Durack's A Smart Choice For Ladies

“I never thought I was Harvard-smart - I don’t think even now I am Harvard-smart!” Everton Ladies goalkeeper Lizzie Durack is being modest. A Bachelor Arts degree in economics, with a minor in neurobiology, from one of the world’s finest educational institutes suggests she is a little smarter than she admits.

- Hamish Dufton

It’s an extraordinary accomplishment to even just get into Harvard. Around 36,000 hopefuls apply each year, and in 2012, Durack was one of them. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, it was she herself who emailed the coaches at the American university with a summary of her time with the Western Sydney Wanderers and footage of her playing in goal for Australia’s Under-17s side, hoping her footballing exploits would give her an edge. You see, it’s not just enough to be smart when it comes to Harvard, you need something else to bring to the table.

Thankfully, football did the trick, and in September 2013, she arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, ready to embark on her journey.

So, is Harvard just like we all imagine it to be? “In many ways, yes, and many ways, no,” Durack smiles. “There are some students there who are brilliant, brilliant people and not just smart. I’m not saying this to toot my own horn but soccer was a huge part of why I got in, and I say that because everyone who goes to Harvard is the smartest person in his or her school. That’s a given so you can’t just be smart, you have to have something else that gets you in because only 1,600 people get in every year. Being able to manage soccer and academics was my selling point.