About Dr. Mercer
I founded Mercer Educational Consulting after more than two decades of working with students in a variety of settings across the globe. After thinking about my own college experience and reflecting on my lifelong work as a professional educator, I realized that my true calling is working one-on-one with students and their families on their college application process. My mission is to help each student make the best of their high school experience, apply to colleges that fit them as individuals, and transition successfully to college.
In addition to seeing students in private practice, I am Adjunct Faculty in the online College Counseling Certificate program at UCSD Extension where I train professional college counselors from around the world. I have also served as Adjunct Faculty in the Doctoral program in Educational Leadership at the California Lutheran University. I frequently work as a consultant to Offices of Admission at a select number of colleges across the country.
Prior to founding Mercer Educational Consulting, I was a professional admission officer at the selective University of Southern California. I read thousands of applications and essays; interviewed students across the country; and helped make scholarship decisions for the most prestigious and generous scholarships offered by the University.
My work in college admission counseling also includes experience as the Director of College Counseling at Shalhevet High School, a private school in Los Angeles that regularly sends graduates to highly selective universities around the world.
I have also held leadership positions at major universities, such as managing the $10 million Teachers for a New Era initiative at the California State University, Northridge. As the Executive Director of the USC Hillel Foundation, I led an organization that represented over 3500 college students. While serving as the founding Director of the College Campus Initiative, I helped thousands of college students throughout the Southern California region become involved in national and statewide politics. I have experience in gap-year and experiential education, first at the Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning in Denver, and later as the Project Leader for Youth Challenge International in Costa Rica.
Education
Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, University of California, Los Angeles M.A. in Human Development, Pacific Oaks College, Pasadena, CA B.A. in Philosophy from the University of California, Santa Cruz
Professional Memberships
National Association of College Admission Counseling Independent Educational Consultants Association – Professional Member
- Chair, Government Relations Committee 2019 - 2021
- Board of Directors, VP of Ethics & Chair of Board Development 2015 – 2018
- Faculty, Summer Training Institute 2014, 2015 & 2016
- Strategic Planning Committee 2014 – 2015
Western Association of College Admission Counseling
- Executive Board Member 2012-2014
- Chair, Government Relations Committee 2012-2014
- Chair, Task Force on Independent Educational Consultants 2014
ONLINE SERVICES
I work with students from across the United States and around the world. All my services are available online. Students will find online sessions as convenient and personalized as if we were in the office together.
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RECENT POSTS
In my years as a college admission counselor, I’ve witnessed countless high school students approach my office with the same worried expression. They present meticulously crafted lists of extracurricular activities—often an impressive but exhausting array of clubs, volunteer positions, and leadership roles. And then comes the inevitable question: “Is this enough to get me into my dream school?”
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The logic seems straightforward: if I haven’t heard of it, it can’t be very good. Students and families often treat college selection like a popularity contest, where recognition determines worth.
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Many families approach college counseling with the misconception that an advisor’s role is to simply tell the student what to do to gain admission to a “better” college than they could if they were to apply on their own: Which extracurriculars will give them an edge?
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In the previous post, we examined how college offers far more than job training or prestige. This second installment of “The Hidden Purpose” series will focus on uncovering how high school similarly contains hidden values that go unnoticed when viewed merely as a college admissions strategy.
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