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 an acceptance rate of just 4.8%, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)—the Cambridge-based STEM and Engineering powerhouse—has a lower acceptance rate than most Ivies. For the Class of 2027, only 1,291 students were admitted from among 26,914 applicants. This level of selectivity is even more striking considering that applying to MIT requires a special […]
A formal on-campus college interview with an admissions officer was once a rite of passage for aspiring college applicants. Today, with the huge rise in application numbers coupled with enhanced attention to equity, many fewer schools offer interviews directly with their admissions office staff. And to downplay associated stress, interviews are often now called “chats,” […]
Most students who are placed on a waitlist will remain there—only a strategic and fortunate few will move forward to become members of that college’s incoming class. What makes that difference? And what can you do to increase the odds of success if you have been offered a spot on the waitlist? COLLEGE WAITLISTS: THE […]
Visiting colleges during your high school spring break allows you to see the university in session, filled with students engaged in their activities, and campus culture on full display. While summer can be a more convenient travel time, most colleges are sleepy places during their long annual break when there are fewer students around (or […]
If you were denied admission by your early round target school, you are not alone. Schools such as UVA (up 4.4% for Early Decision 1) are reporting increasing numbers of early round applications. This in turn means record-low early decision (ED) acceptance rates. It was once customary for schools to defer most ED applicants who […]
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)