263. IEC PROFILE: Steven Mercer
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Release Date: 11/17/2021
565. GETTING READY FOR THE AP CALCULUS AB OR BC EXAM
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
The Advanced Placement exams represent some of the most challenging subject-specific standardized tests a high schooler might ever take. Amy and Mike believe that every test warrants smart, serious preparation, so we invited educator Shayda Moshirvaziri to share valuable strategies, insights, and resources for getting ready for the AP Calculus AB or BC exam. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is tested on the AP Calculus exam? How important is a calculator on the AP Calculus exam? What are the highest priority topics for this exam? What are the best prep...
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564. GETTING READY FOR THE AP GOVERNMENT EXAM
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
The Advanced Placement exams represent some of the most challenging subject-specific standardized tests a high schooler might ever take. Amy and Mike believe that every test warrants smart, serious preparation, so we invited educator Dan Corrigan to share valuable strategies, insights, and resources for getting ready for the AP United States Government and Politics exam. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is tested on the AP Government and Politics exam? What are the highest priority topics for this exam? How should students prepare for the AP Government? What...
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563. GETTING READY FOR THE AP PHYSICS 1 EXAM
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
The Advanced Placement exams represent some of the most challenging subject-specific standardized tests a high schooler might ever take, and AP Physics 1 is no exception. Amy and Mike believe that every test warrants smart, serious preparation, so we invited educators Jennifer Boughton and John D’Alessandro to share valuable strategies, insights, and resources for getting ready for the AP Physics 1 exam. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is tested on the AP Physics 1 exam and how does it differ from the other physics APs? How important is a calculator on the AP...
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562. TESTING POLICIES AND EDUCATIONAL EQUITY REVISITED
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Theories that standardized testing impeded equity in admissions decisions drove the pandemic-era test optional movement. With a few years of real-world data, we can now examine the accuracy of those theories. Amy and Mike invited student advocate Dr. Yoon Choi to revisit the review of testing policies and educational equity. What are five things you will learn in this episode? 1. What does the research say about testing and equity? 2. How do standardized tests help predict college readiness? 3. Why do many states and school districts in the U.S. use the SAT and ACT tests as part of their...
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561. POWER DYNAMICS IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Students and their families anxiously awaiting acceptance letters often feel helpless throughout the college admissions process. Little do they realize how quickly the advantage can shift in their favor. Amy and Mike invited educator Debra Landesberg to explore the concept of power dynamics in college admissions. What are five things you will learn in this episode? 1. Why are power dynamics worth considering in the admissions process? 2. Who holds the most power before applications are submitted? 3. Who holds the most power once applications are submitted? 4. Who holds the most power once...
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560. BUSTING MYTHS ABOUT HOW TO PAY FOR COLLEGE
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Some rumors about the costs of college are true. For example, some colleges this year will establish record highs in tuition and fees. But does that mean you can trust everything you’ve heard? Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Ann Garcia to bust some pervasive myths about how to pay for college. What are five myths that are busted in this episode? Myth #1: We're not poor and our student isn't an athlete, so we're stuck paying full price for college. Myth #2: I have a 4.6 GPA so I will get merit scholarships wherever I apply. Myth #3: My Student Aid Index/EFC is what it will...
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559. IEC PROFILE: Jennifer Stephan
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Dr. Jennifer Stephan. Jennifer has held a variety of roles across top colleges and universities, including professor, academic dean, and board of admissions member, in addition to serving as a private college counselor, alumni interviewer for Johns Hopkins University, and parent of three. She holds a BS degree in electrical engineering from Johns Hopkins University, as well as an MS and a PhD in electrical and computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon University....
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558. IEC PROFILE: Hanna Stotland
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Hanna Stotland, who flunked out of high school, got a G.E.D., and went on to graduate from Harvard College and Harvard Law School. Since 1999, she has been an independent admissions consultant specializing in educational crisis management, including Title IX, substance abuse and mental illness. Her recent professional presentations include conferences of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, the Higher Education Consultants Association, nine regional...
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557. IEC PROFILE: Carolyn Mulligan
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Carolyn P. Mulligan, who attended Bucknell University, where she graduated with a degree in English Literature. She has been proud to have been a counselor for many years at the Bucknell College Admissions Summer Workshop. She worked in public relations in NYC. She helped to open the Museum of Holography in Soho and worked for the Jamaica Tourist Board. Carolyn is also a professional member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), the...
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556. IEC PROFILE: Alyson Campbell
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Alyson Campbell, a member of Estrela Consulting, a boutique college planning firm in the greater Cleveland, Ohio area. She has worked in various aspects of higher education and consulting over the past decade including college athletics and college admission (Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, OH), application review (The Ohio State University), and now as an IEC with Estrela. Alyson likens her current experience as an IEC to her experience as a former college...
info_outlineReady to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant?
MEET OUR GUEST
Meet Steven Mercer, Ed.D., the founder of Mercer Educational Consulting, a private college counseling practice in Los Angeles, CA. He is an experienced educator with an extensive background in selective college admission, counseling, teaching, and academic and non-profit leadership.
Prior to founding Mercer Educational Consulting he was an admission officer at the University of Southern California. In addition to working with students one-on-one, Dr. Mercer is an Adjunct Faculty in the on-line College Counseling Certificate program at UCSD Extension and works as a consultant to colleges and universities on matters related to college admission. Dr. Mercer has a BA in philosophy from the University of California, Santa Cruz, a MA in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College and an Ed.D.in Educational Leadership from UCLA.
Steve first appeared on this podcast in episode 156 to discuss Transparency in College Admissions.
Find Steven at https://mercered.com.
ABOUT THIS PODCAST
Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.