Posts by Dave Bergman:

Case Study: How One Brookline Student Earned Admission to Selective Colleges

Posted on: 17 Sep 2025

Families in Brookline and the surrounding Greater Boston suburbs know that selective college admissions have never been more demanding. High-achieving students at schools like Brookline High, Newton South, Newton North, Needham, Wellesley, and Weston routinely present exceptional academic records. Many find themselves asking the same question: how does a strong student rise above a peer […]

How Competitive Is College Admissions for Triangle Students in 2025?

Posted on: 15 Sep 2025

What follows is a realistic look at why the Raleigh-Durham/Chapel Hill region has become one of the most academically intense admissions markets in the South, and how families can make sense of it. If you are raising a college-bound student in the Triangle, you have probably already noticed something: college admissions feels harder here. It […]

Is Boca Raton a Good Place for College Admissions?

Posted on: 15 Sep 2025

Boca Raton sits at an unusual intersection for college-bound families. A research university, a nationally ranked magnet high school, and a wide bench of AP-heavy private schools all share the same twenty square miles. However, that density brings its own pressure. So many strong students compete for the same handful of spots at selective colleges. […]

Top High Schools in the Albany, NY Area: How They Compare for College Admissions

Posted on: 15 Sep 2025

If you are raising a college-bound student in the Albany, New York area, you are navigating one of the most competitive secondary-school ecosystems in the Northeast. The region offers consistently top-ranked suburban public schools, the distinctive rigor of New York’s Regents exam system, and a strong bench of independent schools. Albany-area families have meaningful choices […]

Case Study: Meet Elias: A Curious, STEM-Leaning Student from Radnor High School

Posted on: 11 Sep 2025

When Elias first connected with College Transitions, he was a motivated Radnor junior with solid academics, broad STEM interests, and a tendency to spread himself thin. Like many students from high-performing schools, he had taken several APs and Honors classes and earned strong grades, but he hadn’t yet developed a clear admissions narrative. Radnor’s environment […]

Is Ann Arbor a Good Place for College Admissions?

Posted on: 11 Sep 2025

Ann Arbor, Michigan, occupies a genuinely unusual position in the college admissions landscape. It is home to one of the most selective public universities in the country, a deeply education-focused culture, and a cluster of high schools that consistently rank among Michigan’s finest. Families here tend to be well-informed about college admissions, and the local […]

Sarasota’s Labs, Studios, and Civic Doors: A Guide for Local Students

Posted on: 10 Sep 2025

Sarasota often gets marketed as a retirement destination and a beach town. That reputation, however, undersells what the city offers a motivated high schooler. Within a few miles of downtown, students can find a marine research institution with global reach. They can also find an art and design college with a genuine pre-college pipeline. In […]

Top High Schools in the Ann Arbor, MI Area: How They Compare for College Admissions

Posted on: 09 Sep 2025

If you are raising a college-bound student in the Ann Arbor, Michigan area, you are in one of the most academically competitive secondary-school markets in the Midwest. The shadow of the University of Michigan shapes everything here: the community’s educational expectations, the density of highly educated families, and the intensity with which Ann Arbor students […]