Posts by Dr. Steven Mercer
The Hidden Purpose: What is the Purpose of Going to College? Beyond Job Training and Rankings
When families sit down in my office to discuss college planning, I often notice subtle but important differences in how they view the purpose of higher education. Many arrive with firmly held beliefs that college is primarily job training, that it’s an investment with a measurable ROI, or that attending… Read more Read More
Prestige Is a Scam
No matter the goals of the students I am working with, one of the most common qualities they focus on when choosing colleges is a “good” school. They frequently say something like, “I’m pretty open-minded about where I go to college. I know that one college isn’t necessarily better than… Read more Read More
College Admission for Mere Mortals
I recently met with a potential student client and their family. The student was serious about their academics and had many compelling ideas about their future. They enjoyed school but were honest about their strengths and weaknesses in different classes.
The student had a list of exciting and enjoyable extracurricular… Read more Read More
Learning from Economists – Experience Good
3 Shades of Gray of Early Decision
The Story Behind the Story
Helping students prepare their personal statements is one of my favorite parts of the application process.
No matter what you read online or hear from others, there are no simple formulas to craft a great essay. However, some fundamental components of the personal statement can give you confidence that you… Read more Read More
Leave Your Passion Project at the Door
I have been involved in college admission for a long time. I’ve seen trends come and go. And I’ve seen admission practices fade away that everyone (myself included) thought would never change. I even remember when college applications were handwritten on paper and sent in the mail.
But now, a… Read more Read More
4 Types of Personal Statements
The Curse of the Average “Above-Average”
In my previous post, “Are You Standing on Hot Coals?”, I described the phenomenon of high school students and families feeling like they are standing on hot coals when they believe they are late getting started on the college admission process.
Hopefully, students who found themselves in that situation called… Read more Read More
Are You Standing on Hot Coals?
There is often a “hot coal moment” for many families and students I work with.
It is hard to predict when this moment will happen.
Sometimes, it happens immediately after students finish the junior year PSAT. Some parents get a nagging feeling they may be too late helping their student… Read more Read More