Daniel Berman

Two formative experiences in college laid the groundwork for my subsequent coaching career. First, one of my professors (an international scholar), honored me by requesting that I edit his PhD dissertation. Second, similarly impressed by my communication skills, a roommate “recruited” me to help him with his medical school application essays (after a paid professional had disappointed him). Both cases resulted in successful outcomes: my professor’s dissertation was approved and my roommate was accepted to his first-choice medical school. As I proceeded with my life after graduation—writing and completing my own dissertation, publishing books and articles, teaching courses at the college level—friends continued to seek me out for help with their applications and various academic projects. I always enjoyed helping people achieve important goals but never imagined I would one day become a full-time communication consultant. Never, that is, until two pivotal developments in my college teaching career. The first story is a bit too long for this context, so I’ll jump straight to the second. During my second semester at a major university that shall remain nameless, the chair of the department in which I was teaching issued an order that all grading was to be done according to a strict bell curve. There was a quota for As and a quota for Fs. We were required to fail a certain number of students, even if their performance was actually satisfactory! The stated reason for doing this was to enhance the department's reputation. Knowing how much a poor grade could affect a student’s future, I felt morally unable to go along with this scheme. So I didn’t, choosing to step away from institutional academia altogether. At that point, I decided to pursue educational consulting professionally, on a full-time basis. I had always found working with people individually to be especially gratifying. I realized that I could use both my communication skills and the inside knowledge I had gained about the academic system, for the benefit of my clients—the students—in the capacity of "equalizer." I relish this role and am pleased to report that over the years, many minor miracles have been performed, with many people benefitting as a result.