Posts by Susan Whalen
Pick One! Project-based Applicant Development
College Inside Track consultant Greta Van Ochten discusses the work of Pick One, College Inside Track’s project-based client development program. Pick One kicks off this week with a client webinar, for students in 9th through 12 grade. Tell me about the CIT Pick One program. College applications are increasingly asking questions related to…
Read MoreDeferred at your Highly Selective School, Encouraged to Choose Early Decision II? Here’s What To Do
Deferred at your highly selective school, with an option to choose Early Decision II? Here’s what you need to know. Colleges have seen record numbers of qualified applicants during the 2020/2021 application cycle, upwards of 25% at many Highly/Most Selective Colleges. Admissions officers have speculated a number of reasons for this much higher rate of…
Read More1.5 MIN VIDEO: “Why Was I Deferred, and What Do I Do About It?”
The admissions landscape for seniors now includes a record number of deferrals. “Colleges defer for one of two reasons,” says CIT Consultant Lessa Scherrer. “Either they need more information, or they’re not sure you’ll enroll.” Watch this quick video for best strategies for dealing successfully with your deferral. “Why Was I Deferred, and What Do…
Read More“Uh oh!! I have to put my deposit (for X) down NOW at a college?!” Liar Liar #3
Q: “I have to put my deposit down NOW at a college, or we’re going to lose our chance at the best (dorm room, parking spot, first year courses …) A: CIT Consultant Suzy Fallon’s advice to parents who are feeling the pressure to put down money NOW: Resist the pressure! “If you’re even remotely…
Read More“Liar Liar Pants on Fire!” Kids Who Major in Liberal Arts Don’t Make Any Money
In our new “Liar Liar Pants on Fire” series, CIT consultants debunk some of the claims we’re hearing about college admissions. Here’s Liar Liar Claim#2! Fiction: If my kid majors in the Liberal Arts, he or she won’t make any money Truth: “Some surveys show that philosophy majors perform better on average than most of their…
Read MoreLiar Liar Pants on Fire
At this point in the application year, we’ve all heard the enthusiastic, hyperbolic college admissions claims made by a friend, friends of friends, friends of children, the person at the grocery store. In our new “Liar Liar Pants on Fire” series, CIT consultants debunk some of the claims we’re hearing about college admissions. We…
Read MoreCIT Founder Jay Benanav: Reporting Annuities on the FAFSA and CSS Profile
Do annuities count on the FAFSA & CSS Profile? It depends, says college money expert Jay Benanav. “Qualified” annuities do not get reported on the FAFSA but do get reported on the CSS. However, “nonqualified” annuities DO get reported on the FAFSA as well as the CSS. This raises the question: What is the difference…
Read MoreTest Optional or Not? A Q and A with CIT College Testing Policies Whiz Tiffany Kolb: What You Need To Know Right Now About College Applications and Test Optional Policies
Should your senior apply to a particular college ticking the Test Optional box? In this interview, CIT Consultant and testing policies whiz Tiffany Kolb addresses college testing policies and family choices around test optional admissions — including possible impacts on Early Action or Early Decision applications and merit aid Q: Under…
Read MoreCIT 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…
Read MoreJay Benanav Q and A: Your High School Senior and Imminent Financial Aid Tasks
College Inside Track founder and nationally recognized college admissions financial aid expert Jay Benanav responds to a few of the moment’s most pressing financial aid issues, in this wide-ranging interview: The need for conscious student responses to financial aid questions on college applications, how need- and merit based aid configure with financial form (FAFSA…
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