Posts by Dave Bergman:

How to Get Into UC-San Diego: Admissions Data and Strategies

Posted on: 30 Oct 2025

Berkeley and UCLA used to be the two clear-cut crown jewels of the University of California system. While that remains the case in 2025, many other branch campuses have become highly selective universities in their own right, with an ever-increasing degree of admissions difficulty.  Perhaps unsurprisingly, UC-San Diego is the top example, as it is […]

How to Get Into UC Irvine: Admissions Data and Strategies

Posted on: 30 Oct 2025

In 1997, UC Irvine received 17,000 applications and admitted two-thirds of that group. By 2007, applications had more than doubled and the acceptance rate had fallen to 56%. Fast-forward to 2025, and over 124,000 individuals applied and under 30% were accepted. Need further proof of the school’s increased popularity? Ten years ago, the University of […]

From Carbon Valley to College: How Bakersfield Students Can Leverage Their Unique Location for Selective College Admissions

Posted on: 30 Oct 2025

Bakersfield is not a city that comes up often in conversations about elite college admissions. However, it should. Kern County sits at one of the most consequential environmental and economic crossroads in the United States: a place that produces 71% of California’s crude oil and, simultaneously, more renewable energy than any other county in the […]

How to Get Into the U.S. Air Force Academy: Acceptance Rate & Strategies

Posted on: 30 Oct 2025

Guided by the values of “Integrity First. Service Before Self. Excellence in All We Do,” the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is presently home to around 4,000 undergraduate students who receive four years of education valued at an estimated $416,000 completely free of charge. Surprisingly, the idea for this institution was first conceived just […]

Online College Review: Campbellsville University

Posted on: 29 Oct 2025

Campbellsville University holds a distinctive position among Christian online universities through its demonstrably low student debt outcomes. The university ranks #2 in Kentucky and #6 in the South for lowest student debt rate among private colleges and universities, with #42 ranking among all private institutions nationally and #104 overall. The 2018 graduates carried average debt […]

Case Study: How One Boston Student Earned Admission to Tufts, Northeastern, and WPI

Posted on: 27 Oct 2025

The Boston Competitive Landscape Boston’s college admissions landscape is unlike almost anywhere else in the country. The city’s own high schools reflect that intensity. Boston Latin School, founded in 1635, currently ranks first in Massachusetts and 46th nationally according to U.S. News & World Report. Its graduation rate sits at 98%, and 94% of students […]

Case Study: How One Montgomery County, Maryland Student Earned Admission to Rice University

Posted on: 26 Oct 2025

Meet Daniel, a student at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, a school known for administering more than 3,600 AP exams per year and producing one of the most competitive applicant pools in Maryland. In a community where high GPAs, rigorous course loads, and polished activities are standard, Daniel understood early on that simply being […]

Short Hills’ Hidden Curriculum: The Programs and Local Resources That Build a Competitive College Application

Posted on: 24 Oct 2025

Short Hills is a section of Millburn Township, a New Jersey suburb of roughly 21,000 residents. It sits 20 minutes from Manhattan by train. Students here already know the neighborhood advantages: strong schools, engaged families, and a direct line into a resource-rich city. Turning that geography into a genuinely competitive application, however, takes more than […]