The college application process can be daunting for any high-school student. For a student in Philadelphia’s public schools disadvantaged by a lack of resources, the process can seem especially intimidating.
That’s why we’re glad Mayor Michael Nutter recently announced plans to create a college office on the first floor of City Hall, expanding his PhillyGoes2College Initiative. The new office — offering resources such as SAT preparation and financial aid advice — will be a valuable support system for students who wish to pursue higher education. And while the percentage of Philadelphia youth going on to college is unlikely to increase overnight, the college office will hopefully increase the number of Philadelphia high-school students who matriculate at colleges in the long run.
We hope Penn’s Admissions Office will use the planned city college office to enhance its outreach to local high-school students. The University should make information about Penn available to those using the office, and should work with the city to encourage Philadelphia youth to use its resources.
Penn organizations should also work with the college office to supplement their involvement in the Philadelphia education system. The Netter Center for Community Partnerships, as well as student groups such as the West Philadelphia Tutoring Project, are already involved in improving educational opportunities for high schoolers in the city. These groups could refer the students they work with to the college office in order to further encourage them to seek out higher education.
