Spring Tour of Philadelphia area Colleges
Jeanette Wright
My tour of Philadelphia colleges included Drexel University, University of Pennsylvania and Swarthmore College, plus 8 others in the surrounding area. Drexel University’s nursing program is known for its strong co-op (paid work experience) model, allowing students to gain up to 18 months of real-world clinical employment alongside coursework. It also has consistently high NCLEX pass rates (around 96–100%) and extensive clinical placements across major healthcare systems, preparing students well for licensure and jobs. I was impressed by its urban location in Philly with restaurants, shops, and business within a short radius.
University of Pennsylvania is an Ivy League institution known for its interdisciplinary academics, combining strong liberal arts with pre-professional programs across four undergraduate schools and a highly selective admissions process. It emphasizes research, innovation, and real-world impact, supported by a low student-faculty ratio and access to top-tier hospitals and global opportunities.
Swarthmore College is an elite, highly selective liberal arts college (around a 7% acceptance rate) known for its intense academics, small classes, and close faculty relationships. 
It emphasizes intellectual curiosity, interdisciplinary study, and independent research, with a collaborative, low-key social environment and a strong focus on critical thinking.
Prompts remain unchanged. https://www.commonapp.org/blog/announcing-2026-2027-common-app-essay-prompts
Keep Those Grades Up And Communicate Changes Senior grades still matter. Colleges review final transcripts and can rescind offers if grades drop significantly. If you've added or dropped a class since submitting your applications, reach out to each college's admissions office and let them know. Honesty goes a long way, and surprises at transcript time can create real problems. Be proactive! SAT Test Dates Are Coming Up Three big opportunities are on the horizon — register now before your preferred test center fills up: March 2026 May 2026 June 2026 The single most effective way to prepare? Take full-length, timed practice tests. Simulating real test conditions builds stamina, sharpens time management, and reveals exactly where to focus your studying. College Board and Khan Academy both offer free, personalized prep. Summer Plans: Go Deep, Not Wide Here's one of the most important pieces of advice we can give you: admissions officers are not impressed by a mile-long activity list. What actually moves the needle is depth, passion, and leadership. Financial Aid & FAFSA Both UC and Cal State schools use your FAFSA to determine federal aid, state Cal Grants, and campus-based awards. The deadline for both UC and Cal State is March 2 — and aid is often first-come, first-served, so don't wait. Log in to each campus's financial aid portal to check your award status and make sure no documents are missing. Keep Searching for Scholarships While you're waiting to hear from colleges, your scholarship search should be in full swing. Local organizations, community foundations, and national programs all have open applications right now. Smaller awards add up fast — don't overlook them! Ask your school counselor, check reputable scholarship databases, and set calendar reminders for deadlines. May 1, 2026 National College Decision Day You must commit to a college and submit your enrollment deposit by May 1. If you're still waiting on a waitlist decision, you still need to commit somewhere by the deadline — you can withdraw later if you get good news, but you'll most likely lose your deposit. Better to lose a deposit than lose your spot entirely!
Meaningful summer activities
The rock band Foreigner performed at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, San Diego in July, and I was happy to learn of their 15-year support of the arts. Toward the end of the show, the San Diego High School Symphonic Choir came on stage and sang "I Want to Know What Love Is" with the band. Before the show, while eating greasy potato chips, we randomly met one of the choir members' uncles, who proudly told us his nephew was in the choir. It was a reminder to me of how important our school music and art programs are, and we should support them.
I was in Denver for a family wedding in July and took a detour to Aspen to hike. It was fun to see young musicians from the Aspen Music Festival and School playing their instruments on street corners and in various venues throughout Aspen. Every year, approximately 650 talented students from all over the world are invited to spend eight weeks in Aspen for lessons, coaching, and to play with fellow musicians and known artists. Most are in college. It’s an incredible opportunity to better their skills, and it can help launch their careers. The two I spoke with are attending Peabody Conservatory and the Cleveland Institute for Music. One plays the trombone and the other the violin. Both realize the opportunity, and we’re very grateful for it.
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College outcomes have been increasingly hard to predict for at least the past 10 years. Most of the popular colleges have received more applications with each subsequent year, much of the increase due to the ease of applying with online applications. UCLA for example, receive 145,910 undergraduate applications for the incoming class of 2023 and 146,276 for the class of 2024*. Many students have a few favorites and are disappointed when they don't get in. Despite student's and counselor's best efforts, admissions are unpredictable and students should plan for 'Option B' if they aren't offered a spot at their first choice college. After the period of disappointment passes, students should focus on the schools where they got in. Make a spreadsheet with pros/cons of each. Visit as many as your time and budget allow. Tour the department your major is in and ask well thought-out questions. Make an appointment with the financial aid office to ensure you fully understand what the school is offering you. See as much of the campus as possible and the surrounding area. While these steps might not take away all of the disappointment, it will help you make the best decision for you and your family and ultimately result in a positive experience in college. *https://apb.ucla.edu/campus-statistics/admissions
In the past few years, colleges have been using waitlists to manage their enrollment. Determining who will accept their offer for admission is often times unpredictable, so they rely heavily on the waitlist to help. Many of my students contact me asking what they should do. I tell them they should first see what the college requires. Opt-in to remain on the waitlist and if they allow it, send a letter of continued interest. Express that the colleges remains one of their top choices and why. Consider your major and and related club. If they allow for an additional recommendation letter from a teacher, coach or mentor, include it. Contact the admissions office and your specific admissions representative to ask questions. Be respectful of their time. If the colleges considers demonstrated interest, visit the campus when possible. There are no guarantees you will be offered a spot from the waitlist, so you should commit to another school. Sometimes the wait can be well-after the May 1 National College Signing Day, so sit back and wait and hope you will be offered a spot.
The Common App announced that the prompts for the 2025-2026 application cycle will remain the same and there will be changes to the two additional information questions. The "Community disruption" question will now be a "Challenges and circumstances" question. This is to allow students to included many different experiences. The "Additional information" question maximum word limit for undergraduate students will be 250 words, down from 650. Here is the personal essay questions for the 2025-2026 season. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you? Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more? Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. Details can be found here.