Blog - Page 2 of 8 - Dr. Steven Mercer

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The Ninth Rule of Applying to College: Having the Right Mindset

July 1, 2021June 18, 2021

Most of the students and families I work with come to me to solve an urgent and, at times, painful problem. And I understand that the many steps involved in applying to college can seem overwhelming. Thus, it may feel like just one misstep can have dire consequences. To solve… Read more

The Eighth Rule Applying to College: Stop Listening to the Monkey!

June 1, 2021May 4, 2021

There is a deafening “noise”—online, in social circles, or in classrooms—about the “best” college, “best” SAT tutor, the correct number of AP classes to take, secret strategies to make it easier to get into a “better” college, and the “best” and “worst” majors. It is hard to ignore the steady… Read more

The 10th Grade Standardized Testing Dilemma

May 3, 2021April 29, 2021

For high school students nearing the end of 10th grade, right now is a challenging time to figure out what to do about their standardized test plan for college applications. There’s been a tidal wave of test-optional policies implemented by colleges across the United States. Some colleges have done away… Read more

The Seventh Rule of Applying to College: Stockdale’s Paradox

April 1, 2021March 16, 2021

If you read my previous post, “The Sixth Rule of Applying to College,” you might think it’s not worth applying to a college with a very low admit rate because, statistically, you’ll never get in. You may even think, “Why bother applying to any college since the statistics are stacked… Read more

The Sixth Rule of Applying to College: You Are Not the Exception

February 1, 2021January 27, 2021

There are two types of people who like gambling in casinos. The first type thinks that going to a casino is fun; it’s entertainment similar to going to a movie or a great way to spend vacation time. Realistically, they’re not too invested in winning and, in most cases, are… Read more

Star Wars vs The Office – How to Choose the Topic for Your Personal Statement

October 1, 2020January 27, 2021

One of the most challenging aspects of writing the personal statement is getting started. Many students struggle with choosing a topic due to myths about what “the best” personal statement topic sounds like. And I find they often get stuck because they believe the falsehood that you must land on… Read more

The Fifth Rule of Applying to College: You Cannot Drive with the Parking Brake On

July 1, 2020June 24, 2020

I often remind students that they need to be realistic about their chances of admission to highly selective schools and resist the trap of believing they must get into one particular college (see “The Fourth Rule of Applying to College”). However, if a student is still determined to apply to… Read more

The Fourth Rule of Applying to College

May 1, 2020March 30, 2020

College admission is not a zero-sum game. Shortly before admission decisions were expected to hit inboxes, the parents of a student I had been working with through the arduous process of applying to college asked to meet with me alone. When they came into my office, they sat down with… Read more

Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Ruined Your High School Junior’s College Admission Process?

April 20, 2020April 17, 2020

As I wrote in my previous post (“Has the World of College Admission Changed Forever?”) about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the college admission for students that are nearing the end of the admission journey, my advice to high school juniors who are just beginning the application process… Read more

Has the World of College Admission Changed Forever?

April 13, 2020April 13, 2020

In between watching another breaking news alert, responding to emails, staying in touch with students, family, and friends through Zoom, and taking the dog for another long walk, I am getting a lot of questions from worried students and families about how the COVID-19 pandemic will impact their college admission… Read more

An “Optional” College Application Requirement—Is It Really Optional?

April 1, 2020January 14, 2020

One of the qualities of undergraduate education in the United States I appreciate is that our system of higher education is a marketplace of different college options. The beauty of this system is that there are many opportunities to find colleges that fit an individual student’s needs and interests. For… Read more

Applying to College as an Introvert: Letter of Recommendation

March 1, 2020March 30, 2020

This is my third post addressing the college admissions process for introverts. The last two posts in this series addressed extracurricular activities and the admissions interview. Let’s now turn to the letter of recommendation. As an introvert myself, I’ve had to ask many people to write letters of recommendation for… Read more

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The Year of Translucence

It’s good to be back in your inbox. My last blog post was in August 2021 when I finished writing a series of “Rules for Applying to College.” (Many of you who have been recently added to the list may not even know that I have a blog.) Why did… Read more

The Tenth Rule of Applying to College: The Ultimate Answer to Life, College, and Everything

In my long career in education, I have worked as a college admission officer, high school director of college counseling, college admission consultant in private practice, university administrator, teacher, and fundraiser. I have also been a student for many years, culminating in a doctorate in education leadership. Throughout all these… Read more