Karin Dobbins Sherer

College Admissions Consultant She/Her/Hers

College Admissions Consultant

Former Admissions Officer Lewis & Clark College

My Background

I came to College Coach after working in college admissions at Lewis & Clark College for many years. I started my career there as an admissions counselor recruiting first-year students and evaluating applications from up and down the West Coast and across other parts of the U.S.. Over the years, I sought out opportunities to expand my knowledge and became involved in virtually all aspects of admissions, including the management of transfer recruitment and admission, coordinating the top academic scholarship selection process, and planning large visit programs, which gave me a good understanding of how important college visits are in the selection process and what students and families can do to make the best use of their time on campuses. As a member of the admissions committee, most recently as a senior associate dean of admissions, I read and made decisions on thousands of first-year and transfer applications, building a wealth of knowledge around the inside workings of college admissions.

I appreciate that the counselor kept our daughter on schedule… I also appreciate that the whole process was very "organic," not pushing her towards what everybody else thinks she should do but rather letting her discover what she wants and do it herself.

Parent of a Princeton University student

Why I Joined College Coach

The aspect I love most about my career in college admissions is connecting with students and families and helping them navigate the complex college search and application process. I made the decision to join College Coach so the part of admissions work that I have always most loved—helping students—would be the primary focus of my day-to-day work. After having my own rewarding and transformative college experience and building a career in higher education, I understand that college is about so much more than academic learning—it’s about growing and developing as a whole person. Guiding students along the path of finding the colleges that are the best fit for them to experience their own transformation is an honor.

Get to Know Me

My Education

Smith College Bachelor of Arts, Biology

I have worked with students interested in:

Accelerated medical - BS/MD
Art
Biochemistry
Business
Communication
Computer science
Data science
Economics
Engineering
Government
Honors programs
Humanities
International relations
Ivy league
Journalism
Large State Schools
Marine biology
Mathematics
Music
Nursing
Photography
Political science
Pre-dentistry
Pre-law
Pre-med
Pre-veterinary
Psychology
Religiously affiliated schools
Religious Studies/Theology
Research universities
Science
Small liberal arts colleges
Social Sciences
Teaching/education certification
Theater
Two year colleges
Visual and performing arts
Women's colleges

I have also worked with:

Athletes
First-generation students
Gap year students
Home schooled students
IB program
LGBTQIA+ students
Non-traditional students
Students with learning differences
Transfer students

Some of my favorite pastimes

My biography would be incomplete if I didn’t mention I closely follow the NFL and am a huge and loyal fan of the Seattle Seahawks. I love to read, and I usually listen to audiobooks on my daily runs. I love mysteries, suspense, and thrillers, especially if there’s an international component. I was recently gifted a French pastry cookbook and am slowing making my way through it, hoping to up my baking game. I will master pastry cream.

Interested?

Interested in learning more about how our college admissions counseling services can help your student succeed?

Call 877-402-6224 or complete the form for information on getting your student started with one of our experts.