Top Tier AdmissionsMaria Laskaris joins Top Tier Admissions as one of the most experienced admissions deans in the country. She graduated from Dartmouth College in 1984, and served as Director of Admissions at Dartmouth for over a decade where she evaluated tens of thousands of applicants. From 2007-2015 she served as the Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Dartmouth, overseeing all facets of the admissions and financial aid processes. She played an integral role in developing key enhancements to the Common Application, serving on the 14-member Board of Directors. With over 25 years of admissions experience at one of the most selective colleges in the country, she provides an insider’s perspective like no other, with deep knowledge of selective college admissions.
In addition, Maria is proud of her long-term volunteer work with Opera North (Lebanon, NH) in fundraising, marketing and audience engagement. She is an avid masters rower with the Upper Valley Rowing Foundation (Hanover, NH) and also serves as a member of its board of directors.
The 2026 college admissions cycle has seen acceptance rates plummet to unprecedented lows, particularly among top-tier institutions. As former Dean of Admissions at Dartmouth, here’s how I read between the lines of these numbers — and what it means for your family. Is Anybody Getting In? The overall acceptance rates at a range of the […]
The early admissions season, which spans from mid-October to mid-February, is proving once again to be a volatile landscape for applicants. While transparency remains a challenge as several elite private universities continue to withhold real-time data, the publicly available numbers for the Class of 2030 reveal a clear theme: the test score requirement is a […]
The term “Ivy League” often dominates discussions regarding elite undergraduate education in the United States, immediately conjuring images of eight highly selective, historic institutions in the northeast. While these universities are undeniably prestigious, it’s important to recognize that the landscape of world-class academic excellence extends globally. Read on to learn more about the “International Ivies,” […]
As the former Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Dartmouth College, I remember the endless days and nights of reading applications, fueled by coffee and passion. Those of us with long careers in selective admissions considered the nuance of your voice, the depth of your experience, and the fit for our university community as […]
Recent news and trends in higher education paint a picture of an industry under immense pressure, with selective college admissions at the center of a perfect storm. From legal battles and new federal directives to significant budget cuts and institutional shifts, the landscape is changing at a rapid pace. Universities nationwide are facing a period […]
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