Where Parents
Go to Learn
Subscribe for free to gain access to our premium College Insider resources and immediately receive "5 Myths of College Costs."
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…
Congratulations Connor Morrey, Carnegie Mellon Class of 2027!
Connor Morrey is a wonderful computer expert. He has strong opinions on college admission website servers and password security. He uses his knowledge to help his local library find discriminatory real estate deeds so that they can have them updated. He loves the science behind it all and he’s good at computers. He knows why…
Considering hiring a college consultant? Schedule a one-hour complimentary consult with one of our experts
Have you been thinking about hiring a consulting team to assist your family with the college search? Here’s what a few recent clients had to say about their experiences with College Inside Track and their consultants. Schedule a one-hour complimentary consult with one of our experts so you can get customized answers to your questions…
Congratulations to Sammi Francis, UC Santa Cruz Class of 2027!
CIT congratulates Sammi Francis, UC Santa Cruz Class of 2027! Sammi will enter UCSC as a marine biology major and in the College Scholars program! Santa Cruz is known as a public university like no other in California, combining the intimacy of a small liberal arts college with the depth and rigor of a major…