Applying to College with a Problem on Your Record | Episode 012
Guest: Hanna Stotland
TIPS
TOP TIPS FROM THIS EPISODE
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Top Tip #5: Determine whether the issue will be shared with colleges. Talk to school officials. Will it appear on the transcript, in a counselor letter, or through third-party disclosure?
Top Tip #4: Share your story in a brief explanation essay. Provide context. Avoid blame. Explain what happened, reflect on growth, and help the reader understand why it won’t happen again.
Top Tip #3: Think of your application as offense and defense. Defense is where you explain the incident. Offense is where you show who you are beyond it.
Top Tip #2: Place your explanation where it makes the most sense—disciplinary section, Additional Information, or by contacting admissions directly.
Top Tip #1: If the issue is going to come out, you want colleges to hear it from you.
EPISODE
Summary
What happens when a student applies to college with a disciplinary issue, suspension, or other serious mark on their record?
In this episode of The College Talk Show, host Chris Bell speaks with Hanna Stotland, JD, an independent educational consultant who specializes in educational crisis management. Drawing on decades of experience—and her own unconventional path to higher education—Hanna explains how colleges evaluate applicants who have faced setbacks, and what students can do to move forward with honesty and confidence.
The conversation explores a wide range of situations, from common high school mistakes to major disciplinary and legal challenges. Hanna offers clear guidance on when and how to disclose an issue, where explanation essays belong in the application, and how students can take responsibility without over-explaining or assigning blame.
Most importantly, this episode emphasizes that a problem on a student’s record does not have to define their future. With the right strategy, reflection, and communication, many students can earn a second chance—and continue their education successfully.
GUEST
About The Guest
Hanna Stotland, JD is an independent educational consultant who specializes in educational crisis management, helping students navigate college admissions after academic, disciplinary, or personal setbacks. For more than two decades, she has worked with students facing a wide range of challenges—from common high school mistakes to serious disciplinary and legal situations—guiding them toward viable paths forward in higher education.
Hanna brings both professional expertise and personal perspective to her work. After leaving high school without graduating, she earned a GED, returned to college through a nontraditional path, and ultimately transferred to Harvard College. Her own experience shaped a career dedicated to helping students understand that setbacks do not have to define their futures.
Since 2013, Hanna has operated a solo consulting practice focused on crisis admissions and law school admissions. She is known for her direct, compassionate approach and for helping students communicate responsibility, growth, and readiness when addressing difficult parts of their academic record.
Learn more by searching for Hanna Stotland, JD, online.
Transcript
Episode: Applying to College with a Problem on Your Record
Guest: Hanna Stotland, JD
Host: Chris Bell
Opening Monologue
Chris Bell:
Some students have spotless records. Others… not so much. What happens if there’s a disciplinary mark, a suspension, or even something more serious?
Look—mistakes happen. Colleges don’t want perfection. They want growth and responsibility. The question isn’t did something go wrong? It’s what did you do next?
That’s what we’re talking about tonight: how colleges respond when applicants have a problem on their record—and what it takes to move forward.
Announcer Intro
It’s The College Talk Show.
Today’s theme: Applying to College with a Problem on Your Record.
With special guest Hanna Stotland, JD.
And now, here’s your host—Chris Bell.
Guest Introduction
Chris Bell:
Tonight we’re joined by Hanna Stotland, JD, an independent educational consultant specializing in educational crisis management. For over two decades, she’s helped students overcome academic and personal crises and continue their education—guiding them with her signature blend of candor, compassion, and strategy.
She’s always a delight to talk to, and I’m really glad she’s joining us tonight. Welcome to The College Talk Show, Hanna.
Hanna Stotland:
Thank you so much for having me.
Hanna’s Path to Crisis Admissions Work
Chris Bell:
You’ve built your practice around helping students after major setbacks. What drew you to this work—and what keeps you doing it?
Hanna Stotland:
This work really came to me. I flunked out of high school, got a GED, worked for a couple of years, and eventually found my way back to college—first through a small women’s college, then transferring to Harvard, Stanford, and Penn. I ultimately went to Harvard College.
While I was there, I worked in the admissions office and led campus tours. There’s a moment in the tour where you say, “And this is what brought me to Harvard.” I’d say, “I had straight Fs my last three semesters of high school. I’m not a high school graduate. I got here when I was 22.”
People did not expect that.
After almost every tour, someone would pull me aside and say, “You need to talk to my nephew—he just got out of rehab and wants to apply to college.”
Since 2013, I’ve been an independent educational consultant in my own solo practice, specializing in crisis management and law school admissions.
