David Merson

Prior to attending Cornell Law School, David earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University with a dual concentration in history and biomedical ethics. He then worked for a large law firm in Washington, DC, for a year. Following his graduation from Cornell, he served in the United States Navy as a Judge Advocate for three years on active duty while stationed in Great Lakes, Illinois, and Newport, Rhode Island. Here, he was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal twice. He then worked as an attorney for the U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Service following his military service. After that, he practiced immigration law for over ten years.

After a long legal career, David transitioned into his true passion, higher education, to help students find engaging internships and post-graduation positions and assist them with applications to top law schools. In addition to heading Northeastern’s pre-law office, he taught hundreds of international students in a professionalism and career readiness course designed to prepare them for working in the United States.

Following his work at the Northeastern University admissions office, David ran a program for student veterans at the University of Massachusetts Boston, helping them prepare and gain admittance to highly selective colleges. Having found his niche in providing one-on-one advising, he returned to his alma mater to work as an admissions specialist for the Brown University admission office. At Brown, he was responsible for evaluating thousands of applications and making admissions committee recommendations. He was also responsible for all merit scholarship reviews and has an in-depth understanding of what highly selective schools are looking for when making scholarship decisions.

As a coach, David takes a highly personalized approach to each student. He focuses on understanding their strengths, passions, and natural curiosities by asking about their dream job, how they see themselves practicing law, and what truly inspires them. He then thoughtfully considers the practical steps needed to achieve those goals, guiding students on the best paths forward. 

Known for his humor and practical advice, David expertly navigates the complexities of the law school application process, especially when crafting standout essays. His greatest strength lies in his intuitive ability to uncover the most compelling themes for each student’s application and identify the law schools that are the best fit for their profiles. David has helped over 300 students and graduates get into T-6 and T-14 law schools, including Yale, UPenn, Duke, NYU, Cornell, and UCLA, as well as other prestigious schools like Boston College, Boston University, George Washington, Emory, and Fordham.

Outside of work, David enjoys gardening, regional travel, and attending small-scale music, theater, and sporting events. He is a lifelong Red Sox fan and continues to follow the team closely.