Profile: Hannah Wolff

Hannah Wolff

College & Career Center Specialist

Langley High School (VA)

How long have you been in admissions/college counseling? Share your journey story!

I have been college counseling for seven years in Fairfax County. I started at West Springfield High School, and transferred over to Langley four years ago.

How did you get started in college counseling/admissions?

Prior to moving to Virginia, I worked in New Hampshire as the Director of an early college awareness program for middle school students. Then I worked as a motivational speaker for a campaign working to increase teen aspiration rates in the state of Vermont. I traveled the entire state and met with over 9,000 students in grades 6-12. While I loved working with kids, I was never sure how much of an impact I was truly having on them, and I really wanted to pursue a job that allowed me to help students through the entire college process.

What's your favorite admissions/counseling memory?

I have several of them, but I think my favorite is working with a student late in his senior year, who had never really thought he was "college material". I helped him through the entire process, including studying for senior year mid-terms, as he was struggling with astronomy, a subject I know little about! He is currently in graduate school and already has a job secured after graduation.

What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue leadership (or membership) in PCACAC and/or NACAC?

Get involved! The networking and knowledge gained from being a part of PCACAC and NACAC make it easy to stay current in the world of college admissions. Attending conferences or drive-ins, volunteering for a committee, and utilizing the resources of PCACAC and NACAC will keep you feeling connected, supported and relevant.

If not working in admissions/college counseling, what else could you see yourself pursuing?

I have so many ideas, although I am not sure I would enjoy them quite as much as I do my current job. Something in the medical field I think, working with kids, or perhaps something working with rescued animals!

What's one thing that most people don't know about you?

I studied Radiation Therapy in college and I was an all New England saxaphone player (both of which were a LONG time ago)

What's a current trend or future issue you're passionate about right now? And why?

Trying to convince families and students that rankings are not equivalent to best fit schools! I don't know if I will ever win that battle, but if I can get families to look beyond the rankings to see how many amazing colleges are out there, then I may be doing something right!