Dr. Jennifer B. Bernstein

Students who work with me have experienced a great deal of success in terms of both admissions and scholarships.

They’ve earned admission to Stanford, MIT, Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Brown, the University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Williams, Boston University, Boston College, New York University, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, Duke, Emory, Mount Holyoke, Clarkson, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, Rice, Vanderbilt, University of Chicago, Northeastern, University of Michigan, University of Rochester, Washington University in St. Louis, and other excellent schools.

Many of have been awarded full-tuition (sometimes also including room and board) and other major scholarships. In just one recent admissions cycle, they were awarded over $1.9 million in merit-based scholarships.

STANFORD STUDENT

With Dr. Bernstein’s help, I was able to get into my dream school and get merit scholarship offers from other top schools! 

In addition to Stanford, I received acceptances to Columbia, the University of Pennsylvania’s Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology (M&T), Duke, the University of Southern California (with a full Trustee Scholarship), and Berkeley.

Dr. Bernstein is a wonderful, dedicated mentor.

At first, I was really stressed about the entire college application process. I spent hours writing essays, and each time, I was frustrated with the result. I had many things I wanted to include in my application, but I had no idea how to organize all of it.

Dr. Bernstein gave me detailed feedback that helped me craft a compelling Common Application essay that reflected my personality and passions. Through our discussions, I learned how to share descriptive, concise details about myself that differentiated me from my peers with similar stats. She also helped me revise my college supplements so that my unique voice shone through.

CLARKSON PARENT

I’m still somewhat delirious with our son’s results and phenomenal package. I really can’t believe it’s a reality! I can’t thank you enough.

You assisted our son in presenting his most favorable qualities and characteristics in a way that helped admissions officers see the real him while also satisfying all their criteria. He learned so much about himself throughout this process, and the confidence he gained will remain for years to come! When we began the process, we were nervous about whether he’d get accepted to any of the schools, much less be offered an $84,000 scholarship. I really just can’t thank you enough for all the assistance, guidance, and support you have provided to make this process as smooth as it was!!

I work with students all over the world. 

In the past few admissions cycles, I’ve supported students living in places like Bakersfield (CA), Beijing, Boulder, Brooklyn, Clifton Park (NY), Davis (CA), Denton (TX), Detroit, Fayetteville (NY), Greenwich (CT), Houston (TX), London, Long Island, Los Angeles, Manhattan, Manlius (NY) Middletown (CT), Mountain View, Philadelphia, Potsdam (Germany), Queens, Raleigh (NC), Redlands (CA), Ruian (China), Shanghai, Stillwater (MN), Syracuse, Trinidad, Tulsa (OK), Vancouver (Canada), Wilton (CT), and Xi’an.

My students attend some of the most prestigious private and boarding schools as well as public schools. A number of them are homeschoolers. 

I believe ALL students possess special qualities, experiences, and gifts. 

I work with three main types of students:

• Driven, gifted students seeking admission to Ivy League and other highly selective schools. As the MIT Office of Admissions points out, “the absolute worst part of this job is the fact that there are so few spots for so many qualified people, which means we can’t take everyone, even if they belong here.” This isn’t just true at MIT; it’s true at all of the most selective schools. In a 2014 New York Times article, “admissions directors at these institutions” acknowledged that “most of the students they turn down are such strong candidates that many are indistinguishable from those who get in.” I teach you how to distinguish yourself so that you’re more likely to be among the 5-10% of accepted students. I won’t let you settle for anything less than your absolute best!

• Motivated students with solid academic and extracurricular track records who are trying to increase their chances of getting accepted to really good schools. I’m going to help you keep moving onward and upward. Prepare to be pleasantly surprised! I’ll show you how you’ve been undervaluing yourself and support you in distinguishing yourself in positive, authentic ways that make it easier for you to earn admission to your reach, match, and safety schools and even help you position yourself for substantial merit-based scholarships. 
• Students who have struggled at some point in high school and need extra support in realizing their potential and clarifying their goals. Don’t let anyone underestimate you! I’m here to support you in discovering your gifts, overcoming challenges, and making a smooth transition into the next exciting phase of your life. We can quickly get you plugged into projects and activities–even if you’re a senior in high school. I’ll teach you how to address “trouble spots” in your college application package in ways that help admissions officers understand what happened and how things have been resolved. I’ll also show you how to call attention to your true strengths. My students regularly earn admission to their desired schools and even earn merit-based scholarships.

