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Call or email us for an initial consultation: (646) 378-7863, or info@optionsforcollege.com
OFC News and Press
Upcoming Events and Lectures
Check back with us here for upcoming events, including presentations and workshops.
To join our mailing list so you won't miss anything, just contact us at info@optionsforcollege.com.
Options for College News
Keith Berman keynote speaker at Fall 2011 Pathways to College events
Keith Berman at Irvington Public Library
OFC Night: September 15, 2011 Keith Berman at NYU: "Starting the College Search" Congratulations to the Class of 2015!
Options for College counselor workshop: NYC DOE Children First Network 308
Spring 2011 CTY College Prep course began March 14, 2011 Options for College teams up with the Possibility Project
Abby Kelly at the GVCC: Social media expert panel
Keith Berman presentation at CTY's Pathways to College: "Early Isn't Evil"
Educated Nation features Entoview
Keith Berman shares college interview tips on iaam.com Options for College announces beginART, a new way for artists to show their work to the world
Options for College releases Entoview College Edition
the first practice college interview iPhone app! Abby Kelly, Director of Projects, joins Ladies Who Launch
OFC presentation at Irvington Public Library: "College planning and application"
Congratulations to the Class of 2014!
Greenwich Village Chelsea Chamber of Commerce - Featured New Member
Rosen Publishing for Teen Health and Wellness - Expert Review Board
Options for College publishes Maximum Access, a training manual for guidance counselors
Options for College partners with Simply College:
Counselor training program for Rochester City School District
Keith Berman of Options for College named to Bank Street College Alumni Association Advisory Board
CTY College Prep by Options for College, in partnership with Family Academic Programs at the Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University
Congratulations to the Class of 2013!
OFC presentation at the Irvington Public Library: "College planning and application"
OFC presentation at Marist High School for the Archdiocese of Newark: Admissions and financial aid
OFC presentation at Merrill Lynch: "Where Should I Apply and How"
OFC presentation at NYU: "Get Ready for the College Search"
Congratulations to the Class of 2012!
Options for College returns to the Princeton Review, Delhi, to train the staff
OFC presentation at the Yale Club of New York City: "Where should I apply and how"
OFC at the Rudolf Steiner School in New York, NY : Providing expert student guidance
OFC at the Yeshiva University High School for Boys, New York, NY: Advising college counselors and students
OFC at The Princeton Review, Manya Group, Delhi : Training Academic Counseling Services staff on undergraduate and graduate admissions
OFC at the 2007 IECA Conference in Boston, MA
Congratulations to the Class of 2011! Results are in!
Options for College partners with need-based financial aid group, Simply College, LLC
First cohort of graduate students all get into their first choice!
American Institute of Certified Educational Planners certifies Keith Berman
Congratulations to the Class of 2010! Results are in!
Keith Berman for University Road Trips: "Choosing where to apply to college, and figuring out how to get in"
Options for College joins the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce
Options for College in the Press
Options for College featured in US News & World Report: America's Best Colleges, 2012
New York Daily News lists Keith Berman's presentation at NYU
"The Five Pet Peeves of the College Interviewer": Keith Berman article on iaam.com
Options for College featured in US News & World Report: America's Best Colleges, 2011
Chicago Tribune quotes Keith Berman in "College Search Can Start with Some Soul-Searching"
Options for College featured in US News & World Report: America's Best Colleges, 2010
"Writing a standout essay": Keith Berman published on K12Genie.com
"The very good news about college admissions": Keith Berman published on K12Genie.com
Options for College quoted in The River Journal
US News and World Report features Options for College in America's Best Colleges, 2009
Yale Daily News quotes Keith Berman: Differences among Yale, Harvard, and Princeton
"The College Admissions Process": Keith Berman published in Education Update
Harvard Crimson quotes Keith Berman
Columbia Spectator quotes Keith Berman: "The growth of the student" during college applications
Boston Magazine features Options for College: "The importance of a strong application"
"Preparing for the College Interview": Keith Berman published in Education Update
"Attention college guidance counselors": Putting the "counseling" back: Keith Berman published in Education Update
Upcoming Events and Lectures
Check back with us here for upcoming events, including presentations and workshops, or contact us at info@optionsforcollege.com to join our mailing list and be sure not to miss our next talk.
