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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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Congratulations 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…

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Congratulations 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…

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Travelogue: 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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Insider tips for the week of May 2, 2022

mom and son in car

  Top tips for AP success – The folks at Compass Education Group have put together a handy one-stop resource with information about AP exams and prep, as well as an examination of the role APs play in college admission.    3 things to do now for strong HS recommendation letters – Students have experienced…

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