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Camille M. Bertram, CEP
Cammie is well known within the educational community for the sound, informed advice she provides to students and families, across diverse backgrounds, abilities, and interests. She has more than 25 years of experience in counseling and assisting students at the junior, secondary school, and college levels. In addition to her broad experience with traditional boarding school programs, she is also a leading consultant in special needs and therapeutic placement, and earlier in her career spent eight years advising college-bound students.
Cammie is a past board member of numerous organizations and has spoken at national and regional forums on education and educational directions. Her lifelong interest in private education stems from growing up on the campus of The Hill School, in Pottstown, PA, where her father served for 42 years as a teacher, administrator, and associate headmaster. Cammie has a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.
In September 2017 Cammie was awarded the Enrollment Management Association's Everett Gourley award for her interest in students and concern for colleagues, which is an inspiration to those who serve in admission.
What families and educators say about working with Cammie:
Cammie Bertram is an absolute gift. Having worked with other educational consultants and as a career educator, I recognize what a special person she is. Cammie supported our daughter through her recent boarding school search with such care and professionalism. She is an incredibly valuable thought partner and a trusted advisor - both to teens and their parents. Cammie has deep relationships with individuals at high schools across the country, and several noted to us that she's a "total pro" and "the best in the business." She spends the time to know schools very well, and she spends the time to understand your student and family to be able to recommend best fit. Cammie has my highest recommendation should you be looking to engage an educational consultant. –Parent of a Boarding School Candidate from Boston
“Hi Cammie—As always, you set the standard for professionalism and kindness. Our lives are full of crossover connections and you are always first on my mind with families who need to build a foundation of understanding about independent schools. I appreciate you! With my very best wishes” –the Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at a Leading New England Prep School
"Cammie, your reputation is rightfully symbolic of the call, kindness, and grace you always display. All of us here at [a Leading Prep School] think the world of you."—a current Head of School in New England
“Dear Cammie: I reflect on all the families you have helped in your educational consulting career and am eternally grateful that smart and empathetic professionals like you invested time and effort into helping change so many lives."—Chief Medical Officer of Skyland Trail and Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association
"Cammie and Henry, you have built a company that is the Gold Standard for school consulting. And you have done it with class and humor."—Former Head of School in Connecticut
"Thank you for being such a committed, caring and valued advisor to us in all matters related to the education of our grandchildren for the past few years. You are a true gift, a professional through and through, and a terrific person above all."—Grandfather of nine children whom Cammie placed in boarding schools
"No one currently practicing compares to you in terms of insight into the boarding school world. You are a trusted colleague. Take time to reflect on the impact you've made on so many lives."—Former President of IECA and the IECA Foundation
"Cammie! Your legacy is set, as you are known far and wide for your expertise and partnership. I've never heard anything but superlatives from parents and students."—Former Head of a New England boarding school
"Your path is beautiful to witness. You've always carried yourself with such heart, class and grace."—Clinical Therapist, Author, and Founder of Breakthrough Interventions
"I have known Cammie for over 25 years. As a colleague and friend she has always been the consummate professional. Regardless of the challenge, her patience and grace have always found the solution for everyone involved. I remember when she first presented at my admissions workshop...now as then, she has always led with kindness, empathy and integrity...no wonder she has enjoyed great growth and success in her educational advising career. The day I met her many years ago was one I will never forget...she truly makes the world a better place!" —CEO/President of Dartmouth Associates
"Our son is doing amazingly well at his new school. It’s almost like he’s been there since kindergarten. The school is truly a special place and he is a straight A student! We couldn’t have found a better fit. We are so thankful for all your help and support. The only thing more special than his school is YOU!!" —Parent of day school student
