College Admissions Consulting Seriously, Who Gets Into Harvard? Part 3 Written by Elizabeth Heatonon April 15th, 2017 I began my admissions career at the University of Pennsylvania, where I chaired university selection committees, evaluated potential athletic recruits as one of the school's athletics liaisons, and oversaw the university's portfolio of admissions publications. I also served as second chair in the selection committee for the school's flagship interdisciplinary Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology. A frequent contributor to USA TODAY and The Huffington Post and a graduate of Cornell University, I bring exceptional skills to the craft of essay writing paired with experience reading and evaluating thousands of admissions essays. I can offer expert advice on a wide range of college admissions topics, from colleges' expectations for high school curriculum choices and standardized test scores to choosing the right extracurricular activities and essay topics. Prior to joining the University of Pennsylvania, I worked as a public relations professional and served for a decade as a member of the Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network. Learn More About Elizabeth extracurricular activities, harvard, how to get into an ivy league school, ivy league, If you’ve been following Elizabeth Heaton’s Huffington Post series Who Gets Into Harvard?, you know that a stellar high school transcript and equally compelling standardized test scores are crucial ingredients in a successful bid for admission to an Ivy League college, but are high grades and SAT scores enough? No. The most selective colleges are also looking for involvement outside the classroom, but what kind of extracurricular activities are they looking for? Is community service valued more than sports? And how important is playing a leadership role? Read the next installment in Beth’s series, What Extracurricular Activities Do Ivy League Colleges Look For?, to find out. Related Resources Read | Posted on April 29th, 2025 Navigating the Ethical Use of AI Tools in College Admissions Read | Posted on April 22nd, 2025 Demystifying Liberal Arts: What They Are and Aren't Read | Posted on March 11th, 2025 Does a Teen Need to File a Tax Return?