College Admissions Consultant (720) 279-7577 | jamie@greatcollegeadvice.com
College Admissions Coach Jamie Berger
… my Facebook professional page. I’m not much of a user of the platform any nore, but it’s where people seem to see the posts Thanks!
https://www.facebook.com/jamiebergeracademiccoach
(It won’t let me change that quite old name to jamiebergeriec for some reason)
You may find me repeating a mantra as of late:
***There's no such thing as a Top-10 (or 20 or 30 ...) college.***
I'll go into my own reasoning for that more later. For now, let's start with this article.
***
Affirmative action as law may be dead, but as practice, might have gained more life than it's had in some time.
"The University of Massachusetts at Amherst introduced a new supplemental essay that begins, “At UMass Amherst, no two students are alike.”
The prompt goes on to discuss the ways “our communities and groups often define us and shape our individual worlds,” noting that “community” covers a wide range of characteristics—including “race/ethnicity.” Then it asks students to “Please choose one of your communities or groups and describe its significance. Explain how, as a product of this community or group, you would enrich our campus.”"
***
Resource: Try Fairtest to find Test-optional Colleges.
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Visiting Alma Mater last spring. Not sure why I’m looking so serious, nor why I was wearing that old, corded headset, but it was a lovely evening, brimming with nostalgia for days sitting on those steps a million years ago.
Yes, it’s from Yale, but it’s full of helpful tips. Scroll to the bottom, Episode 35, but also check out any that strike you: Inside The Yale Admissions Office Podcast.
***
Here’s an another interesting list of colleges you might not have considered (google also, “Colleges That Change Lives”) - I’m not familiar with these Raptor folks, but it’s a very interesting list: College Raptor Hidden Gems 2024.
***
Important to reiterate every year: if money is an issue, think long and hard and do your research before applying ED! It restricts you to the aid offer of only one school. I find too many families aren’t giving this nearly enough thought.
This is Mink, focusing on her college admissions goals!
Here’s a short rant about a recent New York Times podcast episode that asks “Is College Worth It?” in which the only “worth” measured is monetary.
An extremely narrow definition of "worth" from the NYT
Here’s a short Insta video on why you might want to ignore the current trend among college admissions folk advising applicants to ignore the Common App Prompts and just write:
DO read the Common App Prompts!
I’m going to keep this short. I’m glad the Times is using its might to call this issue to attention and introducing data to back the obvious up, but I don’t quite get why this has remained The Big Story for more than a few hours, let alone a week - is there anyone who didn’t already think this was clearly the case? Don’t get me wrong, I’ve listened to good podcast discussions and read interesting follow-ups, but, seriously? We all saw that the Emperor was not only naked, but getting into Dartmouth at a ridiculous rate, right?
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/07/24/upshot/ivy-league-elite-college-admissions.html
College bound high-schoolers and their parents should read this Frank Bruni article, twice (and try the "Build Your Own College Rankings" tool included with it). Heck, I'd even say print it and mark it up. Loaded with insight and information, and I'll let it speak for itself beyond that, for now.
Happy New Year, Everyone, from the Content Team at Jamie Berger Enterprises!
First off, here’s my annual note to parents of high-school juniors:
With or without the help of someone like me, ***NOW*** is the time to start
- putting together a college list
- planning visits
- deciding which or whether to take SAT/ACT and signing up
and even
- taking a look at the Common Application essay prompts to start pondering/brainstorming
***
The other day I found myself listening to a radio show/podcast I don’t usually follow, Hidden Brain. The episode was called “What Do You Want to Be?” (here’s a link to the episode page, and/but you can find it on your usual podcast app) and it covers a lot of issues and situations that come into play in college admissions counseling.
Perhaps the most challenging part of helping families make their way through the winding, if not tortuous, path of college selection is helping everyone get on the same page. Students have expectations and dreams, of course, but so do parents, extended family and friends, and even high schools. (The year that I was a junior in high school, the valedictorian gravely disappointed our school’s administration by choosing to head out west to Reed College, turning down Harvard!!!).
Helping all of the involved parties understand each other and get on the same page is a huge part of my job, and one I’m proudest of helping facilitate. Sometimes that takes compromising by both parents and applicants, every once in a while including applying to almost polar opposite programs (music conservatory vs. pre-med comes to mind as one example in my experience) and waiting to see what the options will be come springtime. While I have had one parent openly dissatisfied with my overall work in the end (really, just one), I haven’t ended up with a single situation in which I wasn’t able to help everyone understand/hear each other, help a family come together and work out what is best for all, primarily the applicant but, in the end, for all.
Part of deciding where to go to college involves helping young people decide what direction they want to head, I’d say not so much “what” they want to be, but “who” they want to be. I wish this were a process that started much earlier than junior year of high school, but it usually isn’t. Young people are pulled one way and the other, but are rarely actively encouraged to figure out what they want, independently and incrementally. The podcast episode I mentioned addresses just that, and much more, for humans of all ages - give the episode a listen, it will inform your process!
