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Insider Tips for the week of November 7, 2026
Choice of major and ROI – How does choice of major impact return on investment for a particular college? CIT’s Cozy Wittman sets forth guideposts for you to consider while planning financially for college. College admission is about celebration – Rick Clark encourages students to celebrate the applications they’ve submitted and all the hard work…
CIT Merit Money Expert Suzy Fallon Q + A: What Every Family Should Do Right Now to Maximize Offers
CIT consultant and merit aid specialist Suzy Fallon Q + A: The hands-down best source of merit scholarships, the long arc of the merit scholarship process during the application year, and what every family must do right now to maximize merit offers ————————————————————————— Q: Families are as concerned as they ever have been about paying…
Scholarship reduction – The dirty little college secret
Would you ever consider a scenario where the scholarships your student won actually resulted in a scholarship reduction elsewhere? One of the students we work with, whom we’ll call Caitlyn, was a dream that every parent (and counselor) hopes for: kind, bright, studious and incredibly engaged in the college process. In addition to having nearly…
Cozy Wittman Q and A: The College Search Junior Year: Strategies Related to Debt
Do you have a high school junior in the house? Now is the time to nail down a concrete strategy related to college debt and the college search. CIT’s Cozy Wittman lays out the steps to an effective debt strategy and suggests a strong benchmark for debt. Why is junior year especially vital for families…
Insider Tips for the week of October 3, 2026
Expert tips on getting the most scholarships – Suzy Fallon from College Inside Track shares the secret sauce(opens in new tab) for how families can maximize scholarship dollars. Key takeaway: Each college has its own financial aid philosophy, and you want to find those that match with your student’s profile. Take a few minutes to…
Insider Tips for the week of September 5, 2026
Insider tips for building the college list (part two) – The College Inside Track Consulting Team shares more of their best tips for effectively building a strong college application list. College admission: 3 messages you need to hear – Rick Clark shares honest and direct facts about admission to selective colleges. Key takeaway: you cannot…
Key College Admission Trends
The college admissions landscape is shifting faster than ever. Whether your student is a rising sophomore, junior, or senior, understanding these trends now can make a meaningful difference in planning, preparation, and outcomes. Here are the 10 most important college admission trends from the most recent admissions cycle. At a Glance: The 10 College Admission…
Insider Tips for the week of August 1, 2026
7 Reasons to Ignore College Rankings – CIT’s Jay Benanav does a nice job of explaining why college rankings are meaningless and believes the fixation with them is a major reason for the tremendous stress and mental health issues that too many of these students experience. Take a few minutes to read and share with…
Insider Tips for the week of July 11, 2026
Capacity-constrained majors and the college list – CIT’s Anne Weber discusses problems posed by “capacity-constrained majors” and sets forth five possible pathways families may consider to beat this alarming trend when constructing the college list. Insider tips for building the college list (part one) – The College Inside Track Consulting Team shares some of their…
Insider Tips on the Successful College Tour, with CIT Consultant Lessa Scherrer
Hello Lessa! You’re our inside expert on all things related to the college tour. Many parents say to us, wow, the college tour was just not a big deal when I was applying to college. Why is it such a big deal now? What’s your response to those parents? Back in the day, students…