AboutKeith Berman Expertise I can answer questions regarding any part of the college and graduate school application process, such as:
1.) What are colleges looking for in an essay? If I wrote on [a given topic], would that help or hurt me?
2.) Should I include a portfolio of music in an application? How should I do it?
3.) Does applying for financial aid affect my chances of admission?
4.) Should I get a recommendation from a sophomore year teacher as opposed to a junior year teacher? Why?
5.) How much does the SAT/ACT matter in the admissions process at [a given school]?
6.) What are my chances at [a given school]?
Experience 2005 - Present, President, Options for College, Inc. (www.optionsforcollege.com), New York, NY
- Have worked with approximately 500 families and students on the college and graduate school admissions process
- Have trained over 200 guidance counselors in NY, California, and India
- Quoted in US News and World Report's America's Best Colleges: 2009, Boston Magazine, Boston Globe, Yale Daily News, Harvard Crimson, Columbia Spectator, and others
- Have published various articles on topics related to college admissions
2004-5, Interviewer, Harvard Undergraduate Admissions Office
2001-3, New York City Teaching Fellow
2001, American Institutes for Research
- worked on issues related to developing the Voluntary National Test
2000, Interviewer, Yale Undergraduate Admissions Office
Organizations AICEP, NACAC, IECA
Publications Publication list available upon request. Most common sources are US Department of Education and Education Update.
Education/Credentials 2007 - Present, Certified Educational Planner, AICEP
2006 - Present, NACAC, Voting Member
2006 - Present, IECA, Voting Member
2006, C.A.S., Harvard Graduate School of Education
2005, Ed.M., Harvard Graduate School of Education
2003, M.S.Ed., Bank Street College of
2000, B.A., Yale University
Awards and Honors Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Grant (2006-7)
Received award/stipend for project entitled An Experimental Intervention: Assessing the Value of Personalized College Counseling for Low Income, High Merit Students. Award covers tuition. Project also received Mellon Foundation support.
Roy E. Larsen Award (2003-2004)
Received award that provides full tuition and fees plus a stipend to first-year doctoral students at Harvard Graduate School of Education in the field of research. Also received identical HGSE grant of same amount for the 2004-2005 school year.
New York City Teaching Fellowship (June 2001 - May 2003)
Selected participant in alternative certification and teacher recruitment program. Awarded $3,000 stipend and full tuition for an M.S.Ed. at Bank Street College of Education.
AmeriCorps (2002 and 2003)
Received two annual $4,725 educational awards for completing national service in education.
Past/Present Clients Yeshiva University HS for Boys, Rudolf Steiner School, Christian Unified Schools of San Diego, Merrill Lynch, NYU Family Life Center, Princeton Review ACS - India
Question I'm 13 at the time and I make straight A's,only for B's this year,I'm getting ready to go to high school and I am african american,Indian runs in my family but I am not Indian.But I want to go to medical school and I am low income.My mom doesn't work,not because she can't but she just chooses not to.My dad is old even though he has a lot of money,a lot,I just don't want to depend on him.I signed up for this program that helps pay for medical school but I don't want to depend on it fully.So how do I pay for college or medical school?Does this mean that I can't go to college or something?
By the way,I want to be a psychiatrist.
Answer Dear Corrina,
You CAN go to college. In fact, many top colleges are bending over backwards trying to find the Corrinas of the world, often referred to as 'low-income, high-talent' students, or something similar. There are massive recruiting events such as the Low Income Initiative at Harvard aimed directly at finding you! Colleges (although not Ivy League schools like Harvard, which give no merit aid) usually have a great deal of scholarship money for students whom they want to recruit for their academic ability, and you sound like you may very well be one of them.
Just as a note before I write more about financial aid -- now that you are 13, the difference (in terms of potential scholarship money) between A and B grades is magnified. Strive to continue to get all A's if you have it in you (it sounds like you do). A lot of students believe that A's with a few B's is the same as straight A's, but in reality, there are far, far fewer straight-A students, and they get first pick of scholarships typically. It is important for you to find support in your school in continuing to excel.
Your father's income will count towards your financial picture, so you should be frank with your family about your hopes and aspirations. I would also seriously suggest not worrying about being a temporary financial burden on your family -- it sounds like you have high aspirations, and it is likely your family will want to invest in them.
There are many, many ways to apply for financial aid when the time comes, and you should feel like, if you use the FAFSA and the CSS Profile, you will be presented with options in that regard. There are always loans you can take out as well if you feel you want to acquire some of the burden of tuition yourself -- again, I suggest turning to your family first.
Certain services, such as simply-college.com, charge a very nominal fee ($30) to give you a workplan to step through the next few years' process of need-based financial aid. I suggest getting a resource like that.
Corrina, I hope this is a good start. In short, you will have plenty of options if you continue to excel academically, and you can find scholarship offers through free resources like applyweb.com, or reach out to a scholarship finding service, when the time comes.
