Students often wonder if their involvements outside of the classroom are impressive enough to help them get into a highly selective college. Is the boy who spends his weekends at yo-yo competitions more striking to the admissions committee than the girl who sits by a tree and writes poetry on Sunday afternoons? It’s all about the ways in which these students choose to present themselves. So, let’s think about the question this way: What do the Ivies and other highly selective colleges want to learn from a student’s extracurricular activities? What kind of people do these colleges seek?

Sure, you’ve got the grades and test scores, but so do lots of other students—and most of them get rejected from Ivy League universities. What, then, is the secret recipe to gain Ivy League acceptance? College Coach consultant, and former Babson and Holy Cross admissions officer, Kimberly Asselta explains in this installment of the video series, Ask the College Admissions Expert.

We all know the names: Harvard, Yale, Stanford, etc. The most selective colleges in the country are a challenge for even straight-A students to get into. If you’re aiming for admission to an Ivy League college, or college of similar selectivity, earning good grades is no longer enough. What, then, are the top colleges looking for? College Coach consultant and former University of Pennsylvania admissions officer, Elizabeth Heaton, tells us in this free webinar offered by our test prep partner, Revolution Prep. This program offers a sneak peek behind the curtain of an Ivy League admissions office, explains what’s important in the highly selective college admissions process, and offers tips for you to improve your chances of acceptance to a top school.

Watch Elizabeth’s webinar, “Insider’s Guide to Admissions at the Top 2% of Schools,” here.

In the final installment of her Huffington Post series, “Who Gets Into Harvard?,” College Coach admissions consultant and former University of Pennsylvania admissions officer Elizabeth Heaton encourages you not to apply to an Ivy League college. “What?,” you may be thinking. Isn’t it at least worth a shot? Maybe not, says Beth. Find out why here.

If you have Ivy League aspirations and have been following Elizabeth Heaton’s Huffington Post series, “Who Gets Into Harvard?,” you know you’ve got your work cut out for you. Gaining admission to one of the world’s most selective universities is (cue understatement of the year…) challenging. Beth has covered what the Ivy League colleges are looking for in terms of academics, test scores, extracurriculars, summer activities, distinguishing excellence, letters of recommendation, and essays, but what else can you do? Find out in the latest installment of “Who Gets Into Harvard?”

How on earth do you make your essay stand out from the crowd at the most selective universities?  What exactly is it that Ivy League admissions officers are looking for in a college application essay?

Who is the protagonist in the novel Beloved, by Toni Morrison? Oh wait, that’s a question for an AP Literature class, not a college admissions interview question. Though many students do fret unnecessarily over the interview at Ivy League schools and other selective colleges and believe they need to prepare for it similarly to an AP exam. Like Sethe, the protagonist of Beloved, who is proud, independent, and devoted, all you truly need to do for a college interview is show up and be yourself. You already have all of the answers within you.

Hard-working. Conscientious. Diligent. Receiving a teacher recommendation chock full of words like these sounds like a recipe for college admissions success, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, not if you’re applying to an Ivy League or similarly selective university. Former University of Pennsylvania admissions officer, Elizabeth Heaton, lets us know what Ivy League admissions readers are looking for in a recommendation letter in the latest installment of her Huffington Post series, “Who Gets Into Harvard?”

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?

What Summer Activities Do Ivy League Colleges Look For?

As summer approaches, many students with Ivy League aspirations are wondering what they can do with their summer vacation to make their college applications stand out from the crowd.