Options for College News
Keith Berman keynote speaker at Fall 2011 Pathways to College events
Options for College president Keith Berman was the keynote speaker at three Fall 2011 Pathways to College events organized by Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth.
Saturday, October 29, 2011, Columbia University
Sunday, October 30, MIT
Saturday, November 12, Wesleyan University
Options for College presents at Irvington Public Library, September 17th, 2011
On September 17th, 2011, Keith Berman presented on college admissions at the Irvington Public Library in Irvington, NY.
OFC Night: Thinking Back & Looking Forward
On September 15th, 2011, Options for College welcomed OFC students past, present, and future and their families for "OFC Night," an evening of presentations and discussion on making the most of life before, during, and after college. The evening included presentations from accomplished OFC alumni and members of our staff.
Keith Berman at NYU: "Starting the College Search", June 16, 2011
Keith gave a free talk on preparing for the college application process, and how to create a list of college options, at NYU's Kimmel Center on Thursday, June 16. The presentation was designed to provide general admissions information on how families and their children can begin to get themselves in a good position to apply to college, as well as how to create a list of college options that takes into account choosing schools based first on preferences and second on selectivity.
Options for College congratulates the Class of 2015!
Below is a list of the schools that accepted this year's cohort of OFC students. Stars* indicate where the students are planning to attend.
American, Babson, Bard, Barnard, Brown*, BU*, Carnegie Mellon*, Case Western, Chapman, Chicago*, Conn College*, Cornell, Dartmouth*, Drexel, Duke*, Eckerd*, Emory, FIT*, Florida (including the Honors
program), Franklin & Marshall, Georgetown, Goucher, Guilford, Hamilton, Harvard, Indiana, Lafayette, Loyola New Orleans, Marymount Manhattan, MIT, Northeastern, NYU (including Gallatin and Stern*),
Oberlin*, Penn (including the Huntsman Program* and Wharton*), Princeton, Rochester*, RPI, Skidmore*, SUNY Stony Brook, SUNY-Albany, SUNY-Binghamton, Tufts*, Tulane*, UC-Berkeley*, University of the Arts London*, U Miami, UNC Asheville, USC*, Vermont, Wash. U. (including Olin*), Wellesley, Wesleyan, Whittier, Yale*
Options for College counselor workshop: Children First Network 308
Options for College hosted a workshop for New York City Department of Education school counselors from CFN 308 on May 25, 2011. The workshop included a moderated discussion and a presentation on Finding Fit for the NYC DOE Student.
CTY College Prep begins its third year
Options for College has once again partnered with The Center for Talented Youth's Family Academic Programs and CTYOnline to bring students CTY College Prep, an online course that guides students through the college application and admissions process. The course began March 14, 2011.
Possibility Project
Options for College counselors have teamed up with the Possibility Project to provide guidance counseling for a group of its New York City students.
Abby Kelly at the Greenwich Village Chelsea Chamber of Commerce: Social Media expert panel
Abby Kelly was part of an expert panel on social media in business at a Greenwich Village Chelsea Chamber of Commerce meeting on February 11, 2011. She spoke to the group about Entoview College Edition, Options for College's iPhone app for helping students prepare for their college interviews.
Keith Berman at Pathways to College at Columbia: "Early Isn't Evil"
Keith Berman, Options for College president, spoke at CTY's Pathways to College program, hosted by Columbia University on December 18, 2010. The Pathways to College program is a day for students and their families to explore and learn about the college selection and application process. He gave a talk entitled "Early Isn't Evil", working to dispel the hyperbole-riddled mythology on early application and correct the inaccurate information that has permeated high school vernacular, especially in New York.
