The summer 2013 edition relaunches our newsletter with a fresh design and new columns to bring you not only the latest trends in education, but The Bertram Group's expertise in how those trends relate to your current planning for your son or daughter. Cammie Bertram’s greeting outlines how we have expanded capacity and her column for From the Quad highlights new research about the effects of “helicopter parenting.” The New Connections column introduces professional affiliate Deena Maerowitz, whose strategies for balancing summer fun and college applications can be found in College Bound. Holly McGlennon Treat discusses the value of “grit,” one of the latest buzzwords in the admissions field, and Audrey Noyes Ludemann explores how the latest thinking about dyslexia emphasizes student strengths. For those who want to explore these topics further, Worthwhile Detours offers links about a best-selling book on the topic of grit and an award-winning documentary regarding dyslexia. Following student desire for colleges and universities with an environmental commitment, we also report on the trends among higher educational institutions to address sustainability.
Feel free to contact us with questions or comments and have a magnificent summer!... read full issue
Our Spring Newsletter highlights some of the work our network of consultants has been doing, especially with IECA. We also provide links to several educational websites, particularly a complimentary e-learning educational webinar series of which Bertram is a part. In From the Quad, we remind our readers of the timeless advice about handling the good and not so good responses to applications which we wrote about two years ago. We address the issue of “senioritis” on high school campuses and point out an interesting Wall Street Journal article dealing with the recognition of college administrators to balance academic workload for students with other demands they are facing. We also highlight an interesting interview with Pete Upham, Executive Director of The Association of Boarding Students which addresses trends he is observing in the boarding school arena. As always we have information on dates and applications for standardized testing for college, graduate school and secondary schools and provide you with an overview of technology tools to assist students with learning disabilities. Finally, as always, we give you our thoughts on trends and information pertaining to green schools and environmental educational issues.
As always, we hope you enjoy this issue and please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or comments.
In our Fall 2011 edition of Bertram Directions, we highlight Cammie Bertram and Audrey Ludemann's recent trip to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore and their insights into the educational and cultural realities there, especially for ex-patriots. We also highlight two recent blog posts: one by Deborah Grabfield on the annual U.S. News and World Report featuring college rankings and another by Audrey Ludemann on why parents and their children might consider a single sex school. In addition Holly Treat recently wrote an article for parents on finding the right independent secondary school for their children, to which we provide a link directly to the article. We've also combed various publications to highlight trends in admissions, health issues with teens and an interesting take on children's use of video games. As always, we provide insight into the latest developments in environmentally friendly products and services and give you a calendar of standardized testing to help you schedule these important tests for your child.
We hope you enjoy this issue and, as always, if you have any questions please contact us. Enjoy the Fall!... read full issue
Our summer newsletter recognizes that families are in a vacation state of mind, yet the reality is always there for parents and their children trying to get an edge on the school application and admissions process. This issue presents a discussion of the influx of international students into US schools and the effect on admissions. We also give some pointers on how parents should view the status of their son or daughter being on a college wait list and how they can move into the college of their choice. Cammie also provides a list of tell-tale signs that a child might be troubled and for whom some sort of professional help might be in order. Holly Treat gives some very timely advice on summer programs with the observation that it's not too late to think about these opportunities. We highlight an interesting company that recycles graduation caps and gowns and alert our readers to Cammie's trip to Asia this September and her presentation at TABS (in conjunction with Campus Outreach Services) on Managing Risk at Boarding Schools. Keeping things on a light note, we present articles that discuss the "worth" of various majors as well as useful iPhone apps for college students and conclude our newsletter with a discussion of the new generation of computer science majors.
We hope you will enjoy it and have a glorious summer!... read full issue
Our first 2011 edition highlights Bertram's sponsorship of the Green Cup Challenge, an initiative of the Green Schools Alliance. Our proud sponsorship of this important activity is consistent with our goal to be the premier educational consultant supporting all things "green." We also reference a recent contribution to our blog, From the Quad, from Holly Treat, who discusses two recent media pieces discussing the scheduling and pressure affecting our children. Holly makes some interesting points about the film Race to Nowhere and the book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. As always we've been on the lookout for interesting articles on educational trends and highlight a New York Times article on how college students are finding new ways to improve the environment. We link our readers to a new book, Teenage as a Second Language, which provides parents insights into how to communicate better with your teenager. As always we provide a calendar of important dates for parents to note in planning their child's testing schedule and summer activities. In addition to other links and tidbits of timely information, we provide our readers with a discussion of depression in teenagers and how to identify possible signs.... read full issue
College Bound
The Right Road
From the Quad
The Flip Side
Worthwhile Detours
Sustainable Paths