You've invested a lifetime of effort and achievement in school...now it's time to plan your future.

About Denise Karp, M.Ed.

After graduating with Honors in psychology and Spanish from Union College, Denise earned her Masters Degree in Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

In her early career as a school psychologist, she coordinated and counseled high school students in their college and transition plans. Denise has experience working with students with ADHD, anxiety and EF difficulties and understands the impact that it has not only on the student but the entire family. Denise has been a substitute teacher and volunteer in the Avon Public Schools, managed the Avon High School and Watkinson Tennis Teams and taught religious school in the Farmington Valley in Connecticut.

She launched Big Fish on Campus, LLC to help families navigate the current challenges of the college admissions process. Denise has worked with families who are applying to the most selective schools.

Denise approaches her job as a professional and also as an experienced parent of two college students: one a Lafayette College graduate in his third year at UF Law and the other a finance student finishing his senior year at Bentley University. Having been through the process, Denise understands the stress, timelines, decisions, and ever-changing requirements that affect the student and the family.

She supports a philosophy that the goal is not “getting in” but “succeeding” once there. The process is educational and is designed to prepare the student for college. Denise strives to understand the world of the student to facilitate environments to support student success. She carefully and actively researches colleges to help her students find the “best fit” academically, socially and financially. Students love working with Denise because of her ability to individually guide, prepare and create options for them to move through the process. Additionally, Denise keeps them on track with deadlines, maintains a very flexible schedule, and responds quickly to texts and emails.

As a Professional Member of IECA, Denise is a dedicated college advisor bound by the ethical standards of IECA where she initially received her training. Denise is skilled in assessment, observation, consultation, and editing and always uses creativity while working with her students and their families. She consults with college admission counselors and frequently participates in college visits and conferences to continue her professional development. Denise is knowledgeable about many specific college campus offerings. Often, she can connect families with students who attend those colleges to arrange a guided tour to offer help to a student in the college search process. Denise follows social media profiles of colleges and links of interest in higher education. She attends webinars and consults websites regularly.

Denise works virtually with students across the USA and offers in-person or virtual advising for clients in the Farmington Valley area of Connecticut. She lives in Avon with her husband, Jay, and their dog, Snickers. The family enjoys spending time in Florida, watching Netflix and solving escape room games.