Educated Nation features Entoview
Educated Nation featured Entoview College Edition, our practice college interview iPhone/iPod app. Read the summary and then “save your stressed-out tweaker self” by downloading it yourself.
Keith Berman article: college interview tips
Keith Berman shared college interview tips from an insider's perspective in his article "The Five Pet Peeves of the College Interviewer" at www.iaam.com.
beginART
Options for College reated beginART, a new way for established artists, aspiring artists and students everywhere to share their work with the world through their own professional portfolio websites. Learn more at www.beginart.com.
Entoview College Edition
Options for College was pleased to announce the official release of Entoview College Edition, the very first iPhone/iPod app designed to help students ace that dreaded college interview, in December 2010. Learn more at www.entoview.com.
Ladies Who Launch
Abby Kelly, our Director of Projects, became a member of Ladies Who Launch, an organization that provides resources and connections for women in business. Find listings for Options for College (along with beginART and Entoview) on their site.
Keith Berman presentation at Irvington Public Library: "First steps of college planning and application"
Options for College returned to the Irvington Public Library on September 16th, 2010, for a presentation and Q&A on the first steps for college planning and application.
Options for College congratulates the Class of 2014!
Congratulations to the class of 2014! Our students were accepted to the following schools (stars* indicate where they decided to attend): Albany, Adelphi*, Bard*, Barnard*, Bennington, Bentley*, Binghamton, BU, Brandeis*, Brown*, Bryn Mawr*, Cal-Berkeley, CalTech*, Carnegie Mellon*, Chicago, Claremont McKenna, Colgate, Columbia*, Conn College*, Cornell, Dartmouth*, Emory & Henry, Goucher, Hampshire*, Harvard*, Ithaca, Lehigh, Maryland, Marymount, McDaniel, Miami*, Northwestern, NYU, Ohio Wesleyan, Penn (including Jerome Fisher*), Pitt, Pomona, Princeton*, Rochester, Sarah Lawrence*, Scripps, Smith*, Tufts, UCLA, UMass, Ursinus, Vermont, Wagner, Wash U., Yale*
Keith Berman named to Expert Review Board for Rosen Publishing
Keith Berman, CEP, was named to the Expert Review Board for Teen Health and Wellness, Rosen Publishing.
Options for College joins Greenwich Village Chelsea Chamber of Commerce
Options for College was a featured new member in the GVCCC newsletter in June, 2010. The GVCCC works with the local business community in the lower west side of Manhattan.
Options for College publication: Maximum Access, a training manual for guidance counselors
Options for College, Inc. released Maximum Access: A Guide to College Admissions Counseling, a book on college placement intended for an audience of guidance counselors.
Options for College teams up with Simply College to deliver training to guidance and college counselors in Rochester, NY
Options for College teamed up with financial aid experts Simply College to provide training on college access and placement through 2010 to the Rochester City Public Schools. This large-scale project covered the entire guidance staff as well as the parent community in order to best increase the upperclassmen’s options for college in New York’s third-largest city.
Keith Berman joins Bank Street College Alumni Association Advisory Board
After assembling an LinkedIn community of over 100 Bank Street alumni, Keith Berman, President of Options for College, was invited to join the BSCAA Advisory Board.
CTY College Prep by Options for College, Inc.
Options for College, Inc. was asked to run the first-ever CTY College Prep program by Family Academic Programs through CTY Online at Johns Hopkins University. This exciting collaboration represented not only a meaningful option for students all over the world applying to college, but a homecoming as well, as Options for College’s founder was both a CTY attendee and staff member!
Options for College congratulates the Class of 2013! OFC student results
Options for College is very proud of its class of 2013! 2013 saw an increase in interest in business school (whereas the Class of 2014 is full of artists!), including such programs as the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business at Penn, Wharton, the Freeman School at Tulane, and Babson College's entrepreneurship program, the list of matriculated students into business programs is diverse and exciting. Students decided to attend Colgate, Emory, Wesleyan, Lehigh, the University of Maryland, Mount Holyoke, Skidmore, George Washington, the University of Rochester, Sarah Lawrence, Boston University, Hofstra, and Vassar, among many others, and students received acceptances to all the Ivies, MIT, and Stanford as well. We could not be happier -- the future is very bright for all of you, and as a result, all of us!
