The college application process can be complicated. This Penn-developed course seeks to make it easier for Philly kids.

Skye Frazier thought that she wanted to go to a small college and that she would need a whole lot of money to attend — possibly more than she could afford.

But after taking a course on the college application process at George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science in Philadelphia, the senior said, she feels much more ready to apply to college. She would rather go to a big school and plans to seek multiple scholarships to help pay the tab, she said.

“Being in the program helped me learn about myself,” said Frazier, 17, who will be the first in her immediate family to go to college. “I know exactly what I need to ask … and what I’m looking for.”

The free 28-lesson course, called College App Classroom, was developed by the University of Pennsylvania in partnership with Heights Philadelphia — a nonprofit aimed at providing better access to quality educational and workforce opportunities. Over the last two years, the class was piloted in seven Philadelphia public schools and the summer program Penn Rising Scholars Success Academy. Nearly 1,000 students have taken the course in the pilot phase, and this fall, it will be offered to high school students throughout the Philadelphia School District.

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The in-person course is aimed at breaking down what remains an often complicated and time-consuming process, and at easing the application path to college for students who may be the first in their family to attend. It is an attempt to help even the playing field with students from families who can afford to pay for college advising and more affluent schools that offer extensive assistance.

“This is a confusing process even when you have a lot of resources,” said Sean Vereen, president and CEO of Heights, which is aiming to have all school district graduates connected to postsecondary education or the workforce when they graduate. “We want to make sure we try to put as much information and help in the hands of young people as possible.”

Demystifying the college application process and guiding students to choose schools that are the best fit for them could make a difference, Penn and Heights officials said.

“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,” said Whitney Soule, Penn’s vice provost and dean of admissions.

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Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. said the Philadelphia district is excited to partner with Penn and Heights.

“The College App Classroom will accelerate our students’ academic achievement by teaching them critical thinking, time management, and essay writing skills they can use in their high school careers now and later in college,” he said. “Expanding this program to offer in-person support for the 2025-2026 academic school year is crucial now as the landscape of higher education admission changes.”

Penn and Heights also teamed in 2023 to launch Applying to College 101, an online college application course offered through the Coursera platform. Nearly 10,000 students worldwide have taken that course, which is designed to help first-generation college students and those from low-income families, but also offers tips for students from all backgrounds.

Penn and Heights officials said they thought an in-person version would reach even more students. The course will be taught mostly by part-time teachers employed by Heights, but also may be taught by district teachers, a Heights spokesperson said.

The new course covers financial aid resources, tips on essay writing, methods for choosing the right college, and all the materials and information needed to apply. While Penn is a highly competitive Ivy League university, the course is designed to help students with the application process, no matter what kind of college they are seeking.

It is being offered to schools as a digital tool kit with a guide for those teaching it, lesson plans, slides, and worksheets. The course also includes three case studies of students as they proceed through the application process.

Facilitators who deliver the course don’t have to be college experts, Soule said.

“The prep material is really thorough and sound,” she said.

Khalejah Ghaskin, 18, a senior at Carver, said she tries to take advantage of any opportunity to help her learn more about college. The Penn college class, offered after school at Carver, seemed ideal.

“The thing I’m most scared about is getting into debt,” said Ghaskin, who is eyeing the University of Connecticut and a biomedical engineering major. “It’s something that is scary for everyone, especially for people who don’t have a lot of money.”

Before the class, which she took last spring, she was not entirely sure what FAFSA — the Free Application for Federal Student Aid — was, she said. The class, she said, offered tips on how to achieve her college goal with less debt.

“Now I have a better understanding of what I would need to go to college,” she said.

Both Frazier and Ghaskin said they liked that they could take the class in person at Carver. Ghaskin said she enjoyed interacting and asking questions.

“It was just easier to pay attention and stay focused,” Frazier said.

Frazier, who hopes to go into the communications field, said she could relate to the case studies presented and got a better grasp of how to fill out FAFSA. Before the class, she said, she thought FAFSA was really the only way to get aid, but now she knows that scholarships are another avenue.

And she discovered that she would feel more comfortable going to a bigger school with lots of clubs, she said.

“I need to be around a lot of people,” she said. “It helped me to figure that out about myself.”