NEW YORK - Dec. 16, 2019 - Keith Berman, President of the college consultancy Options for College for the last 15 years, is very aware of his own reputation for setting high standards for students.
His presentations over the years, to demanding audiences in the US and overseas, focus on programs for gifted students like Johns Hopkins CTY and the Davidson Institute, high-powered corporate groups like those at Ernst & Young and Merrill Lynch, and library audiences in college-obsessed Westchester and Bergen Counties.
"I am often the first professional who makes sure families and students know the standards, both in admissions and as a collegian," said Berman.
However, over the last two or three years, he has observed a shift in his students. "Even before we begin our first meeting, I can see the students are already anxious and defensive. They will often apologize for not being perfect."
"Fear of college has replaced the hope and freedom it used to bring," Keith continues. Mr. Berman mused that in one week, he heard the question, why can't they just be coding all the time to prepare for a career from two professionals.
"It sounded rhetorical to me," Keith said.
In response to the growing anxiety, Mr. Berman will give an online talk entitled "Gen Z: Counseling and Educating a Different Generation." It is hosted by the University of California-Irvine Division of Continuing Education and is free to the public.
The goal is to find reasons to celebrate the generation that Mr. Berman works with… or at least understand it.
"I am often stunned by how often counselors aren't familiar with Emma Chamberlain, the word 'yeet,' Lonely Lodge or TikTok, yet nonetheless evaluate the behaviors of Gen Z. I don't think we should be passing judgment, let alone counseling teens, if we can't even check off those four boxes."
Keith will attempt to set a baseline for the specific generation in which "people look for the Mark Zuckerberg in each and every one of them," as the seminar description quips. The talk is for both parents and aspiring counselors.
"If we are really going to work with this generation, we have to try much, much harder to walk in their shoes before using the term 'screen time' to dismiss them." Berman said in summarizing his talk.
To register for free for the UCI Talk "Gen Z: Counseling and Educating a Different Generation" on February 5, 2020, go to https://ce.uci.edu/resources/events/event.aspx?id=00419.
For more information on Keith Berman, Options for College, or college admissions seminars, please email info@optionsforcollege.com.
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