Onward!
I'm always of more than two minds about standardized testing, but when I find myself disagreeing with many friends and family members who revile testing (and seemingly with my own often left-of-social-liberal politics in defending this very flawed status quo), it's in large because of this (and see link at bottom for full Times piece):
"Consider that good grades from a struggling public school in Mississippi could be discounted by admissions officers and scholarship committees compared with good grades coming from an elite private or public magnet school that offers AP courses and an honors curriculum."
"These generalized, unfair distinctions, which are often a result of socioeconomic biases, can often be overcome by the counterweight of strong standardized test scores from students in public schools perceived as middling or underperforming."
"The tests are, yes, an imperfect counterweight — with their own historical bias toward white normativity, among other issues. But grades and standardized test scores are two of the only remotely “objective” measures of performance that our brilliant pupils of all backgrounds have."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/01/opinion/coronavirus-test-optional-sat.html
Parents and juniors in high school, Don't let the March and May test date cancellations get you down or cause you undue anxiety. More testing dates will be offered, and/but even if they aren't, the playing field is level - you can't take the test that extra time, but neither can anyone else. We all have bigger things to worry about right now. Got some extra down time? Order the Official Guide to either test *today* and take practice sections! And, of course, if you want some remote tutoring, like everyone else, I'm at home and available to work with you online.
Here’s a Washington Post article about the cancellations:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/03/16/much-act-sat-college-entrance-testing-halted-because-coronavirus/
This lovely testimonial that appeared on my Facebook business page brightened up a very gray Friday ‘round these parts!
“Jamie is fantastic. He has helped two of my kids through the college application process (one more to go, Jamie!), and as a parent I will say, I might not have survived the process without him. SAT prep, help with and insights into writing college essays, figuring out how to find the right schools to apply to and how to organize it all - Jamie was there to help with everything. He was truly invaluable to my kids and me in this process. Thank you for being so awesome, Jamie!”
-Petra S., Greenfield, MA
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jamieberger9_bookquotes-writers-authors-activity-6628112955311439872-wIDY
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/merit-shmerit-satact-word-we-need-reconsider-jamie-berger/
Quickie on a couple of benefits of online tutoring/coaching vs in person work.
Hello All,
Two quickies or I’ll never get this post out!
1.
SAT Kills “Adversity Score”
I never posted or commented on this about a month back when the news came out, but this is a very very good decision to rescind an incredibly bad one. One aspect the article doesn't really go into is how the stigma of one's "adversity score" would affect them, whether fellow students knew one's score or not.
Read the New York Times story about this SAT change.
***
.2.
ACT Big Changes
Students will now be able to retake individual sections of the ACT, and the test will be available online. Points of note:
“... taking an individual section would be cheaper, but they had not yet decided on a price.”
Oh, I'm guessing they have indeed decided on a price, and that, well, the test will become more convenient and improvable ... for those who can afford to take it multiple times.
Also, while the individual sections story is important, they kind of buried a second lede. That is, the ability to not only take the test online (which has been a *long* time coming) but also get it scored in days instead of weeks. That is a pretty huge change that also should “increase revenue for the organization” and convenience.
Online testing will also make it easy to offer last-minute registration. I'm guessing last-minute three-day play hooky cram courses are soon to follow, and that the folks in Princeton (at the College Board) will soon follow suit by offering all the same new features for the SAT.
Read the ACT story in the New York Times.
On a lighter note, it’s always nice to see the steps at Columbia (pic that accompanied the ACT article), on which, circa 1983 I may have missed a class or two whilst sitting with friends and my boombox.
The other day I saw this on Facebook. I think a teacher friend re-posted it from a teacher group page.
While the aesthetics of the piece don’t work for me at all, and while I don’t work with “children,” per se, but adolescents and young adults, the message is a great one for any educator, for anyone who works with other people, really, because aren’t we really all working with children every day in one way or the other? Anyway, I digress, the point is, I think this is something that’s important to remember when it feels like one isn’t reaching students.
The next day, on the Facebook page for my coaching and tutoring, a former student who, it seemed to me begrudgingly if not resentfully showed up (when she felt like it) at her appointed time once a week for three-plus years, posted a review that reads:
“Jamie is the coolest and most down-to-earth tutor I have ever had. He works with students (like myself) to not only help them advance their skills as writers but as well engages their interests as individuals. He knows that the kids he works with are smart, even though they may struggle to communicate that. The energy and perseverance he brings to those he tutors allow even the moodiest, and most unwilling students (by which I mean myself haha) to open up and bloom. He has a wonderful sense of humor, and clearly loves the work he does. He has been a truly wonderful presence and support in my academic career and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him!”
… which left me looking like this …
… that is, a tad emotional.
I guess the point is that, in this work, every now and then I get a wonderful reminder that it can sometimes be hard to tell when you’re reaching/helping someone, and of the good a patient, attentive coach can do.
Onward!