Expanding Access

For years, we at the Kelly Writers House have stewarded prospective Penn students through the college application process, recruiting strong writers the way a swim coach recruits a promising backstroker. We are especially interested in reaching out to potential applicants who don’t know the strength of the arts at Penn and to those who think Penn is beyond their reach. To support these efforts, we have hired a recruiter and mentor – our own Jamie-Lee Josselyn (C’05) – who visits schools, writing programs, English teachers, college fairs, summer writing institutes, and after-school arts projects for talented youth around the country in search of great writers. Our Student Recruitment Fund helps defray the cost of outreach, ensuring that our recruitment is as far-reaching as possible. We are grateful to Joan Kim (C’97, G’97, WEV’99) for making the inaugural gift to this much-needed fund.

To Make a Gift to Our Student Recruitment Fund, Please Go Here.

PRAISE FOR KWH RECRUITMENT

"When our students met with Jamie-Lee and learned about the Writers House's extraordinary programs and resources, it helped bring the dream of going to college closer to reality. They could see themselves there, writing, learning, and contributing to the Penn community. It's been wonderful to connect with not just a program, but also an admissions process, that values our students' creative achievements and understands their challenges."

—Allison Deegan, Ed.D, Associate Director, WriteGirl, Los Angeles, CA

"Do you know what a surprise it was to hear from my college counselor that the University of Pennsylvania, of all places, was recruiting me for writing, of all things? My English teacher and I are still in shock."

—a prospective Class of 2017 student from Boise, Idaho

"Just a few days after I toured Penn, a creative writing student emailed me to give me more information. Kelly Writers House students and faculty continued to reach out to me over the next few months. While some of my friends struggled with their college search, I knew right away that Penn was the right school for me. Everyone at the Kelly Writers House was so willing to answer my questions and stay in touch with me—I immediately felt a sense of community."

—Emily Cutler, C'16, from Birmingham, Alabama