Campus tours with Tiffany Kolb continue in Pittsburgh!

Pittsburgh’s unique feature is that it was built amidst the banks of three rivers, the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers. There is some elevation along the banks, which allows for layered city lights when the bridges and buildings are lit up at night – quite beautiful! Navigating the streets on our way to Carnegie Mellon…

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College Tours: Duquesne University and University of Pittsburgh

By CIT Consultant Tiffany Kolb Campus tours! Each year, a friend and I set out to explore 6-10 colleges by touring campuses, meeting with students, digging into special programs and exploring the cities surrounding them. This year, our tour started in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and ended in Cincinnati, Ohio. The first stop is Duquesne University, a…

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Congratulations to Jia Rydholm, American University Class of 2027!

CIT congratulates Jia Rydholm on her acceptance into American University’s Class of 2027! American is the home of the Women & Politics Institute, two topics about which Jia cares deeply. She has been accepted into the selective Politics, Policy, and Law Scholars Program, a rigorous, multidisciplinary three-year program. Within the PPL program, she will major…

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Insider Tips for the week of March 4, 2023

Understanding the college financial aid letter – College Inside Track’s Cozy Wittman was featured in the Journal of Financial Planning, discussing ways to create transparency for families in the college funding process and better understanding the college financial aid award letter. Cozy explains in detail the college financial aid award letter, tips after receiving it,…

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Understanding the College Financial Aid Award Letter

  College Inside Track’s Cozy Wittman was featured in the Journal of Financial Planning, discussing ways to create transparency for families in the college funding process and better understanding the college financial aid award letter. Cozy explains in detail the college financial aid award letter, tips after receiving it, elements of good and bad letters…

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The College Search x 4: Meet the Fallenstein Family!

College Inside Track values developing relationships with the families we work with. This is especially true for consultants who work closely with students and parents. So when CIT founder and consultant, Jay Benanav, received this Christmas card from a family, we couldn’t help but share their story. Julie Fallenstein knows a little about the stress…

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FAFSA changes

FAFSA changes passed by Congress

  The COVID relief bill passed at the end of 2020 also included some significant changes to the FAFSA. The changes go into effect for the 2024-25 school year. The FAFSA for that school year opens on October 1, 2023 and will use tax information from 2022. And because the FAFSA is completed each year…

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Congratulations to Ivy Mills, Northwestern University Class of 2027!

Congratulations to Ivy Mills, Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism’s class of 2027! Ivy is a soccer-playing future journalist whose smile and personality light up a room and zoom call. Ivy’s terrific personality and thoughtful way of looking at things made working with her a terrific experience. She’s also very dedicated, as one of her…

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What’s in a Name? Names and College Documents

This article is written by Heather McCowen, Ph.D., CIT Consultant. There are many reasons why students may not have all their naming ducks in a row. While working in both public schools and in independent consulting, I’ve encountered countless situations in which the sort of name issues have arisen that can cause the college admissions…

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Insider Tips for the week of February 4, 2023

How much does saving for college hurt your financial aid? – DIY College Rankings has put together a quick reference table to illustrate how much savings affect aid. The finding is that income has a substantially greater impact on financial aid than savings. Take a few minutes to learn how you qualify for financial aid.…

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