Paying for College Night 2025
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Strategies for a smarter college search
Defining academic, social, and financial fit
Understanding FAFSA and financial aid assessment
Cost increases at flagship public universities
National student transfer rates and financial impact
Need-based aid vs. merit scholarships and loans
The CSS Profile vs. FAFSA
Parental and student asset assessment rates
Tips for filling out the FAFSA
Flexibly vs. inflexibly priced institutions
Selecting a college list and being a competitive applicant
The role of GPA and activity quality in admissions
Understanding early decision vs. early action
Impact of test-optional admissions and common app volume
Notable Quotes (2)
If you put all your eggs in that single basket, they have no reason to give you money. You've told them before you know your financial award that you're going to come.
Early Decision StrategyAdvising against Early Decision if a family cannot afford full tuition.
Today, the average student is applying to 43 schools. 43 is a crazy number. Do not let your student apply to 43 schools.
College Application ProcessCritiquing the modern trend of 'shotgun' application strategies.
People (1)
Cozy WhitmanRepresentative
Works with College Inside Track, advising families on college admissions for nearly 20 years.
Places Mentioned
University of MinnesotaUniversity of WisconsinUniversity of ConnecticutUC BerkeleyUNC Chapel HillUniversity of TexasUniversity of MichiganUniversity of ChicagoRice UniversityStanford UniversityDuke UniversityWestern MichiganSt. ThomasSt. Kate'sGustavusSt. OlafDrake UniversityCreighton UniversityQuinnipiac UniversityUniversity of Puget SoundBaylor UniversityUniversity of DallasLewis and Clark CollegeWake Forest UniversityUniversity of Virginia