Options for College presents at Irvington Public Library: "College Planning and Application"
On March 28th, Keith Berman of Options for College gave a talk on test preparation and college admissions at the Irvington Public Library in Irvington, NY.
Options for College presentation at Marist High School for the Archdiocese of Newark
On April 4th, Options for College conducted 90 minutes of a 3-hour session dedicated to college admissions and financial aid at Marist High School in Bayonne, NJ, for the Archdiocese of Newark.
Options for College presentation for the Parent Network at Merrill Lynch: "Where Should I Apply and How?"
On June 26th, Options for College presented a program entitled Where Should I Apply and How: A Look at the College Admissions Process at the World Financial Center for the Parents Network at Merrill Lynch. The presentation included both live and teleconferenced participants.
Options for College at NYU: "Get Ready for the College Search"
On June 12th, Options for College presented a program entitled Get Ready for the College Search to faculty parents at New York University. The one-hour presentation was conducted at the NYU Kimmel Center for University Life.
Congratulations to the class of 2012! OFC student results
Options for College congratulates all the students who successfully navigated the college admissions process! This year's wide variety of acceptances ranges greatly, from the Ivy League to small liberal arts programs, honors programs, and universities abroad, from elite scholarships such as the Presidential Scholarship at NYU and the Benton Scholars at Colgate, to strong state programs such as the University of Maryland and the Honors Program at the University of Delaware, to specialty programs such the College of Communication at BU and the Rhode Island School of Design. The list of schools this year is far too lengthy to list here, but the summary is clear: Options for College students indeed had many options, with more than 60 different schools accepting students this year, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in unsolicitied merit aid. Congratulations, Class of 2012! To see a full list of the school where Options for College students have been accepted over the last two years, click here.
Options for College returns to The Princeton Review, Delhi, to train the staff
Options for College returned to Delhi, India in 2008 to train another cohort of tutors and counselors at The Princeton Review, Delhi. The six-day duplicated the successful training in 2007 .
Options for College presentation at the Yale Club of New York City: "Where should I apply and how"
On May 22nd, 2008, Options for College presented the program entitled "Where should I apply, and how: a look at the college admissions process", at the Yale Club of New York City.
Options for College at the Rudolf Steiner School in New York, NY
Faced with the sudden departure of its college counselor, the Rudolf Steiner School, a New York City private high school in the tradition of Waldorf education, chose to work with Options for College to support its junior and senior classes for the 2007-8 school year. OFC worked with families and students on college choices, application decisions, and financial aid.
Options for College at the Yeshiva University High School for Boys, New York, NY
Options for College worked with Yeshiva University High School for Boys to help define the roles of the schools' college counselors through seminars, workshops, and weekly meetings for the 2007-8 school year. OFC also provided weekly meetings and monthly seminars for the YUHSB students.
OFC at The Princeton Review, Manya Group, Delhi : Training Academic Counseling Services staff on undergraduate and graduate admissions
From September 15th, through September 23rd, 2007, Options for College was in Delhi, India, training the tutoring and counseling staff of Academic Counseling Services of the Manya Group (the Indian franchisee of The Princeton Review). The six-day seminar covered topics that ranged from effective essay topics and writing to the best ways to match students to schools, all drawn from Options for College's comprehensive counseling approach. Video clips of the training are available.
OFC at the Independent Educational Consultants Association annual meeting: OFC student success is exceptional
This year's conference included dozens of colleges and universities, as well as presentations that ranged from creating art portfolios for the art application process to presentations from the colleges in Ohio, and everything in between. Despite the fact that many counselors referred to this year's college admissions with the term "bloodbath," Options for College students again exceeded expectations. See their results.
