Top Tier AdmissionsAs Assistant Director of Admissions, Heidi evaluated and made executive decisions on 7,000+ undergraduate applications to Cornell University’s College of Arts & Sciences. With additional experience in the admissions offices of Dartmouth College and Temple University, she brings deep insight into the review process at highly selective institutions. Heidi’s admissions experience is complemented by a 15-year career in communications and publishing. As Medical Editor at Cambridge University Press and Science Editor at Cornell University Press, Heidi collaborated with STEM faculty and physician authors to bring dozens of books to successful publication. Heidi now enjoys using both her firsthand admissions experience and editorial skills to advise students on how to distinguish themselves in the admissions process.
After attending Castilleja School in Palo Alto, California, Heidi graduated cum laude with an Honors thesis from Dartmouth College as a double major in Classical Archaeology and Comparative Literature. At the University of Pennsylvania, Heidi was a Williams Fellow in the graduate program of Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World. She has conducted archaeological field work in Sardinia, Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey.
With the launch of the digital SAT in March 2024 and the more recent updates to the ACT in April 2025 (both of which introduced significant changes to test formats) the standardized testing landscape is more uncertain than ever. At Top Tier Admissions, we’ve received a steady stream of questions about these shifts, so we’re […]
As students review, prep, and caffeinate their way through AP exam season and other end-of-school-year demands, it is worth stepping back to look at recent developments in the AP world—and what actually matters most about APs. Unlike the ACT or SAT which can be easily retaken, AP exams are offered just once a year, making […]
Policies regarding standardized testing in college admissions have shifted dramatically in recent years. Many schools adopted test-optional or test-blind policies for the SAT and ACT during the COVID-19 pandemic, and recently this has been followed by a return to test-required policies among Ivy League institutions and a general shift towards test-preferred admissions. Yet the value […]
One major benefit of applying to college during the early rounds is receiving an admissions decision ahead of the regular timeline. But what does it mean if you receive a deferral rather than a concrete acceptance or denial? WHAT DOES DEFERRED MEAN? For students who take advantage of the early admissions rounds, there are four […]
Soaring application numbers and plummeting admission rates are the new normal, but nowhere is this national trend more severe than in undergraduate computer science (CS) departments. The number of students earning a bachelor’s degree in computer and information sciences has more than doubled over the last decade. At many colleges and universities, student demand for […]
The Senior Year Roadmap
Every deadline from August to May – test dates, applications. decisions – in one place. Signup to download the full 9-page Senior Year Roadmap (PDF)