Lots of people can tell you (usually in general terms) what matters to college admissions committees.

When we work together, I don’t just tell you what to do.

Instead, we enter into a dynamic partnership. You’re no longer just following someone else’s advice. You’re an active participant in shaping the course of your educational future.

As one of my students who’s now a senior at Duke points out, working with me “is like learning from a teacher, collaborating with a friend, and talking to a parent all at the same time.”

I’m known for my unique approach to educating, empowering, and motivating young people—from the most driven, gifted kids who know exactly where they’re heading to those who need extra support in order to realize their potential and clarify their goals.

Throughout the process, I’m there to support you in coming up with creative strategies that enable you to fully discern, develop, and showcase your strengths and shining points in authentic ways that distinguish you from the thousands of other applicants.

Some students come to me as SENIORS or late in their JUNIOR YEAR. 

Here are some of the things we often concentrate on. . .

• Determining the best topics and angles for your main application essay (for the Common Application and/or non-Common App schools) and your supplemental essays
• Developing and perfecting your drafts
• Maximizing every single part of your application packages (many students overlook opportunities to include very important information about themselves)
• Preparing for your alumni interviews
• Figuring out your early decision/early action plan
• Finalizing your list of schools
• Mapping out ways to make more meaningful contributions to your extracurricular activities (even during 12th grade)

More and more students are starting to work with me as FRESHMEN, SOPHOMORES, and AS EARLY JUNIORS.

Establishing a strong foundation right from the start of high school will make it easier to thrive, open up more high-level opportunities in your junior and senior years, and give you a stronger competitive edge in the college admissions and scholarship process.

Here are some of the things we often concentrate on. . . 

• Creating a personalized blueprint for taking exciting action on your interests that goes far beyond the typical options available through school
• Identifying and applying to special summer programs related to things that fascinate you
• Designing independent studies and projects, connecting with experts in your field, and submitting your work for publication and competitions
• Pinpointing special strengths and capitalizing on them, discovering interests and options for pursuing them (if you don’t already have a clear sense of them), and stretching past your limitations 
• Building meaningful connections with teachers and guidance counselors so that you earn the best possible letters of recommendation
• Creating your curriculum vitae (aka your resume or activity worksheet)
• Researching schools and maximizing campus visits

SUMMER SCIENCE PROGRAM STUDENT

I’ve been working with Jennifer for three years now, and she has done so much more for me than merely giving me feedback on a few essays (which she does VERY well).

Ever since our first meeting in ninth grade, Jennifer has revealed so many opportunities for developing my passion and inspired me to reflect critically about my strengths. It’s insane how many ideas and connections she has! Jennifer has introduced me to many professors, research opportunities, and summer programs that I never feel lost on what to do. Her endless supply of advice and knowledge has been such a huge help in making the whole high school process less intimidating. I feel safe when I am working with her.

P.S. This student just got admitted to MIT and Princeton.

COLUMBIA STUDENT

Working with Dr. Bernstein was invaluable towards finding my focus, not only as a writer but as a person.

With interests all over the map, I initially had no idea what I was going center my application around. Working with her allowed me to integrate my strengths in a way that translates impressively on paper. Starting from the summer before senior year, she helped me map out my CV, identifying how I was going to package all of these things that didn’t seem to fit together upon first glance. Through our conversations, I spent a large part of my summer mulling over what I wanted to be, what things I truly loved doing. By the end, I was able to pinpoint exactly how I would approach the application process, and this has been invaluable towards me in respects that extend beyond the college admissions process.

CORNELL STUDENT

The best part about working with Jennifer was she never made me feel like I had to make certain choices, or apply to certain schools. She always had a world of suggestions and resources to offer me, but never pressured me to use any of the ones she showed me. She didn’t pile up activities for me to sign up for, or bogus, expensive honors programs to apply for.

Some families fly me in to spend an intensive weekend or week working with their high school student and we follow up with online meetings, written feedback, and phone calls. (This option is only for students in the All-In-One Program.)

I really enjoy meeting students in person, but mostly I work with my students online. . .even students who live just a few minutes away from me. We can easily hop into quick meetings to address simple issues or set up longer ones to work through ideas or challenges. I use GoToMeeting, so we can share screens to tinker with drafts and look at certain programs/schools. Some students send me Facebook or WeChat messages. I’m flexible! We don’t always need meetings. Many times the most effective tactic is for students to send me a draft and have me give them written feedback or create a private video showing them exactly what they need to improve and giving them ideas for how to resolve problems in their writing. 

