Posts by Dave Bergman:

Georgia Tech Supplemental Essays 2025-26 – Prompts and Advice

Posted on: 18 Jun 2025

Georgia Tech has always been an excellent university where one could receive a top-notch educational experience. However, it was not always a highly selective institution on the admissions front. In fact, back in the days of the Clinton White House, Georgia Tech accepted over two-thirds of those who applied. In 2024, this is a school […]

Purdue Supplemental Essays 2025-26 – Prompts and Advice

Posted on: 06 Jun 2025

Purdue is a school where the non-scary acceptance rate figures are not truly indicative of just how competitive the admissions process actually is. This public land grant research university in Indiana is actually a draw for students from around the world—out-of-staters apply at four times the volume of Hoosier State residents. Highly renowned academic programs […]

College Admissions in Baton Rouge: What Louisiana’s Capital City Gets Right (and Where Students Need to Plan Ahead)

Posted on: 04 Jun 2025

Baton Rouge sits at a distinctive crossroads in American college admissions. It is home to LSU, one of the South’s flagship research universities. It is also home to Southern University, the flagship of the only HBCU system in the country. The East Baton Rouge Parish School System runs one of Louisiana’s most developed magnet networks. […]

Case Study: A Talented STEM Student from Fairfax County, VA, Seeks Direction

Posted on: 01 Jun 2025

When Arjun first came to College Transitions, he was performing well in McLean High School’s demanding academic environment. At a school where the mean SAT score is 1292 and AP and dual-enrollment access is expansive, standing out required more than a strong transcript. Arjun loved biology, chemistry, and calculus. He was fascinated by medical technology, […]

Public vs. Private in Montgomery County, MD: What Actually Matters for Selective College Admissions

Posted on: 11 May 2025

If you’re raising a student in Montgomery County, you already know: school decisions aren’t simple. The region is home to some of the highest-performing public high schools in the U.S., Walt Whitman, Winston Churchill, Wootton, Walter Johnson, Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Poolesville, Richard Montgomery, Montgomery Blair, among others, and a cluster of elite independent schools like Georgetown […]

College Admissions in Round Rock, TX: Silicon Hills, Strong Schools, and a Crowded Field

Posted on: 07 May 2025

Round Rock sits at a genuinely unusual intersection for college-bound students. It is the home of Dell Technologies’ global headquarters. It is also a bedroom community adjacent to one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. In one school year, a Round Rock ISD senior might intern at a Fortune 500 company and then drive […]

Public vs. Private in Houston: What Actually Matters for Selective College Admissions

Posted on: 03 May 2025

Choosing a high school in Greater Houston is rarely simple. With nationally recognized public schools across Fort Bend, Katy ISD, Conroe ISD, CFISD, Pearland, Clear Creek, and Spring Branch, and elite private options like St. John’s, Kinkaid, Awty International, Strake Jesuit, Episcopal, St. Agnes, Village, and John Cooper, families face an unusual challenge. There are […]

How to Write a Brag Sheet for College Recommendations

Posted on: 01 May 2025

Beginning in the spring of one’s junior year of high school, it is common for guidance counselors to send out a “brag sheet” form that will help guide their letter of recommendation. Sometimes this document is for the student to complete, other times it is for the parent/guardian—and, in some cases, there is a section […]