Posts by Susan Whalen
Congratulations to Luke Niesen, Oberlin College and Conservatory ’26!
Luke Niesen’s junior year started on what was by any measure, a spectacular note. He had won a prestigious scholarship from the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program to wholly support a year of study in Germany. It was a fantastic opportunity, and one that certainly pushed him outside of his comfort zone. A gifted musician, Luke…
Read MoreMeet Heidi King, Education and Partnerships, College Inside Track
Hello Heidi! You’ve been with College Inside Track team for about six months now, so: an admissions cycle. In your role on the College Inside Track Education and Partnership team you are in the thick of working with families who are searching for a consultant. What particular advantages can an admissions consulting team provide for…
Read MoreThe Parent Plus Loan: Pros, Cons, and Sneaky Financial Aid Offers
The Parent Plus Loan: Pros, Cons, and Sneaky Financial Aid Offers THREE MIN VIDEO. CIT’s Cozy Wittman lays out the pros, cons, and some caveats related to this loan. Parents: carefully examine how your college leverages the loan in your financial aid offer! What are the real numbers? If the Parent Plus Loan…
Read MoreMeet future Gopher Finn McCormick!
Article written by College Inside Track Consultant Tiffany Kolb When he was 8 years old, Finn McCormick could be found in the kitchen, baking items he would then load into his bike trailer and sell throughout the neighborhood. “Finn’s Bakery Bike” was the first of many ventures Finn would attempt. Finn’s mom, Flannery Delaney said…
Read More“When Should You Engage a College Admissions Consultant?” CIT’s Cozy Wittman with The College Financial Lady
CIT’s Cozy Wittman interview: “When Should You Engage A College Admissions Consultant?” When does starting early with a college admissions consultant make sense? For certain groups of students, in the land of college admissions the early bird most reliably catches the worm! An early start may be especially beneficial in terms of both ease of…
Read MoreTravelogue: CIT Consultant Tiffany Kolb Tours Butler University, March 2022
I visited Butler University in March. This time of year can be challenging in the Midwest; there is so much variation in the weather. You may be touring in snow, cold, sleet or rain, or any combination of these. That was not the case when I drove down to Indianapolis for a look at this…
Read MoreCongratulations to Sophia Behnke, Augustana College Class of ’26!
Congratulations to Sophia Behnke, Augustana College Class of ‘26! Augustana is a selective, private liberal arts college in Rock Island, Illinois. It sits on 115 hilly, wooded acres adjacent to the Mississippi River, and has a strong reputation for excellence in the creative arts. Remember Sophia’s name, because with world enough and time Sophia one…
Read MoreCongratulations to Sammy Ball, University of San Diego ’26!
Congratulations to Sammy Ball, University of San Diego ’26! Last May, if you had asked Orono High School student Sammy Ball if she imagined herself committing to the University of San Diego (USD) she would have said, “no way!!” In fact, she immediately rejected the school when her CIT college consultant recommended she take a…
Read MoreLD Best Practices: Finding the Right College Fit for Students with Learning Disabilities with CIT Consultant Paige Feldman
Hello Paige! You’ve worked for decades as an educator and educational consultant with students with learning disabilities. Is there a ‘best’ college for students with disabilities, and what are some best practices you employ when working on college lists with students with an LD? The question of whether there is a “best” college is a…
Read MoreTravelogue: Dr. Heather McCowen Tours Columbia College Chicago, March 2022
On a cold March morning in 2022, I decided I needed to be neighborly and visit Columbia College Chicago. I have been living amongst the many creative college students at Columbia as we are both located in the South Loop neighborhood of Chicago. I’ve heard their late-night Manifest Festival Concerts, seen their artwork in storefronts…
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