Posts by Dave Bergman:

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 Oklahoma City a Good Place for College Admissions?

Posted on: 08 Oct 2025

Oklahoma City does not carry the same brand-name pull as Boston or the Bay Area. That does not mean its students are at a disadvantage. Families across the metro are increasingly asking a sharper question: does this school actually prepare a student for selective admission? The honest answer depends heavily on which district, and which […]

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 […]

The Planned Advantage: How to Get into Top Colleges from Irvine, California

Posted on: 03 Oct 2025

Irvine did not grow by accident. The Irvine Company drew a master plan decades ago, and the villages, greenbelts, and school boundaries still follow it today. For a college applicant, that same instinct is worth borrowing. The strongest Irvine applications come from students who choose a focus early and build toward it with real deliberateness. […]

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. […]

Case Study: How One Irvine, CA Student Earned Admission to Selective Colleges

Posted on: 30 Sep 2025

The Competitive Landscape in Irvine, California Irvine sits at the center of one of Orange County’s most academically saturated pockets. The Irvine Unified School District includes Portola High School, University High School, Northwood High School, Woodbridge High School, and Irvine High School, which all rank within the top 5% of California’s roughly 2,600 public high […]

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 […]