Posts by Dave Bergman:

How Competitive Is College Admissions for Boise-Area Students?

Posted on: 19 Oct 2025

For families raising college-bound students in the Boise area, college admissions can feel deceptively straightforward. Idaho does not produce the sheer applicant volume of California, Texas, or the Northeast, yet Boise’s strongest students increasingly target selective national universities alongside regional flagships. The result is a landscape that is more competitive than many families expect—especially for […]

Public vs. Private in the Philadelphia Area: What Actually Matters for Selective College Admissions

Posted on: 17 Oct 2025

If you live in the Philadelphia suburbs, you already know that choosing the “right” high school can feel overwhelming. The region offers nationally recognized public districts such as Radnor, Lower Merion, Tredyffrin/Easttown, Unionville, and Downingtown—alongside highly selective private and independent schools including The Haverford School, Episcopal Academy, Germantown Academy, Germantown Friends School, Baldwin, and George […]

Naples, Florida: A Gulf Coast Market with a Distinctive Academic Landscape

Posted on: 16 Oct 2025

If you are raising a college-bound student in Naples, you are operating in a distinctive market. Collier County draws affluent retirees and seasonal residents from across the Northeast. That demographic reality shapes school funding and family expectations alike. Naples is home to large comprehensive public high schools, a nationally ranked classical charter school, and a […]

College Admissions from Bentonville, AR: What Every Family Needs to Know

Posted on: 15 Oct 2025

Bentonville, Arkansas, has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past two decades. Once known almost exclusively as the headquarters of Walmart, it has evolved into one of the most dynamic small cities in the United States. Today it is home to world-class art institutions, a thriving startup ecosystem, a nationally ranked school network, and a […]

How to Get Into San Diego State University (SDSU): Acceptance Rate and Strategies

Posted on: 15 Oct 2025

For the incoming Class of 2029, San Diego State University received a record 94,000+ total first-year undergraduate applications. Applicants to this member of the California State University system campus, which was once primarily the target of local residents, hail from all 50 states and 100+ countries.. This is a testament to how much SDSU has […]

Hamilton County’s High School Landscape: A Market of Small Districts and One Large Exception

Posted on: 10 Oct 2025

Families raising college-bound students in Hamilton County, Ohio are navigating a fragmented secondary-school market. In fact, Greater Cincinnati is not organized around one dominant district. Instead, small municipal districts sit alongside the much larger Cincinnati Public Schools system, and each environment shapes a transcript differently. The county is also home to a deep bench of […]

Rochester and Its Suburbs: A Surprisingly Strong Launchpad for Selective College Admissions

Posted on: 09 Oct 2025

Rochester, New York does not always come to mind when families think about college admissions powerhouses. However, the greater Rochester area offers a combination of strong suburban high schools, world-class research institutions, and genuinely rare experiential opportunities that is difficult to match anywhere else in upstate New York. Moreover, students here compete in a regional […]

Is Boise a Good Place for College Admissions?

Posted on: 07 Oct 2025

Boise has been one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country for a decade now. Its high schools have grown right along with it. Families moving into the Treasure Valley often ask a version of the same question. Is Boise a good place for college admissions, or does a smaller western capital struggle to […]