30 Years of experience helping students navigate college admissions and being the change agent in 3 different college admissions offices.

I’ve been involved in college admissions in some capacity since 1992, when I was asked by the Director of Admissions at the (now) Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University to call and congratulate the newly admitted students. I was “paid” in pizza and a free long-distance phone call home to my family in Tacoma, WA. (Don’t judge, back in the early 90’s it cost a lot of money to call home, ok, yeah, I’m old.)

The first 13 years of my career were spent on the college side, where I created enrollment marketing materials, conducted auditions, recruited students nationally and internationally, and managed multi-million-dollar financial aid budgets. In 2011, I switched sides to create the college advising program at The Chicago High School for the Arts, Chicago’s first public high school specializing in performing and visual arts. My independent consulting practice was born out of a desire to help more students (both in the arts and outside the arts) navigate the current college admissions landscape, including arts auditions and portfolios, and make the process manageable for students and families. In the fall of 2021, I became a full-time college consultant with College Inside Track. I’ve had the opportunity to work with families across the US, serving athletes, engineers, actors, musicians, visual artists, English majors, and a wide range of other professionals. I’m proud of the fact that I’ve been able to learn something awesome about every student I’ve worked with.

On Instagram and TikTok, I try to comment on college most days. Now, after 30 years in this field, I know I want students to be successful, parents to feel less stressed, and colleges to do things better and kinder. I estimate that I’ve worked with almost 2,000 families since I began this work officially in 1995. I’m particularly interested in sharing the interesting educational paths that people take on their college and career journey.

Contact: Connect with our team to receive free college advice and learn more by completing this contact form.

➤ LOCATION: Chicago, IL

☎ CONTACT: hmccowen@collegeinsidetrack.com

Areas of Expertise