College Inside Track Alumni Newsletter – Sept 2024

  When you get the text “I don’t feel well…” – Scott Sager writes about the challenging moment parents of college students face of not being right around the corner anymore when your son or daughter is sick. Check out his 5 suggestions in the moment and 4 recommendations for the next time your student…

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Cozy Wittman on Wicked Pissah Podcast: Financial Strategies Driving the College Search

  Cozy Wittman, Wicked Pissah Podcast, Episode 118 College Inside Track’s Cozy Wittman offers a really fun, comprehensive discussion around the college search.  With strong advice for financial advisers, the podcast speaks to all listeners with a stake in the college search. When should families begin thinking about the college search?  When should the scholarship…

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Insider tips for the week of May 30, 2022

student looking through binoculars

  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…

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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,…

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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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VIDEO: HS Juniors! Three Things To Do NOW To Ensure Strong Teacher Rec Letters

Juniors have experienced online learning and cancelled or shortened extracurricular activities as a function of the pandemic.  Many report that they tell they hardly know the teachers who have taught them this year, and worry that their core teachers don’t know enough about them to write great letters of recommendation. Don’t despair!  CIT Consultant Robin…

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Jay Benanav Q and A: Your High School Senior and Imminent Financial Aid Tasks

money puzzle

  College Inside Track founder and nationally recognized college admissions financial aid expert Jay Benanav responds to a few of the moment’s most pressing financial aid issues, in this wide-ranging interview:  The need for conscious student responses to financial aid questions on college applications, how need- and merit based aid configure with financial form (FAFSA…

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