"Truth be told, through your great work with families and your authentic relationships with so many educators and admission professionals, you’ve done as much for boarding schools as any human being alive!"— Pete Upham, Executive Director, The Association of Boarding Schools
"Thank you so much for all your support and guidance during my boarding school process. Your advice and practice really helped me feel more prepared and confident in my interviews. I am sorry we were never able to meet in person (but) thank you for all your guidance. I am excited to become a dragon (School Mascot)!"—2021 Candidate
"We cannot thank you enough for all your help! We couldn't have navigated this process without your support and guidance. This was an extremely challenging year during a Pandemic and your help was very crucial. We are sorry we never were able to meet you in person, but we definitely felt a warmth in your voice and calmness. Thank you for helping our son reach his goals. We are so proud and excited for him to take this next leap and believe he is ready."—Parent
"I am so happy you are working with Cammie and The Bertram Group! Cammie is the template for what it is to be an educational consultant and they just don't get any better!!"— Assistant Head of School for Enrollment and Operations
"I’ve never been more satisfied with a consultant's service in all my business years. Cammie is a Saint. We are so lucky to have her attention and support." — Parent
"I have read your website – it’s beautiful and very thorough. I especially love your family crest. What a perfect representation of the values that drive this work."— Director of Marketing at a therapeutic program
"I am writing this email from Groton, as I am going to move into my dorm tomorrow. I have been reflecting on how lucky I am going to be able to study in such an amazing school. I can’t wait to start this new chapter of my life. Although I did put an enormous amount of effort to get here, I could have not done it without you."—Student
"We wish you well. You were such an amazing support for us. Truly appreciate you."—Parent from California
"Thank you for doing an amazing job for us."—Parent
"Once again, and again, and again, thank you for all the care and thought you have put into seeking the best schools for our various grandchildren. Thank you for guiding us through some struggles and tribulations. How understanding and caring you are! Thank you for being a most influential and important person in the process."—Grandparents with multiple grandchildren with whom Cammie has worked
"We have no words to express our most profound gratitude for all your care, guidance, handholding and friendship during this application process. We simply cannot imagine this day without you by our side. We are forever grateful to you for opening a new world to our daughter, who was accepted to all her schools, and we now need your wise advice to help her make the correct decision. We will let this exciting moment warm our hearts and brighten our smile. You are the first to know about this marvelous news and we will now share with all our family.
Very warm hugs...many!"—Parent from Mexico City
“Cammie is well-versed in all manner of education, and she has matched countless students with the perfectly suited learning environment for their style and individual needs. She makes the world a better place. She has created a thriving team of outstanding professionals, and is inspirational in her work. She is kind, compassionate and a joy to know. "—Owner, therapeutic boarding school, introducing Cammie to a mental health professional
“Cammie, thank you for all your help. Clearly your deep understanding of both the school and applicant are extraordinarily impactful.” — Parent
“As I look back on the process, I realize that “the right thing” happened. I believe we looked at the right schools and she applied to the right schools. I feel great about everything and we are grateful to you for leading us, coaching us, listening to us, and caring.” — Parent
“You are really opening (my son’s) mind to some educational opportunities that he would benefit from. Clearly you are having a positive impact on his thinking. Thanks for your professional approach and interest in our son.” — Parent
“You have that rare blend of total integrity with insight and compassion as well as complete follow up and a fine sense of humor. You truly have each child’s well-being at heart and beyond grasping the ‘on the page’ qualifications a child presents, you are gifted in getting to the gist of what is underneath and how a school and a specific child will most likely match.” — Parent
“You should know that I think you are very good at what you do, Cammie. Your professional approach is mixed with a thoughtful, open ear that makes people comfortable.” — Headmaster at a boarding school
"We have known Cammie for 5 years. We were referred to her from a boarding school admissions head who described Cammie as THE source of knowledge for families considering boarding schools for their children. We have used Cammie repeatedly with our two oldest children and will likewise do so with our two younger children. Simply stated she is the BEST in the business as she knows that every child, family and school are different. Cammie is adept at helping families and prospective students determine the WHY/WHERE/WHEN/HOW/FIT of boarding schools. She is extremely well connected, very professional and a very kind and easy person to deal with from a student's perspective." — Parent referring Cammie to another family
