Since becoming vice provost and admissions dean at the University of Pennsylvania a little over a year ago, Whitney Soule, who spent her elementary years in Wayne, has already started making changes in the application process which is one of the most competitive in the country, writes Susan Snyder for the Philadelphia Inquirer. 

“Our goal is to bring clarity, simplification, and equity to Penn’s application process,” said Soule. 

Soule did not plan to go into admission work. A year after she graduated, her alma mater, Bates College, had an unexpected opening in admissions they needed to fill right away. 

“I was hired into a nine-month position, and 30 years later, here I am, still working in admissions!” said Soule. “I love it because the work is human-centered, mission-driven, and complex.” 

One of the things she is working on right now is getting more low-income students to apply to the Ivy League school. 

“As one example, this year, in addition to the application fee waivers that we offer directly to students, we are sending application fee waiver codes directly to high school and community organization counselors who can share them with students who might find the cost of applying prohibitive,” she said. 

Read more about Whitney Soule in the Philadelphia Inquirer.