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 asked a question a while ago dealing with my enrollment into college, and you gave me a great answer, My GI bill will be put to good use at Harvard Extension School. My question is, after graduating with a bachelors degree, and I start applying to graduate schools, would they ignore my academic failures prior to HES, and look only at my GPA and achievements in attaining my bachelors degree, or will they delve deeper into my not so glorious past?
Answer Dear John,
I am glad that you looked into extension school programs, and found a good match for you. The answer to your question here is, in a word, 'yes.'
Graduate schools will not require anything of you in terms of high school scores, GPA's, attendance records, recommendations, etc. Even if you were your high school's valedictorian and had perfect SAT scores, that would be equally inappropriate for a graduate school resume, so, in essence, the slate is wiped clean for graduate school.
The real question, of course, is what you will try to achieve while at HES. My strong advice is to get to know the people in the career services office from the get-go to identify internship opportunities, many of which will open because of your military service. The Adult Education Center, which is right there across the street, also offers some nice practical courses, and you might want to explore the library system. If there are particular professors who interest you, you should certainly introduce yourself by e-mail and plan to meet them as well.
Beyond that, you will notice quickly how many fantastic restaurants are right around HES, and that you will feel right in the middle of things. Many grad students and extension school students live closer to Central Square, so if you are looking for an apartment, I'd start there.