"I just want to say Thank You so much for all the help that you've given me and my family. It was such an amazing feeling to see all the hard work that everyone put in produce such an amazing result" — Candidate
"We are all thrilled with the outcome and extremely proud of our daughter. I want to personally thank you for the hugely valuable support and guidance through this process that helped us as we made decisions and made an intense experience much easier to go through. The final outcome exceeded our wildest dreams and we are thrilled that our daughter will now be challenged and inspired in an institution like Andover. A real privlege for her." — Parent
"Cammie and Henry are peerless in their ability to help families choose the best path for academic achievement with careful assessment of life circumstances and individualized goals/needs. They are singularly the finest minds in the entire country at matching top picks culled from a plethora of options with your unique needs holding precedent." — CEO of leading educational services provider
"I can not express how grateful I am for you navigating me through the boarding school admissions process." — Candidate
"We are also so grateful to you and your steady guidance throughout this process...like an angel sent from heaven you arrived when we needed help the most....we would NEVER have known what to do - let alone how to do it without you. Your advice about junior boarding school will always be a pivotal moment in our daughter's life...she has thrived there and I don't think she has the same success this evening without that experience. Throughout all of this, your calm, positive, firm, caring, loving advice kept us sane and on track. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts." — Ex-patriot parent in Hong Kong, on his daughter's acceptance to boarding school, and her prior experience at junior boarding school
"Cammie Bertram literally changed our son's life. He began the application process excited, but definitely nervous, and ended with a new confidence that came from the success achieved thanks to her sage wisdom and advice. Cammie related to our son in a meaningful and tangible way and he listened to her and followed her suggestions implicitly, which somewhat amazed us. For us, as parents, we were abundantly grateful for Cammie's calm manner and reassuring nature from the moment we met her. Never rattled, always thoughtful, Cammie knows each school like an old friend and was able to provide us with tremendous guidance throughout each step of the process, particularly during the daunting phase of making a list from all the wonderful schools out there. She really got to know our son and our family, and to understand what would make us collectively happy. We cannot wait to work with her again with our younger children, if they choose the boarding school route. It's a gift to work with Cammie."— Parent
"His father and I are so grateful for your help during this process...I feel it has been such a journey and having you as our guide made an enormous difference!" — Parent
"I will always feel indebted to you Cammie for your support and guidance throughout our son's secondary school admission process. I hope you take comfort in knowing the significant role you played in his boarding school acceptances and ultimate decision to attend Deerfield. I just cannot thank you enough!" — Parent
"I’m writing to introduce you to Cammie Bertram, copied here, who is an old friend and, more important, the best in the business of educational consulting."—Headmaster at northeast boarding school
“Cammie, I couldn’t have done it without your help! You made this process so great and made me realize what I truly wanted. I cannot thank you enough. And you’ll be receiving a photo of me in my Morning Coat, of course!”— Student accepted at Eton
"Cammie, you have been a blessing to our family." — Dallas family
"Thank you for all your hard work and commitment to my education during this week and the last couple of months. It was a pleasure to finally meet you on Tuesday and talk for a while. My father and I enjoyed your company greatly during that time. I believe your interview tips and your commitment to my success really paid off. I could have never achieved the results I obtained this week without your help, for that I am truly grateful." — Student from Mexico on Cammie's help with his visits to schools in the US
"I wanted to send an email tonight, ahead of the much anticipated date of March 10th, thanking you for all of your help throughout this rigorous and challenging process. Your assistance and guidance has been much appreciated and I will always remember you helping me throughout this time. I have never felt so confident going into interviews and that is because I felt prepared AND protected by your amazing words of wisdom. I am forever grateful for your help. And, wherever I end up at school next year I hope to see you a lot more!— Student from Bahamas on Cammie's help with the boarding school process
