President Amy Gutmann recently sat down with about 40 top-ranking students at North Philadelphia's Central High School to talk about college admissions and financial aid.
Gutmann's visit to Central was the first stop on her nationwide high school tour -- which is still being planned -- where she will speak to mostly middle- and low-income students. The goal is to let these students know that a Penn education can indeed be a viable option.
In an attempt to keep to her promise of increasing access to the University, Gutmann said that the purpose of the student talks is "to lower some of the perceived barriers [to a Penn education] that aren't really there."
She added, "The goal is to empower students by having them know more about the opportunities that exist in universities like Penn that have need-based financial aid."
While at Central, Gutmann spoke with seniors interested in applying to Penn as well as high-achieving juniors.
Although Central sends approximately 30 to 40 students from its nearly 600-member graduating class to Penn each year, Gutmann noted that she would like to visit a mix of traditional feeder schools as well as schools where few students even consider the University.
According to Central senior Alina Ispas, the main goals of Gutmann's talk were to "demystify the whole college application process for students ... and of course promote Penn."
Ispas, who was admitted early decision to the University, was impressed by the way Gutmann interacted with the students.
"She was very open. She wanted to talk to students and hear what they were thinking, not just [have them] listen to her lecture," Ispas said.
"We asked a lot of questions. We ran over her time probably," she added.
Gutmann stressed that her main purpose was not to recruit for Penn, but rather to publicize more generally the opportunities that exist at the most prestigious universities across the nation.
She noted that one student asked if Ivy League schools welcomed students of different religions.
"What we take for granted, a lot of students who aren't as well connected ... don't take for granted," Gutmann said. "They really don't know."
Central President Sheldon Pavel commented on the balance of Gutmann's talk.
"She was both an advocate for the University and an advocate for bright young people following their dreams," he said.
Pavel also noted the rarity of a University president making a personal appearance before students. Gutmann is the only one to visit the school.
Gutmann said, "There are many places where it helps to see a representative from Penn say, 'If you can get in here, we want you.'"
She added, "If you're going to have opportunity, you have to know the opportunity exists."
The string of high school visits will coincide with Gutmann's alumni tour -- during which she will visit Penn grads in various cities to keep them updated on the state of the University.
Gutmann's alumni tour will eventually hit Chicago, New York, Washington, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Once the tour is complete, she may visit more local schools.
Gutmann also noted that she would like to speak with fewer seniors and more sophomores during her talks.
"I really want [to target] students who are early enough in their high school careers that this can make a difference to them," Gutmann said, adding that she may even want to visit some elementary schools.
