Top Tier AdmissionsEliza has years of experience at Top Tier Admissions, helping students gain admittance to top-flight colleges and pioneering the Writing Center. She holds a B.A. in English with Honors and Distinction from Stanford University, where she was a two-time recipient of Stanford’s Rebele Journalism Fellowship. She earned her MA and PhD in English Literature at the University of Virginia. Prior to working at Top Tier, Eliza taught in UVa’s English Department and its Academic and Professional Writing Program. The effectiveness of her teaching and her commitment to her students earned her multiple awards, including the All-University Graduate Teaching Award and honors from UVa’s Seven Society. Eliza’s own writing has appeared in publications ranging from academic journals to The Philadelphia Inquirer. She also has experience in publishing, digital humanities, and study abroad programming.
Several years ago, we offered a deep dive into UVA, Virginia’s flagship university, my graduate school alma mater, a well-known “Public Ivy,” and recently crowned “New Ivy.” But as Virginia residents (like me) know well, UVA is hardly the only college in the state. In fact, Virginia is home to a number of excellent universities, […]
Last year, there were over one million international scholars enrolled in U.S. colleges, drawn by the promise of an excellent education and increased professional opportunities. For students coming to the U.S. from abroad, however, applying to these schools can feel incredibly complicated, especially as application processes often differ from those in their home countries. Here, […]
For many seniors, the coming months seem like a time to relax. You’ve submitted your applications, checked your portals, and now you are waiting for your results to roll in. Those of you who have heard good news from your Early Decision and Early Action schools can start looking forward to your freshman year of […]
Each year, as I work with my students to explore their colleges of interest, several of them ask me about my undergraduate experiences at Stanford University. I’m always happy to share my memories of the school, which range from fountain hopping as a nervous freshman to taking the train up to San Francisco to explore […]
There’s nothing more intimidating than a blank page. For students, and even for professional writers, the idea of diving into a new essay or piece of writing can be even more overwhelming. Personal statements and other college essays often feel particularly fraught, as they are some of the most important pieces of writing high school […]
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