We use Basecamp (it’s like our own personal website) for written communication, sharing files, and creating to-do lists. Basecamp is awesome because it prevents things from getting lost in email inboxes. 

I limit the number of students in the Comprehensive and All-In-One Programs because I’m committed to creating a completely personalized mentoring experience that provides a level of support that’s unlike anything offered at even the most exclusive private schools.

Get Yourself Into College® isn’t a mill with lots of part-time consultants.

I don’t secretly hand off your essays to editors.

All students work directly with me.

I am there for you every step of the way.

BROWN STUDENT

Throughout my ED application process, there were many panicked moments and tight deadlines that Dr. Bernstein helped me navigate. She stayed up with me until midnight the day that my ED application was due, helping me polish and perfect every detail. With her help, I even connected with an admissions officer when I was confused about what to do with after-deadline SAT scores.

STANFORD STUDENT

Something that stood out to me while working with Dr. Bernstein is that she genuinely cares about her students. Even during winter break, Dr. Bernstein responded to me within a few hours, and her powerful feedback pushed me to reflect more on my experiences and myself. Knowing that I could always count on her to give me valuable advice eased the stress of my college application process. 

PRINCETON STUDENT

Unlike a typical college admissions coach, she doesn’t try to override a student’s voice with clichés or weigh down their essays and resumes with unnecessary information. Having worked at a college for many years, she knows how the system works and how to best present oneself to admissions officers. . . .Her subtle approach to “branding” and shaping an application was incredibly helpful. In addition, she’s extremely down-to-earth and knows how to relate to students. I highly recommend her to any student, even the more aggressive or independent ones.

SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY PARENT

Fellow parents: Trust me – you are going to be SO GLAD if you have Jennifer Bernstein help your senior through the college application process. She is positive, smart, extremely professional, easy to work with and gets results! . . . .

* Top notch editing – She provides lots of very constructive feedback on the essay drafts, not just minor edits. Besides brainstorming, she asked tough questions of our son to get him to think deeper on his essay responses. If he got stuck, she would help and provide some options to consider. Her guidance helped him to develop much richer essays, providing more insights into his thought process and personality.

* Big picture thinking – Jennifer really considered our son’s entire application as one big picture, not a lot of separate parts. She considered how the essays and activities would fit together to present a consistent, rich picture and help the admissions team easily imagine him as a successful addition to their school. She seemed to know what college admissions staff are looking for in essays and encouraged our son to illustrate his critical thinking skills, “showing not telling” how his experiences had been transformative.

* Personalized attention – I know that Jennifer was helping probably 8 to 10 other students simultaneously, but I truly felt like we were her only client!

The Comprehensive Program is the most affordable way of getting more in-depth personalized support from me (compared to the one-time consultation).

Some seniors can finish their entire Common Application (including their essay) in those five hours. I’ve even had a few students also complete one or two supplements with this initial package. However, most students who have to write multiple supplements usually wind up needing to add hours.

Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors in the Comprehensive Program sometimes choose to meet once or twice a year to strategize and map out detailed plans for themselves. Then, when they’re seniors, we meet more frequently to work on applications, and they add hours as needed. Other students like to meet more frequently.

You are in control, and we meet according to what works best for you and your family.

If you know that you can only afford the five hours for your whole process, just let me know when we start collaborating and we’ll create a plan that works within that framework.

The All-In-One Program is for students and families who want to have virtually unlimited support from me, and it can wind up being less expensive than the Comprehensive Program. 

Let me give you an example:

• One of my students from London started working with me in August of his senior year. We met online once a week (for about an hour at a time) for five months, so that’s 20 hours. He also sent me drafts of his essays, and I provided written feedback. In addition, I helped him put together his science and engineering supplements, create updates for schools, and prepare for alumni interviews. He applied to 12 colleges, many of which had extensive supplemental essays. He attended one of the very best schools in the country and earned national recognition for his projects. He’s now at Caltech. Overall, we collaborated for around 40 hours. If we worked together through the Comprehensive Program, it would have cost $11,125 (instead of $9,500).

Obviously, I’m a human and only have a certain number of hours in the day to work, so when we start collaborating, we’ll set expectations for our time together. There might be some weeks where we meet once or twice or even more than that. At other times in the year, we might connect less frequently. It all depends on your needs and what it takes for you to reach your goals. We can always adjust along the way.