Penn and Heights Philadelphia Launch New College Admission Course for Philadelphia High Schoolers
The University of Pennsylvania Admissions Office (Penn Admissions) and Heights Philadelphia (Heights) are excited to announce the launch of the College App Classroom, a new in-person college admissions course that will be available to high school students across the School District of Philadelphia beginning this fall. This free, modular program features 28 lessons across five units designed to give students practical skills and knowledge for navigating the admissions process, from writing strong personal essays and understanding financial aid to finding the right college fit and completing application requirements. To help simplify the process for schools bringing the course to life, the College App Classroom is packaged as a digital toolkit that includes lesson plans, slides, worksheets, a facilitator guide, and three representative case studies that students follow throughout the curriculum.
Proven Success Through Pilots
College App Classroom builds on two years of successful pilots that reached nearly 1,000 students at seven School District of Philadelphia schools and through the Penn Rising Scholar Success Academy (Penn RSSA). In collaboration with school administrators, Heights staff led the curriculum sequence in partner schools across the District, while the Penn RSSA pilot offered an assortment of lessons during a summer program—showcasing the flexible, modular nature of the course. Together, these pilots demonstrated the program's ability to support students throughout the academic year and beyond, laying the groundwork for this year's expansion.
Why It Matters
“At Heights, we are working with partners like the University of Pennsylvania, to create greater access to pathways to economic mobility for Philadelphia youth,” said Sean Vereen, President, Heights Philadelphia. “The College App Classroom course is designed to guide students and families through the challenging and often too complicated college application process. This effort is fundamental to our goal of putting these resources and tools in the hands of students, schools, in our community so that young people have what they need to reach new heights.”
“When Penn sat down to update our Applying to College 101 course two years ago, we found an opportunity to build something entirely new with Heights that has the potential to really move the needle on college access in Philadelphia and beyond,” said Whitney Soule, Vice Provost and Dean of Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania. “We've received overwhelmingly positive feedback from students and facilitators who tell us that the course helps them better understand, manage, and navigate what has become an increasingly complex and stressful process of applying to college. We hope to continue expanding access to this resource and to connecting with any schools interested in learning more about the College App Classroom.”
Building on Applying to College 101
The College App Classroom builds on Applying to College 101, Penn Admissions and Heights' free online course that has reached nearly 10,000 students worldwide since 2023. By combining Penn's admissions expertise with Heights' deep knowledge of college and career pathways, the program offers accessible, practical guidance for first-generation and low-income students while providing valuable support for students and families of all backgrounds.
