Insider Tips for the week of January 6, 2024

New FAFSA live – The overhauled FAFSA form for students attending college in Fall 2024 is now live, although this is during a “soft launch” period where the website may intermittently be down for updates. Check out our article to learn more. College admission is about celebration – Rick Clark encourages students to celebrate the applications they’ve submitted and all…

Read More

Insider tips for the week of September 5, 2022

Scholarship reduction – The dirty little college secret – CIT’s Chris Wills explains how scholarships your student wins can actually result in a scholarship reduction elsewhere. The Parent Plus Loan: Pros, Cons, and Sneaky Financial Aid Offers – CIT’s Cozy Wittman lays out the pros, cons, and some caveats related to this loan. How might…

Read More

Insider tips for the week of October 4, 2021

campus visit

  10 things to know about getting into your dream college – Eric Hoover shares 10 takeaways from his hundreds of interviews with admission deans. Our favorites: Express your authentic self, don’t take rejection personally because admissions officers aren’t looking for students that just fit one description, and colleges want to be your first choice.…

Read More

Insider Tips for the week of July 6, 2020

College Inside Track student

  Understanding the new Common App COVID question – The Common App has added new, optional COVID-related writing sections for students and their school counselors to allow them to share with colleges and universities how they have been affected by the pandemic. Here’s what you need to know.   15 reasons to ignore college rankings…

Read More

Insider tips for the week of June 17, 2019

How to help your teen be college-ready – Being admitted to college doesn’t mean a student is ready for it. Check out this important read from the New York Times, which explains how parents can encourage kids to step up their levels of personal responsibility while still in high school. 5 people worth talking to…

Read More

Insider tips for the week of Jan. 7, 2019

The secret to finding what colleges want – NerdWallet’s Liz Weston explains that schools telegraph what they want in applicants in the form of data that is available online to anyone. Take a minute to scan her advice.   10 things college rankings won’t tell you – Although we all love lists to help us…

Read More

Insider tips for the week of Oct. 22, 2018

5 things parents need to know about prepping for the SAT or ACT – Grown and Flown has a helpful article covering both what you should know about standardized tests and how to find the best test prep for your child.   Don’t miss – Deadlines for merit aid may be earlier! – Many families…

Read More