College Admissions Consulting Seriously, Who Gets Into Harvard? Part 5 Written by Elizabeth Heatonon July 26th, 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 distinguishing excellence, harvard, how to get into an ivy league school, ivy league, What Kind of Hook Do I Need to Get Accepted to an Ivy League College? You’ve been following Elizabeth Heaton’s Huffington Post series on highly selective college admission, “Who Gets Into Harvard?” and think the odds may be in your favor. You’ve got the grades, the test scores, the extracurriculars, and the summer activities—you’re in, right? Not so fast. Do you know what your Distinguishing Excellence is? Or even what a Distinguishing Excellence is? Find out in Beth’s latest article: “What Kind of Hook Do I Need to Get Accepted to an Ivy League College?” Related Resources Read | Posted on May 20th, 2025 What is Demonstrated Interest? 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
