Dr. Steven Mercer – Page 5 – Dr. Steven Mercer

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Advice to Parents: Helping Your Student If You Notice Signs of Application Stress

In my last post, “Advice to Parents: Keeping an Eye on the Emotional Well-Being of Your Student,” I talked about the symptoms of college application stress on students. I also noted that, while some symptoms are fairly normal, other symptoms are more serious. Thus, a parent may want to consider… Read more

Advice to Parents: Keeping an Eye on the Emotional Well-Being of Your Student

Applying to college can be a very stressful process. Stress, in general—but especially consistent high levels of stress—can have an impact on a student’s brain functions, emotional well-being, and physical health. However, the outward signs that your student’s health may be negatively impacted by stress are not always easy to… Read more

My Biggest Regret When I Applied to College

Like a lot of students I work with, I applied to college right out of high school. I was fortunate to be admitted to a place that really fit me, and I was excited to go. College was a great experience for me in many ways. However, in retrospect, there… Read more

“Why Us?” – The Hardest Application Essay You Will Have to Write

Many colleges, especially well-known or highly-selective colleges, request several different essays from applicants. Of those, one of the most important you will have to write is an essay that asks: “Why do you want to go to our college?” Highly-selective colleges are popular and receive a lot of applications from… Read more

Are You Making Your College Counselor Cringe?

As an Independent Educational Consultant, I provide expert guidance to support each individual student in their journey through the college admission process. To accomplish this, I am dedicated to helping students (and their families) set educational goals, organize their time, put a plan into action, and overcome any obstacles that… Read more

Visit Early and Visit Often

Of all the steps involved in applying to colleges in a thorough and thoughtful way, perhaps visiting colleges is the most important. In fact, it is never too early to visit a college. Though, it is not a race by any means either. It is not about trying to beat… Read more

How to Apply to College With No Volunteer Hours

A student walks into my office and says: “I am in big trouble. I need a lot of help with my college application. My biggest problem is that I have very few volunteer hours and hardly any community service. What do I do? Where can I go? Can you sign… Read more

The End of Standardized Testing: Has the Time Come?

In the world of college admissions, few things change frequently. Except in one area—standardized testing* requirements for admission. It has been my observation that, in the last 5 to 7 years, standardized testing requirements have seen the highest rate of change for a significant number of colleges and universities in… Read more

When Should You Start Applying to College?

The short answer is… as soon as you begin high school. Now, that does not mean that you would actually be filling out applications at that moment or preparing any of your application essays. But what it does mean is that, as soon as you start high school, you have… Read more

How Long Does It Take to Apply to College?

The short answer to that question is… longer than you think. Ultimately, it does not just take weeks or month—it takes years. The answer really depends on what part of the application process you are working on. To clarify, let me break down the timing.… Read more

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