About

“I cannot say enough superlatives about working with Jacqueline during the college admissions process. My daughter loved every minute and was so appreciative of all the edits and comments on her college essays. We are thrilled that she had so many excellent options when admissions decisions arrived, including her dream school.”

Duke University Parent

Jacqueline Leppla, founder of Higher Ed Advice, is passionate about helping students achieve their college admission goals. She brings marketing, public relations, and reputation management skills to help college applicants shine.

With nine years as an alumni interviewer for Harvard College and experience interviewing hundreds of applicants for corporate positions in various roles, Jacqueline brings a wealth of insight into how students can emphasize their strengths in both written essays and in-person interviews.

In 2011, Jacqueline founded the Harvard Club of Northern Nevada and the Sierra and subsequently launched the Harvard Prize Book award in Reno, Nevada. As chair of the Prize Book Committee, she reviewed and evaluated over two hundred Common Application essays, gaining a strong understanding of what makes a standout application.

Jacqueline’s educational background includes:

  • Harvard Business School, MBA

  • University of California, Berkeley, BA

Her guidance has helped students gain admission to institutions such as:

  • Babson College

  • Baylor University

  • Boston College

  • Carnegie Mellon University

  • Chapman University

  • Columbia University

  • Duke University

  • Florida State University

  • Fordham University

  • Georgia Institute of Technology

  • Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

  • Lehigh University

  • Loyola University School of Medicine

  • Pennsylvania State University

  • Pepperdine University

  • Princeton University

  • Purdue University

  • Santa Clara University

  • Stanford University

  • Temple (Schools of Law and Medicine)

  • Thomas Jefferson School of Medicine

  • Tufts University

  • UC Berkeley

  • UC Irvine School of Medicine

  • UCLA

  • UC Santa Barbara

  • UC San Diego

  • University of Michigan

  • University of Minnesota

  • University of Pennsylvania

  • University of San Diego

  • University of South Florida

  • University of the Pacific

  • UT Medical Branch, Galveston

  • University of Washington

  • University of Wisconsin, Madison

From college to graduate school, Higher Ed Advice provides steady, practical guidance shaped by experience.