"It was a great honor to have you as a coach during this process. Last fall, when we met, I realized how lucky I was to have you as a mentor."— International student applying to 10th grade at US boarding school
"We thank you so much for your sage advice, your kind words during the periods of stress, and your tenacity in advocating on behalf of our boys. They are both wonderful young men, and we hope that you take a bit of pleasure in knowing that you helped contribute to the men they are today."—Parent
"There are not enough words to express how grateful I am for your help and unconditional support. I am sure that I would not have the opportunity I have today if it weren't for you."—Student from Mexico City accepted to Groton
"Just a note to let you know how grateful I am for your friendship and that you continue to be a leader of all consultants in regard to manners, graciousness, and overall appreciation in your tour experience. Your staff is so lucky to be under your wing."—Director, therapeutic program
"You are both fortunate and wise to be working with Cammie; she is the best in the business."—Seasoned admissions director from a New England boarding school in a letter to a candidate's parents
"Thank you for taking such good care of our three children. We are so grateful for your encouragement, patience and care. You exemplify grace, dedication and knowledge and you have a heart of gold."—International parent
"Words cannot describe how grateful I am to have you in my life. I am so thankful for what you have done for me. You have helped change my life for the better and shape who I am today and who I strive to be like. Thank you soooo much for this gift - the gift of a better life."—Student who attended a wilderness program and a therapeutic boarding school on the impact Cammie had on his life
"We wish to thank you for all you did for us. Our son's life changed the day we met you, and we are forever grateful to you."—Parent in London
Camille Bertram Receives the Gourley Award
Camille (Cammie) Bertram, founder and president of The Bertram Group, LLC, in Westport, Connecticut, was named the 2017 recipient of the Everett E. Gourley award from The Enrollment Management Association at the Annual Conference in New Orleans.
The award, named for Everett Gourley, former director of admission and assistant headmaster at Asheville School (NC), is given each year to the educator whose interest in students and concern for colleagues is an inspiration to those who serve in admission.
Bertram has served independent schools for more than 20 years. A certified educational planner, she founded The Bertram Group to provide consultation for students and their families facing educational choices for college, boarding school, and independent day school. In her work, Bertram strives to find each student a school where he or she can experience success on every level: academically, socially, and emotionally. Bertram is well known within the educational community for the sound, informed advice she provides to students and families across diverse backgrounds, abilities, and interests. In addition to her broad experience with traditional boarding school programs, she is also a leading consultant in special needs and therapeutic placement.
As he presented the award to Cammie, Tom Southworth of Southworth Educational Consulting, LLC (RI), quoted Jon Deveaux, dean of admissions and enrollment management at Westminster School (CT): “Cammie is not only one of the best consultants I know, but one of the best people I know. She cares passionately about people: her students, their families, her colleagues in schools, her friends, and especially her family. I feel incredibly fortunate to call her a colleague, and more meaningfully, a friend.”
Bertram has served on the boards of numerous organizations—including The Enrollment Management Association—and has spoken widely at national and regional forums on education and educational directions.
—The Enrollment Management Association, 2017
Affiliations:
Professional Member, Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA)
Member, Enrollment Management Association
Associate Member, The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS)
Member, Small Boarding School Association (SBSA)
Member, National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP)
Past Member, IECA Board of Directors
Past Secretary, IECA Foundation Board of Directors
Past Secretary, SSATB Board of Directors
Past Member, Education Industry Association
Past Member, Inner City Foundation for Charity and Education Board of Directors (Bridgeport, CT)
Past Member, Eagle Hill Southport Board of Directors
Past Member, Board of Directors, The Deck House School, Edgecomb, Maine
Speaking engagements include:
- “Creating Healthy Partnerships Between Schools and Parents” workshop at The Association of Boarding Schools Annual (TABS) Conference
- Connecticut Association of Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities Annual Conference
- IECA Annual Conference
- Small Boarding School Association Conference
- EDVentures Conference for The Education Industry Association