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With 12 years of experience leading a law school admissions office as Assistant Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, Kristen draws from a remarkable depth of admissions expertise in her consulting work with applicants as well as institutions of higher education.
As a J.D. Admissions Consultant and Chief Operating Officer of Spivey Consulting Group, Kristen works both one-on-one with applicants as well as directly with university administrations to help improve their admissions operations, career outcomes, and more.
Prior to joining Spivey Consulting Group, Kristen was a practicing attorney and respected admissions professional.
Her experience at UC Davis Law spanned the full range of duties involved in leading a law school admissions office.
Kristen enjoys assisting and encouraging prospective law students of all backgrounds, and she has a particular passion for supporting students from underrepresented backgrounds navigating the law school admissions process, a commitment that her professional history illustrates.
A first-generation law school graduate, Kristen earned her A.B. with honors in psychology from the University of Chicago prior to returning to earn her JD. While a law student, she worked in the Mental Health Advocacy Project in Chicago Law’s clinical program for two years and externed in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
Kristen spends her free time volunteering with charitable organizations that aim to increase access to higher education. A native of Chicago, she is a proud “dog mom” to rescue pup Beatrice, whose frequent misbehavior she attributes to no one but herself.
I worked with Kristen Mercado and had a great experience with Spivey. As a mid-career applicant, I didn’t have many people in my life I could bounce ideas off of or ask to look over my essays, so I really appreciated having a second opinion and an extra set of eyes on my applications before I submitted them. Kristen also helped course-correct me a few times when I was going in the wrong direction on a particular essay or application component, based on an admissions officer’s perspective, which I never would have thought of on my own. She was also very helpful in answering the random questions I had throughout the process, especially as unexpected issues came up. I can’t say for sure whether working with a consultant changed my results in the end, but at the very least, it made the process significantly more manageable, which for me was 100% worth it. I ended up getting accepted to three T-14s as a low-GPA/high-LSAT splitter, and I’m completely satisfied with my results.
With years of admissions experience and a personalized approach, we are here to guide you through the process and help you present your strongest application. Reach out today to get started.
