Young Scholars get flavor of college life in H.S.

They sport backpacks and notebooks just like their undergraduate companions. They volunteer questions and comments in class and turn in their assignments. They struggle to pull all-nighters. Yet, for Penn's Young Scholars, college life is anything but ordinary.

Young Scholars, a program through Penn's College of General Studies, draws gifted area high school students to campus and allows them to take one class per semester, where they both learn from and compete against regular students.

"I think a lot of local high school students know about Penn and are afraid of it," said Rosalie Guzofsky, director of professional programs and summer sessions for CGS. "They're usually very surprised when they find out there's an opportunity for them to attend Penn as high school students."

This is precisely the goal of Young Scholars -- to give students who may not have considered a Penn education the chance to glimpse Ivy League life. Juniors and seniors who attend Philadelphia public high schools, if qualified academically, can enter Young Scholars free of charge. Those who attend school outside the city or who attend private schools are still eligible, but pay CGS tuition.

And Young Scholars receive actual college credit. "We give the credit," Guzofsky said. "It's up to the school to which students are applying to accept that credit appropriately." Still, "most schools accept Penn credit."

Young Scholars take college courses for a variety of reasons. Some have been homeschooled, others are simply not challenged enough at their high schools and a few are simply eager to delve deeper into a particular subject that has always fascinated them.

Many students who are accepted into Young Scholars hail from city high schools. Certain schools are bigger feeders -- among them George Washington, Central and Masterman high schools, as well as the Philadelphia High School for Girls.

Still, high schools more local to campus, such as University City and West Philadelphia high schools, also send students to the program. Young Scholars is also linked with Upward Bound -- a Penn program that helps prepare local underprivileged high school students for college.

Laura Lukasewycz, a College junior who attended Central High School in North Philadelphia, was a Young Scholar her senior year of high school.

"I wish I had started doing it earlier than senior year," Lukasewycz said. "It gave me a chance to take a class that I may not have considered taking while an undergrad, because it was so far removed from my intended major."

And Lukasewycz got a first taste of college life. "I don't know if I was necessarily more prepared in terms of study skills because of the classes, but I had my first taste of pulling an all-nighter to finish a final paper. I knew that was something I wanted to steer clear of doing in college."

According to Guzofsky, high school students selected for Young Scholars make for excellent Penn students.

"The faculty love having high school students in class. They bring a fresh eye -- they're not shy. They are more motivated students, because they're doing this in addition to their regular high school load."

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