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Best of Both Worlds: World Class Academics and World Class Music
Studying as an orchestral trombonist is not for the faint of heart. There are hundreds of things that require focus and attention: interpreting every mark in the part on the page just as the composer intended, coming in at precisely the right time, keeping one eye on the conductor while keeping your place in the…
Insider Tips for the week of September 9, 2023
Important financial aid info – College Inside Track’s Jay Benanav provides answers to important financial aid questions. Take a few minutes to read his advice. It’s not about the college, it’s about you – Lee Coffin encourages students to start with personal reflection in the college process. Every college offers a different answer to those…
“Enough” in the AP Curriculum Landscape
Written by CIT Consultant Susan Whalen As high school students begin the new school year, College Board officials have sounded new alarms about students who are “over-enrolled” in AP classes, as well as speaking directly to equity issues posed by high schools that “underserve” their students with feeble curriculum offerings for the potentially college-bound. At …
Dr. Heather McCowen on Creating Successful Fine Arts Applications
Heather, let’s get to the Big Question first. Clients who come to College Inside Track wanting to pursue fine arts degrees always want to know, which degree should I pursue? The BFA or the BA degree in Fine Arts? Let’s start with discussing which majors the BFA may possibly cover. Typically, the Bachelor of Fine…
Jay Benanav Q&A: Imminent Financial Aid Tasks & the 2023-2024 FA Landscape
Q: Jay, what is new and reportable in the 2023-2024 financial aid landscape? What have we learned in the last application cycle? The later you complete and submit your forms, the longer you wait to get your financial aid award. Schools are expecting them much earlier than they used to. If a school requires the…
Insider Tips for the week of August 5, 2023
College admission zombies – ideas that need to die – Brennan Bernard addresses assumptions or untruths about college admissions that refuse to die. He addresses misconceptions about well-rounded applicants, testing, diversity and rankings. Well worth the read for any college-bound family. How to speak to a college admissions rep – As the primary ambassadors to prospective students throughout the application…
5 things most families don’t know about before taking out student loans, but should
1 $31,000 is the maximum amount dependent undergrad students can borrow in federal direct student loans. Annual limits are: $5,500 in year 1 $6,500 in year 2 and $7,500 each subsequent year until the $31,000 overall limit is reached 2 You must complete the FAFSA to access the Federal Direct Student Loans and the Parent…
6 Questions You Need to Ask on Your Next College Tour
Chirping birds, beautiful old buildings covered in ivy, large century trees and an eager student chatting and walking backward. This is what many of us experience during our kid’s college tours. I’ve been on many, many tours during the searches for my kids and in addition to the painted picture here, I noticed one other…
Insider Tips for the week of July 15, 2023
4 guidelines for student loan debt – After the recent Supreme Court ruling and subsequent debate on student loan debt, we thought it would be helpful to provide a perspective that isn’t discussed nearly as much – reducing loan debt on the front end. Check out the 4 key guidelines for student loan debt that we use. College sports you…
4 guidelines for taking on student loan debt
Identify the average starting salary for the field the student is planning to go into, and the family should not have any more than that number in total education loans. Considering a school that would leave you with $35,000 debt for an undergraduate electrical engineering degree? That would pass the test for an acceptable amount…