Posts by Dave Bergman:

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 […]

Public vs. Private in Mercer County: What Actually Matters for Selective College Admissions (2026 Guide)

Posted on: 05 Oct 2025

A clear, research-backed look at how Princeton, WW-P, Hopewell Valley, Lawrenceville, and Mercer County’s private schools compare and how families can make informed decisions. Families in Mercer County face a uniquely complicated school decision. With academically elite public districts including Princeton High School, WW-P North and South, Hopewell Valley, and Robbinsville and powerhouse independent schools […]

Top High Schools in Martha’s Vineyard, MA: How They Compare for College Admissions

Posted on: 02 Oct 2025

If you are raising a college-bound student on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, you are navigating one of the most distinctive and genuinely unusual secondary-school markets in the country. Unlike most communities served by this series, Martha’s Vineyard is a geographically isolated island accessible only by ferry or plane, approximately seven miles off the Cape Cod coast. […]

Is Martha’s Vineyard a Good Place for College Admissions?

Posted on: 29 Sep 2025

There are few places in New England quite like Martha’s Vineyard. The island’s natural beauty, tight-knit community, and surprisingly rich cultural life give students a backdrop that most mainland applicants will never experience. That distinctiveness is one of the most underappreciated admissions assets a Vineyard student has. However, it only works as an advantage if […]