Posts by Dave Bergman:

American University Supplemental Essay 2025-26 – Prompt and Advice

Posted on: 11 Aug 2025

Back in the ‘90s, American University had an acceptance rate of nearly 80%. In recent years, the acceptance rate has fallen as low as 26% and is typically between 40-60%. Test-optional for over a decade, this now highly selective university in Washington, DC, utilizes a truly holistic method of assessing candidates, which means that the […]

How to Get Into Brandeis University: Acceptance Rate & Strategies

Posted on: 11 Aug 2025

Less than 10 miles from Boston, Brandeis University is yet another high-end option in a geographical region teeming with elite schools. Founded by the American-Jewish community in 1948, this mid-sized private university is home to just over 3,500 undergrads. The Brandeis acceptance rate has fluctuated between 30% and 40% in recent years. The average admitted […]

How to Get Into Lehigh University: Acceptance Rate and Strategies

Posted on: 11 Aug 2025

Lehigh University, a top 50 school located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is home to 5,900 undergraduate students, the vast majority of whom line up to study within the top-flight engineering, business, biology, and computer science programs. At the same time, from an admissions standpoint, Lehigh is somewhat unique in its vacillating selectivity metrics and nonlinear acceptance […]

How to Get Into Columbia University: Acceptance Rate & Strategies

Posted on: 11 Aug 2025

As far as accomplishments go, getting into Columbia University in 2025-26 versus getting accepted a generation ago are wholly incomparable. In fact, it would be like equating climbing Mt. Everest to meandering up a modest hill. In fact, it only takes one quick glance at the historical Columbia acceptance rate to see that this analogy […]

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

Posted on: 08 Aug 2025

Families across the Birmingham metro area know that selective college admissions have grown more competitive every year. High-achieving students at schools like Homewood, Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills, Hoover, Spain Park, and Hewitt-Trussville often carry strong grades and heavy AP course loads. However, many still find themselves asking the same question: how does a strong student […]

Frisco, Texas Has More College-Ready Resources Than Most Families Realize

Posted on: 07 Aug 2025

Frisco sits at the center of one of the fastest-growing corporate corridors in the country. Today, many families still treat it primarily as a place with good schools and a thriving youth sports scene. That framing misses something important. Beneath Frisco’s identity as a fast-growing Dallas suburb is a dense, accessible network of programs and […]

Beyond the Beach: How Santa Barbara Students Can Build Standout College Applications

Posted on: 07 Aug 2025

Santa Barbara looks, from a distance, like a place where ambition takes a back seat to ocean views. That impression misses what actually sits inside city limits: a UC research campus, a global medical humanitarian headquarters, an internationally recognized film festival, and a natural history museum. For a motivated student, the raw material for a […]

How to Get Into Pomona College: Acceptance Rate & Strategies

Posted on: 05 Aug 2025

All of the member schools within the Claremont Consortium have excellent reputations, but Pomona College and its 1,766 brilliant undergrads edge out Claremont McKenna for the title of “Most Selective.” In fact, along with schools like Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore, and Bowdoin, Pomona College is one of the most revered liberal arts colleges in the United […]