Congratulations to the Class of 2011! OFC student results
In addition to receiving over $500,000 in unsolicited merit scholarships, the Options for College Class of 2011 received an extremely impressive and varied list of acceptances that ranged from Honors Colleges and dual-degree programs to film programs and sports management schools. Students were accepted into the following colleges and universities: Boston University (including the Honors Program and the College of Communication), Carnegie Mellon University, Chapman University (including the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts), Columbia University, Cornell University, Drexel University (including the Drexel Scholars Program), Franklin and Marshall College, Georgetown University, Harvard University, Ithaca College, New York University, Rensselaear Polytechnic Institute, Syracuse University (including the Renee Crown Honors Program), University of California -- Berkeley, University of California -- San Diego (UCSD), University of Connecticut, University of Massachusetts -- Amherst, University of Michigan, University of Rochester, University of Pennsylvania (including the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology), University of Pittsburgh, University of Southern California, and the University of Wisconsin. Congratulations to everyone!
OFC partners with need-based financial aid group, Simply College, LLC
Although Options for College students have received a great deal of unsolicited scholarships over the last two years (over $800,000), the need for foresight and accuracy in the process of applying for need-based financial aid is also very important in the college planning process. OFC was pleased to begin its partnership with Simply College, LLC, which provides three levels of support (written, phone, and web-based) to families going through the process of looking, and applying, for financial aid. As an added strength of Simply College's approach, they provide their invaluable advice at only a nominal fee.
The first cohort of graduate school students working with OFC has a 100 percent success rate
Options for College is proud to announce that, in its first year working with graduate school students, our students got into all the schools to which they applied. These students' achievements are especially impressive given the programs which they will attend: The International Relations Programme at the London School of Economics (a 10.2% acceptance rate!), and the business schools at Columbia (17.2%) and Dartmouth/Tuck (20.3%). Please call to inquire about graduate school assistance at (646) 378-7863.
American Institute of Certified Educational Planners recognizes Keith Berman
Keith Berman was designated a Certified Educational Planner by the American Institute of Certified Educational Planners, a mark of distinction for counselors who meet the experience, educational, professional activity, and ethical standards of the AICEP, the only national certification organization for educational planners. The certification process involves lengthy application, reference, and examination phases. There are currently only 12 other CEP's in all of New York State, and about 200 nationally.
Congratulations to the Class of 2010! OFC student results
Options for College congratulates all the students who applied for 2010. We are happy to announce that each of our students got into at least one of their reach schools, and that our students received over $300,000 in unsolicited merit-based scholarship offers. Excerpts from reference letters are now being posted on the new testimonials page. Initial surveys indicate that students have been accepted into the following schools: Babson College, Boston University, Cambridge University (UK), Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Drexel University, Emerson College, Harvard University, Lehigh University, Northeastern University, Pratt Institute, Princeton University, Radford College, Roger Williams University, Stanford University, Susquehanna University, Swarthmore College, University of California -- Los Angeles (UCLA), University of California -- San Diego (UCSD), University of Miami, University of Rhode Island (URI), University of Pennsylvania (Wharton), University of Richmond, University of Southern California (USC), Williams College, Yale University, and York College of Pennsylvania. Congratulations again to everyone, and enjoy your final semester of high school!
Keith Berman for University Road Trips: “Choosing where to apply for college, and figuring out how to get in”
Keith Berman presented a talk entitled Choosing where to apply for college, and figuring out how to get in to students from the UK, Chicago, and New York on the April University Road Trips college tour that began in Westchester County in New York. The tour visited Amherst College, Boston College, Boston University, Brown University, Dartmouth College, Harvard College, Princeton University, Tufts University, Vassar College, Wesleyan University, and Yale University.
Options for College joins the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce
Options for College was welcomed into the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce in February at the Chamber’s bimonthly breakfast. The CCC is a non-profit organization that encourages community involvement, philanthropy, and development for its 1,400 members.
Options for College in the Press
US News & World Report features Options for College in its 2012 college rankings
Options for College is featured in the 2012 issue of this popular guide to US colleges.
