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About Us

As JHC has grown, I've been intentional about only expanding with people I trust. Bill and Lori are married — educators I've known for nearly 20 years, who stepped away from long careers in secondary schools and college administration to join this work. Susan brings over 20 years of college counseling experience and a depth of knowledge that is rare in this field. Together, we keep our rosters intentionally small, so every student receives a level of personalized attention that simply isn't possible at scale, and every student's work benefits from more than one set of expert eyes behind the scenes.

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Jackie Howard

Founder & Lead Consultant

Jackie is the strategic force behind every student's process at JHC. She oversees every student in the practice — setting the vision, guiding the process, and collaborating closely on essays across all cohorts — while keeping her own direct client load deliberately small. Every student who works with JHC benefits from Jackie's involvement, whether or not they're working with her directly. A writing teacher and expert essay coach, she reviews all student essays with their essay coach and shapes each student's application narrative.

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Bill Sneed

College Essay Coach

Bill brings over 30 years of experience working with teens and families in education. He helps students find their authentic voice, guiding them through brainstorming, drafting, and revision with patience and a gift for drawing out stories students did not know they had. He holds a degree in English from UT Austin and brings Montessori roots to his work with young people. Bill and Lori share students, and those whose focus is essays will spend the most time with Bill. He reviews essays across the JHC team, imparting his wisdom and insights to all student work at JHC.

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Lori Friedman

College Planning Consultant

Lori brings a long career in college administration to her work with students and families. She leads college list strategy and research, helping students identify schools that are the right academic and personal fit, and manages the full application timeline from start to finish. She researches summer programs, internships, community service, and enrichment opportunities to help students build a profile that reflects their interests and strengthens their applications. She shares students with Bill, and students working with JHC benefit from both their areas of expertise throughout the process.

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Susan Carlson

College Consultant

Susan brings over 20 years of college counseling experience to her work with students and families. Her background spans international schools, IB programs, and diverse student populations, including her time as Director of College Counseling at an international school in Seoul. She carries her own student cohort through the full college advising process and works with Jackie and Bill on essay review so every student benefits from multiple expert perspectives. Experienced and invested in each student's journey, she brings a vast network of college admissions officers and a rare breadth to the JHC team.

More About the Founder

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As a high school humanities teacher, I fell in love with teaching students to write their personal statements for college applications. I am passionate about providing one-on-one guidance to teens as they plan the next step in selecting their path in this world. My guidance assists young people in becoming more clear on who they are, what their dreams and goals are, and what paths might be the right fit for achieving those goals. 

 

Based in Austin, Texas, our private college counseling services aim to simplify the college application process for parents and high school students in the central Texas area and beyond. We serve families in all U.S. time zones and have some international students in Europe and South America. I grew up in an unconventional school setting (Montessori and Waldorf schools), which was formative in my creative thinking and love for education and lifelong learning. I always knew working with young people would be in my future, and after graduating from Kalamazoo College, I passionately jumped into teaching, educational leadership, and now helping families navigate the college application process.  

 

I spent 17 years directly in the education field as a teacher (elementary-aged through high school) as well as an instructional coach, where I mentored teachers in low-income schools. Part Colombian, and a Spanish-English bilingual educator, I received my Master’s Degree in Spanish Language from Universidad de Salamanca, Spain, and later, my Principal’s certificate from Lamar University, Texas. I continue to serve my community by coaching teachers at a low-income school in the Austin area part time.

My expertise in project management and inspiring high schoolers to lean into their passions and express themselves through their personal narrative writing successfully empowers students with the confidence to embark on their next chapter beyond high school!

On a Personal Note

In 2018–2019, I took a gap year from my teaching career to thru-hike both the Appalachian Trail (a 5-month endeavor) and the Colorado Trail, as well as manage an athlete’s 75-day Transcontinental run. I have continued exploring my limits and learning about myself through ultra-running and ultra-adventuring and have set 3 Fastest Known Time records on various trails.

 

My passions outside of the education realm are: running long distances (like really long sometimes!), rock climbing, cycling, dancing, vegan cooking, creative projects, and connecting with my community.

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