match in all areas - academically, socially, spiritually, and financially. Discovering how unique and amazing my students are and helping them share their life story with the colleges they hope to attend is definitely my favorite part of the job.
As an undergraduate student I worked in the TCU admissions office where I fell in love with connecting with high school seniors to help them figure out the next chapter of their life stories. My first job out of college was teaching 12th grade English to prospective first generation college students. The rest, as they say, is history.
In 2003, I created The College Scout while working as a high school counselor and senior coordinator in Cy-Fair ISD. I saw an unmet need for families who wanted one-on-one help from an experienced college consultant in the Houston area to assist students throughout the entire college admissions process, from finding the right school, figuring out a college major, and receiving customized test preparation to navigating financial aid to pay for college. I wanted to provide highly individualized comprehensive college consulting, expertise and guidance for high school students and their families in the Cypress, TX area.
Getting to know (and love!) each student personally is my main area of emphasis, which greatly helps in finding a best college match in all areas - academically, socially, spiritually, and financially. Discovering how unique and amazing my students are and helping them share their life story with the colleges they hope to attend is definitely my favorite part of the job.
WORK, WORK, WORK...
My experience in the world of higher education is broad, and my professional qualifications include:
My education is never "complete", and to stay abreast of dynamic national trends and issues in higher education, I regularly attend workshops and seminars offered by such nationally recognized organizations as the Harvard Institute on College Admissions, The College Board, The National Association of College Admissions Counselors, Independent Educational Consultants Association, and the Texas Counseling Association.
Continuous visitation of quality colleges and universities across the nation is a priority of mine, and I take on a small client caseload each year to give families maximum one-on-one attention, which is often difficult for public school counselors with student caseloads of 500 or more.
- Bachelor of Arts - English (with secondary teaching certification), Texas Christian University
- Masters of Education - Counseling, Texas Christian University
- College Professor of EDUC 1300, Freshman College Success Seminar
- Cy-Fair ISD Scholarship Website Coordinator
- High School Counselor in Cy-Fair ISD
- Senior Counseling Coordinator
- 12th Grade English Teacher
- Essay Scorer for the Writing section of the SAT
- Community College Academic Advisor
- Educational Researcher for TCU College of Education
- Member of the Higher Education Consultants Association, the Texas Association of College Admissions Counselors, and the National Association of College Admissions Counselors (past member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association and the Texas Counseling Association).
- Member of the College Counselor Advisory Panel for the The Fiske Guide To Colleges, The Fiske Guide to Getting Into the Right College, and Fiske Real College Essays That Work, a few of the nation's leading resources for college information, planning, and exploration.
My education is never "complete", and to stay abreast of dynamic national trends and issues in higher education, I regularly attend workshops and seminars offered by such nationally recognized organizations as the Harvard Institute on College Admissions, The College Board, The National Association of College Admissions Counselors, Independent Educational Consultants Association, and the Texas Counseling Association.
Continuous visitation of quality colleges and universities across the nation is a priority of mine, and I take on a small client caseload each year to give families maximum one-on-one attention, which is often difficult for public school counselors with student caseloads of 500 or more.
THE GOOD STUFF...
I am a proud mom to the two most mischievous, amazing, and craziest kids around. Though I am a devout TCU Horned Frog, I am married to a maroon bleeding Aggie and consider myself guilty by association. I am a movie fanatic, love spending time under the stars at the Frio River, enjoy eating dessert way too much, love God immensely, and may or may not still harbor dreams of becoming a rock star when I grow up. I look forward to learning your story!