Keith Berman presentation at NYU in the NY Daily News
The NY Daily News writes about Keith Berman's June 2011 presentation at NYU on "Starting the College Search".
"The Five Pet Peeves of the College Interviewer": Keith Berman article on iaam.com
Keith Berman writes about college interview "don'ts" from the perspective of the admissions office in this article on iaam.com.
US News & World Report features Options for College once again
Options for College's Keith Berman is quoted in the 2011 issue.
Keith Berman quoted in the Chicago Tribune
Read about what we call the "collection phase" in the Tribune article, College Search Can Start with Some Soul-Searching.
US News & World Report features Options for College for the second year in a row
Options for College is featured in the 2010 Edition of America's Best Colleges, as US News unveils its new rankings and college information to families and students. Keith Berman is quoted throughout the article, providing perspectives on the collection phase of the process, on shortlisting schools without being prohibitive about selectivity, on finding the right match, and many other topics. Click here to read the article as it appears online, or look at pp. 18 - 20 of the full print version guide, or pp. 50-54 of the subscription issue.
“Writing a standout essay”: Keith Berman article on k12genie.com
Keith Berman wrote an article providng his expert essay-writing advice on K12Genie.com. Read the article here.
"The very good news about college admissions": Keith Berman article on k12genie.com
Keith Berman wrote an article on positive trends that point away from packaging and anxiety, and towards growth and validation, on K12Genie.com. Read the article here.
River Journal quotes Options for College on issues surrounding the ACT
Options for College appeared in the River Journal on the question of whether or not to take the ACT. Click here to read the article.
US News features Options for College in America’s Best Colleges: 2009
Options for College is featured in the 2009 Edition of America's Best Colleges, as US News unveils its new rankings and college information to families and students. Keith Berman is quoted throughout the article, providing perspectives on the collection phase of the process, on shortlisting schools without being prohibitive about selectivity, on finding the right match, and many other topics. Click here to read the article as it appears online, or look at pp. 18 - 20 of the full print version guide, or pp. 50-54 of the subscription issue.
Yale Daily News quotes Keith Berman: Differences among Yale, Harvard, and Princeton
In the October 15 edition of the Yale Daily News, Keith Berman was quoted in characterizing the differences among Yale, Harvard, and Princeton, the universities often referred to as 'The Big Three," or the 'HYP.' Read the article here.
The college admissions process: Keith Berman published in Education Update
In the February issue of Education Update, Keith Berman of Options for College writes on the holistic nature of college admissions, and how, as advertised, college admissions offices do indeed review the whole applicant, looking beyond scores/grades to who the student is and will be as a member of college community. The article is not currently online.
Harvard Crimson quotes Keith Berman
Keith Berman was quoted in the Harvard Crimson, the undergraduate newspaper at Harvard University. Click here to read the article.
Columbia Spectator article quotes Keith Berman: “The growth of the student” during college applications
In an April edition, the Columbia Spectator, Columbia University's undergraduate newspaper, quoted Keith Berman of Options for College three times regarding Options for College's student-centered philosophy, as well as on trends in college counseling. The article highlights the importance of "the growth of the student" in the context of applying to college. Click here to read the article.
Boston Magazine features Options for College: The importance of a strong application
In the March issue of Boston Magazine, Options for College is featured in an article about premium services for parents and students in the Boston area. Keith Berman is quoted in the article, talking about the importance of having a strong application. Click here to read the article.
“Preparing for the College Interview”: Keith Berman published in Education Update
In the February issue of Education Update, Keith Berman of Options for College writes on the importance of the college interview, with some suggestions on ways to prepare. This article also appears on the online version of Education Update.
“Putting the 'counseling' back in guidance counseling": Keith Berman published in Education Update
In the January issue of Education Update, Keith Berman discusses how college counseling is much more than a process of ‘marketing,’ but a chance for students to understand themselves better, take ownership over their college process, and become more college-ready. The article can be found here, in the .pdf version.
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