SCHOOL COUNSELOR RESOURCES

High school counselors, transfer coordinators, international agents, independent counselors, and other enrollment consultants are essential partners in helping students assess their educational opportunities and navigate the admissions process. We appreciate the important role you play in helping your students navigate the college application process and determine whether Mercyhurst is the right fit for them. This webpage compiles some essential information about Mercyhurst that we hope you will find useful as you continue to assist your students. 

Mercyhurst University Profile

Mercyhurst University is an accredited, four-year, Catholic, liberal arts institution originally founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1926. In our near-100 year history, Mercyhurst has earned a reputation as a thriving, cutting-edge university equipped with the academic programs, learning facilities, and faculty to deliver a quality 21st century education.

Today, we are home to more than 3,300 students, offering more than 86 undergraduate majors, 13 graduate programs, and a variety of post-baccalaureate and non-degree opportunities.

Our 75-acre main campus is located on a wooded hillside in Erie, Pennsylvania, overlooking beautiful Lake Erie. We’re approximately 100 miles from Cleveland, Ohio, and Buffalo, New York, and 130 miles north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Mercyhurst has received national recognitions, including:

• U.S. News & World Report: Best Value in the North Region
• U.S. News & World Report: Top-Tier University in the North Region
• U.S. News & World Report: Best Colleges for Veterans
• Money Magazine: Best Colleges for Your Money
• Money Magazine: Top 50 Most Affordable Private Colleges in the Nation
• Money.com: Best Colleges in America
• Career Development College of Distinction
• Catholic College of Distinction (eight consecutive years)
• President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership
• Purple Heart University distinction

Recruitment Materials

Applying to Mercyhurst

Mercyhurst's application process is simple and straighforward. Here’s what’s required from all applicants:

• Free online application
• Self-reported high school grades
• Personal statement or writing sample

Mercyhurst also accepts the Common Application and the Coalition Application. Letters of recommendation and/or official high school transcripts may be required from some applicants. Auditions are required for students applying to the Dance or Music programs. IELTS, PTE , TOEFL, TOEFL Essentials or Duolingo scores are required of international students. 

Mercyhurst is a test-optional university and does not require applicants to submit scores from standardized tests such as the SAT or the ACT, but test scores are strongly recommended for merit-based scholarship consideration.

To expedite admissions decisions, Mercyhurst accepts self-reported high school grades on the undergraduate application. Admissions decisions are contingent on verification of the student’s academic record; most admitted students will be required to submit final high school transcripts before enrolling.

Mercyhurst accepts students on a rolling basis.

• Our recommended application deadline is March 1.
• Offers of admission are released on a weekly basis beginning in late September.
• Admitted students are strongly encouraged to confirm their enrollment by May 1.

Once students are admitted, they must pay a $250 nonrefundable enrollment deposit to officially confirm their enrollment at Mercyhurst.

Campus Visits

The best way to get to know Mercyhurst is by experiencing our campus; prospective students are encouraged to sign up for an individual campus visit. We host several open houses and preview days throughout the year, and personal campus visits are available Monday through Friday.

Find Us on the Road

Our admissions counselors make numerous visits to high schools, college fairs, and other events throughout the country during the fall and spring. Check out their upcoming visits below. Your school’s admissions representative is available to answer any questions, provide more information, or schedule a visit to your location.

Student Outcomes

Our outcomes show that Mercyhurst alumni are thriving in their professional and personal lives when compared with grads from other institutions. As impressive as our students’ outcomes are, we’re equally proud of the spirit of our university that makes it all possible. From the moment students arrive on campus, their successes are our highest priority. That’s why professors, advisors, and mentors go out of their way to get to know each student—their interests, strengths, and goals. That’s why we prize a culture of responsive, encouraging mentorship that lifts students to heights that once seemed out of reach. And that’s why faculty teach 100 percent of classes. Students will never have a class taught by a graduate or teaching assistant.