The Range of Student Situations
Chris Bell:
When I think of your work, I think about the range of stories you must see. Would you be willing to share a bit about that?
Hanna Stotland:
I see a very wide range. Some students are dealing with things completely outside their control—eating disorders, the death of a parent, or other crises that lead to drops in grades or even flunking out.
I also see very serious cases: students caught selling drugs, students accused of sexual misconduct—over 340 of those cases in the last ten years—students facing criminal charges like DUIs.
And then I also see more common high school issues: being asked to leave a boarding school for alcohol, being accused of using a phone during an exam. It really runs the gamut—from ordinary teenage mistakes to life-altering situations.
First Steps After a Disciplinary Issue
Chris Bell:
When a red flag shows up on a transcript or student record, what should students and families do?
Hanna Stotland:
First, make a strategy. Gather information. The idea of a “permanent record” means different things in different places—and it’s not one single thing.
Is something on the transcript? Is it in a counselor letter? Has it been expunged? Those are all different.
Talk to your school counselor or administrator. And if possible, speak with someone who specializes in this work—whether that’s someone like me or an education-focused attorney—to understand what the school’s statements actually mean.
Once you understand the landscape, the key is this: if the issue is going to come out, you want them to hear it from you.
How and Where to Disclose
Chris Bell:
How should students disclose something like this in the application?
Hanna Stotland:
I recommend not putting it in the personal statement. Think of the application as having offense and defense.
If a school asks about disciplinary history and a box appears, that’s where the explanation goes.
If they don’t ask, but you want to disclose—because it’s on your transcript or you’re worried about third-party disclosure—then the Additional Information section of the Common App is often the best place.
If there’s no space provided, contact the admissions office and ask how to submit a brief explanation essay on an important topic. They’ll usually direct you to your regional admissions reader.
What to Say—and What to Avoid
Chris Bell:
What should students focus on in that explanation?
Hanna Stotland:
First—what to avoid. Do not blame other people. Even if it really was someone else’s fault.
You’re not on a witness stand. You need to tell the truth, but you don’t need to tell the entire truth. It’s impossible to do that in 250 words anyway.
They don’t care what Brandon did. They care what you did.
Even if you disagree with the school’s decision, don’t attack the institution. You can say, “They found X. What happened from my perspective was Y.” Acknowledge the situation.
You must not plead guilty to things you didn’t do—but you must take responsibility for things you did do. Even when falsely accused, you can usually reflect on what opened the door to the situation.
What colleges want to know is:
Why should I believe this isn’t a pattern?
Why won’t this happen again if I admit you?
Second Chances and College Fit
Chris Bell:
Are some colleges more open to second chances than others?
Hanna Stotland:
Yes. At the most selective institutions, even a minor disciplinary issue can cost you an admission—and you’ll never know for sure.
But many colleges truly do holistic review. They evaluate students as whole people within real-world constraints.
And here’s something I really want students to hear:
There is nothing academic that can permanently end your education.
A school can say you can’t continue there. They cannot say you can’t continue elsewhere.
The two situations that genuinely limit options are long-term incarceration and sex-offender registration. Outside of that, if you give me a student who is healthy and ready to thrive, we can find a legitimate college where they can continue their education.
How to Find Hanna Stotland
Chris Bell:
If someone wants to get in touch with you, how can they find you?
Hanna Stotland:
If you Google my name—even if you spell it wrong—you’ll find me and my website.
Sponsor Message
This episode is brought to you by Bell College Consulting.
Visit bellcollegeconsulting.com to learn more.
Top Tips: Applying to College with a Problem on Your Record
Chris Bell:
Let’s wrap up with Top Tips.
Top Tip #5: Determine whether the issue will be shared with colleges. Talk to school officials. Will it appear on the transcript, in a counselor letter, or through third-party disclosure?
Top Tip #4: Share your story in a brief explanation essay. Provide context. Avoid blame. Explain what happened, reflect on growth, and help the reader understand why it won’t happen again.
Top Tip #3: Think of your application as offense and defense. Defense is where you explain the incident. Offense is where you show who you are beyond it.
Top Tip #2: Place your explanation where it makes the most sense—disciplinary section, Additional Information, or by contacting admissions directly.
Top Tip #1: If the issue is going to come out, you want colleges to hear it from you.
Closing
There you have it. Keep these tips in mind as you move forward with college applications when there’s a blemish on your record—they can make all the difference.
Thank you to Hanna Stotland for her expert insight.
And remember: College is Awesome.