Mercer Educational Consulting

Mercer Educational Consulting An independent educational consulting practice that guides students and families through all stages of the college application process.

Mercer Educational Consulting, LLC is an independent educational consulting practice that guides students and families through all stages of the college application process in person or through online meetings. Dr. Steven Mercer is an experienced educator with an extensive background in selective college admission, counseling, teaching, and academic and non-profit leadership. I understand how impo

rtant this decision is to you and your family. You deserve to work with a counselor who has first-hand admission experience, expert knowledge of the world of higher education and schooling, and a thoughtful, balanced counseling philosophy to guide you through this remarkable rite of passage.

The Passion Project, RevisitedA remarkable extracurricular project can't rescue a weak academic record — and admission o...
06/11/2026

The Passion Project, Revisited

A remarkable extracurricular project can't rescue a weak academic record — and admission officers know the difference. What actually stands out isn't the most spectacular-looking achievement, but a profile with an internal logic: one where the student's choices feel like a natural extension of who they genuinely are....

A remarkable extracurricular project can’t rescue a weak academic record — and admission officers know the difference. What actually stands out isn’t the most spectacular-looking achie…

The Hidden Gem You Thought Didn’t Belong on Your Activity ListHere's the puzzle: Many students have a genuinely unusual ...
05/22/2026

The Hidden Gem You Thought Didn’t Belong on Your Activity List

Here's the puzzle: Many students have a genuinely unusual interest, a quirky pursuit, or a hobby that sets them apart, and they don’t realize they should include it on their resumes. Or they actively work to keep it off their applications. ...

Here’s the puzzle: Many students have a genuinely unusual interest, a quirky pursuit, or a hobby that sets them apart, and they don’t realize they should include it on their resumes. Or they…

Building Meaningful Momentum So Your Extracurriculars ShineYou've Started. Now What? What if you’re the student who's be...
04/28/2026

Building Meaningful Momentum So Your Extracurriculars Shine

You've Started. Now What? What if you’re the student who's been playing soccer since middle school, or has been in the school orchestra for three years, or holds a part-time job and genuinely enjoys it? Then you aren't frozen. You have momentum. And that's genuinely good news!...

You’ve Started. Now What? What if you’re the student who’s been playing soccer since middle school, or has been in the school orchestra for three years, or holds a part-time job and ge…

Do. Or Do Not. There Is No Try.The hard truth is that no counselor, not even one with decades of experience, can manufac...
04/07/2026

Do. Or Do Not. There Is No Try.

The hard truth is that no counselor, not even one with decades of experience, can manufacture a compelling extracurricular story in the final stretch of high school....

The hard truth is that no counselor, not even one with decades of experience, can manufacture a compelling extracurricular story in the final stretch of high school.

Why Strong Extracurriculars Sometimes Don’t Tell Your StoryHow and why do some applications, despite the extraordinary i...
03/10/2026

Why Strong Extracurriculars Sometimes Don’t Tell Your Story

How and why do some applications, despite the extraordinary information included in them, not tell a story? Consider two examples for what I mean by "doesn't tell a story":...

How and why do some applications, despite the extraordinary information included in them, not tell a story? Consider two examples for what I mean by “doesn’t tell a story”:

Your Essay Doesn’t Sound Like You—And Colleges Know ItIn my decades of working with students on college applications, I'...
02/10/2026

Your Essay Doesn’t Sound Like You—And Colleges Know It

In my decades of working with students on college applications, I've read thousands of essays. And increasingly, I'm noticing a troubling pattern: essays that don't sound like they were written by high school students at all....

In my decades of working with students on college applications, I’ve read thousands of essays. And increasingly, I’m noticing a troubling pattern: essays that don’t sound like th…

Your Early Decision Denial Isn’t About Your EssayI understand the impulse to panic at receiving a rejection. When you've...
01/13/2026

Your Early Decision Denial Isn’t About Your Essay

I understand the impulse to panic at receiving a rejection. When you've invested months into crafting what you believed was a strong application to your dream school, a denial feels like a puzzle that needs solving....

I understand the impulse to panic at receiving a rejection. When you’ve invested months into crafting what you believed was a strong application to your dream school, a denial feels like a p…

Understanding the Four Learning Modes (Part 4) – Is Your Student an Explorer?After looking at Passenger, Achiever, and R...
12/26/2025

Understanding the Four Learning Modes (Part 4) – Is Your Student an Explorer?

After looking at Passenger, Achiever, and Resister modes, we arrive at the final part of my four-part series examining the learning modes identified in “The Disengaged Teen” by Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, and how these affect college admission – featuring the Explorer Mode....

After looking at Passenger, Achiever, and Resister modes, we arrive at the final part of my four-part series examining the learning modes identified in “The Disengaged Teen” by Jenny Anderson and …

Understanding the Four Learning Modes (Part 3) – Is Your Student a Resister?In this third part of my four-part series, I...
12/08/2025

Understanding the Four Learning Modes (Part 3) – Is Your Student a Resister?

In this third part of my four-part series, I will examine the Resister more closely and consider why students resist, and how this mode affects college admission....

In this third part of my four-part series, I will examine the Resister more closely and consider why students resist, and how this mode affects college admission.

Understanding the Four Learning Modes (Part 2) – Is Your Student an Achiever?In the second part of this series—examining...
11/24/2025

Understanding the Four Learning Modes (Part 2) – Is Your Student an Achiever?

In the second part of this series—examining the learning modes identified in "The Disengaged Teen" by Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop: Passenger, Achiever, Resister, and Explorer—we’ll look at the Achiever and how this mode affects college admission....

In the second part of this series—examining the learning modes identified in “The Disengaged Teen” by Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop: Passenger, Achiever, Resister, and Explorer—w…

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