Every Laker graduates with more than a degree. A Mercyhurst education prepares our grads with resumes of valuable experiences and the essential abilities — to engage in critical and creative thinking, to research complex issues and innovate to solve challenges, and to write effectively and speak persuasively — prized by employers in today’s idea- and service-driven economy.

• Starting in the first year, the Office of Career and Professional Development will help students begin building their portfolios for professional networking and connect them with internship opportunities.
• Students regularly collaborate with faculty and peers on long-term research studies and projects, and frequently present their findings at notable national conferences.
• 85 percent of our pre-professional students were accepted into health professional programs — 25 percent above the national average.
• Our pre-law political science students have a more than 20-year-long record of 100 percent placement in law schools across the country, including Boston College, Michigan, and California-Davis.

Accelerated Scholars Program

Designed for high-achieving high school juniors, the Accelerated Scholars Program provides students the opportunity to earn a semester’s worth of college credits by taking authentic Mercyhurst courses during their junior and senior years in high school.

Students enroll in online Mercyhurst courses taught exclusively by esteemed faculty, earn transferrable college credits, and make modest monthly payments automatically charged to a credit or debit card. In addition, the credits may be eligible for dual enrollment at the student’s high school. Finally, students who later enroll at Mercyhurst will be eligible for a scholarship that effectively covers the costs associated with Accelerated Scholars. This means students can complete an entire semester of coursework before ever setting foot on campus while paying less for a college degree.

Transfer and Testing (AP, IB) Credits

Thanks to our flexible REACH Curriculum, the majority of the college and university credits that students have already earned—through undergraduate studies, dual enrollment, or testing—will fulfill core requirements for Mercyhurst degree programs. 

As a fully accredited institution, Mercyhurst accepts most transfer credits from other accredited colleges and universities. In general, the credits earned for courses in which students have received a grade of “C” or higher will transfer to Mercyhurst. For students transferring from a community or junior college, Mercyhurst can accept a maximum of 60 credits, while students enrolling from four-year colleges or universities can transfer up to 80 credits. Credits earned for orientation, practicum experiences, internships, and student teaching do not transfer.

University credits can also be earned through students’ performance on Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) exams. Generally, students must score a 4 or 5 on their AP exams to receive university credits. 

Using Slate.org

Slate.org is a free tool for school counselors, independent counselors, and community-based organizations to maintain awareness of where students reside in the admissions process, and conveniently and securely submit materials directly to institutions. Slate.org is designed to provide a stronger relationship between school counselors and admissions offices by keeping everyone on the same page with your students' best interests at heart.

Mercyhurst's implementation of Slate.org will allow you to use the platform to monitor your students’ statuses, submit missing application materials (transcripts, letters of recommendation, and other needed materials), and check students’ final enrollment decisions. 

To register as a Slate.org user, visit Slate.org and click the “Register” link in the main toolbar. If you experience issues registering, contact their office at info@slate.org. One member of your school will be designated to manage permissions. If you have previously submitted documents through the Common Application, you are pre-approved for a Slate.org account.

Mercyhurst Admissions prefers to receive application-related documents electronically — whether it’s through Common App, Naviance, Parchment or a similar platform. Even if you typically use one of these platforms, there may be times you find you need to submit a corrected transcript or other non-standard document. For those of you with other options, Slate.org is simply another option and a great way to submit that information securely. If you work at a school that does not have access to electronic document submission, Slate.org will provide this functionality.

Start Earning Scholarships

Mercyhurst partners with RaiseMe to offer high school students the opportunity to start earning micro-scholarships during their high school years. As early as freshman year in high school, your students can earn scholarship money for achievements in academics, sports, clubs, volunteer activities, and more. For students who enroll at Mercyhurst, the earned money will convert to scholarships, representing the minimum amount of financial aid they’ll receive in college. Students can begin fundraising via Mercyhurst's RaiseMe platform.