“The College App Classroom” will be available for high school students at up to eight School District of Philadelphia schools, building on Heights’ and Penn’s previous partnerships on college admissions programming
August 29, 2025 (Philadelphia) – Heights Philadelphia (“Heights”) and the University of Pennsylvania Admissions Office (“Penn Admissions”) today announced the launch of a new in-person college admissions course, The College App Classroom, which will be available to high school students at schools throughout the School District of Philadelphia beginning this fall.
The College App Classroom is a free modular course made up of 28 lessons across five units designed to empower students with practical skills and information about college admissions, regardless of where they apply and enroll. Lessons focus on the ins and outs of the college admissions process, including the skills needed to be successful, important financial aid resources, tips for writing strong personal essays, how to find the right college fit, and the steps and materials needed to complete their college application. The course is available to schools as a pre-packaged digital toolkit including lesson plans, slides, worksheets, a facilitator guide, and a series of three representative case studies that students follow throughout the curriculum.
The College App Classroom was created by Penn in partnership with Heights. This year’s expansion builds on two years of successful curriculum pilots with nearly 1,000 students at seven School District of Philadelphia schools and the Penn Rising Scholar Success Academy. Heights and Penn have collaborated with administration in multiple School District schools, with Heights staff leading the curriculum sequence with students at Heights partners schools. The school pilots spanned the entire academic year and each covered multiple course units, while the Penn RSSA pilot included an assortment of lessons during a summer program, demonstrating the modular nature of the course.
“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.”
The course is an in-person expansion of Heights’ and Penn Admissions’ free online version of Applying to College 101, which has served nearly 10,000 students worldwide since its launch in 2023. Both the online and in-person courses combine the expertise of Penn’s Admissions Office with Heights’ extensive knowledge of college and career pathways. The course is designed to be accessible for students who are first-generation-to-college or from low-income communities, but also provides relevant and timely guidance for students and families of all backgrounds.
In addition to the expansion of College App Classroom, Heights Philadelphia continues to offer the Step Up to College Guide, a robust resource for students embarking on the college admissions journey. The Guide offers a wide range of critical college-going information and resources, from understanding college admission options, to writing application essays, to conquering the FAFSA, and ultimately, making the right college “fit” decision. The College App Classroom uses five activities from the Guide, primarily as homework, including Brainstorm & Write Your Essay, Your Fit Profile, College Fit Form, Questions to Ask on a College Visit, and Revise and Proofread Your Essay. The upcoming edition of the Step Up to College Guide offers increased information on scholarships and career pathways for students who may be looking into other options post-high school, including workforce development programming.
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About Heights Philadelphia:
Heights Philadelphia (“Heights”) is an economic mobility catalyst committed to breaking the cycle of generational poverty in Philadelphia by creating pathways to educational and workforce success. Heights serves more than 3,500 students from middle school to career with staff embedded in 25 schools across the School District of Philadelphia, and partnerships with 13 colleges and universities. Through advising and enrichment, pathways to careers, partnerships, and community, Heights transforms opportunities for success by equipping students with the tools to pursue careers that lead to economic mobility. For more information, visit Heights.org.
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Heights Media contact:
Kate Foley, Signature 57
717.413.9820
Penn Media contact:
Tracy Simon
tracy@tlsimonpr.com
267-679-2774
