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Summer Job or Professional Job-Shadow? The Role of “Impact” and Why It Matters in Admissions

Article written by College Inside Track consultant Paige Feldman With the school year winding down, many students and parents are still fully immersed in that age-old conversation –what will you do with your summer break? In our continued effort to demystify and provide encouragement to students and families looking to make summer count, we want…

Congratulations to Rachel Reed, University of Findlay Class of 2026!

Congratulations to Rachel Reed, University of Findlay Class of 2026! The University of Findlay is a Christian college about an hour south of Toledo, which specializes in health professions and animal science. In addition to its 86-acre Main Campus, the University operates a 52-acre facility on the east side of Findlay, the James L. Child…

Congratulations to Julia Schowalter, Commonwealth Honors College, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Congratulations to Julia Schowalter, admitted to the Commonwealth Honors College at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the largest public university in New England. Julia will be studying political science in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Her consultant met Julia in September of her senior year. Full of ambition and ready to roll up…

Travelogue: CIT Consultant Tiffany Kolb Tours a Midwest Hidden Gem, Luther College

Travelogue: CIT Consultant Tiffany Kolb Tours a Midwest Hidden Gem, Luther College.  Luther College, located in Decorah, Iowa, is an undergraduate liberal arts college with 2,000 students. The campus sits in the rolling hills of rural Iowa. When I toured the campus, deer were strolling across the green, and they took no note of us,…

student looking through binoculars

Insider tips for the week of May 30, 2022

  ACT/SAT outlook – Bruce Reed of Compass Education Group shares his thoughts on how standardized tests will be used by colleges moving forward. He expects testing opportunities will rebound and while many schools are continuing policies and trials as test optional, having a test score when applying to more selective colleges may be an…

5 Nuggets of College Planning Wisdom

1 Choose a college that is a fit academically, socially AND financially. And a financial fit inherently means that neither the student nor the parents are over-borrowing (see #2). 2 Borrow an amount no greater than the average first-year salary in your chosen field. If total student loan debt is less than your starting salary,…

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…

Meet 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…

The Parent Plus Loan: Pros, Cons, and Sneaky Financial Aid Offers

  Check out this short video on the Parent Plus Loan, where 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 sits about 2.5 to…

Meet 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…