The Daily Pennsylvanian

Bev Taylor, founder of college consulting firm The Ivy Coach, said special programs for first-generation students and other minority groups could be helpful in demonstrating a sense of community on campus.

Bev Taylor, founder of college consulting firm The Ivy Coach, said that students need to be cautious of what they do outside of the classroom and during the summer as well.

A new Advanced Placement pilot program could close the gap between AP exams and the International Baccalaureate, another popular option for prospective Penn students.

Bev Taylor, founder of The Ivy Coach, advises numerous students who apply to Penn each year and defended independent college counselors as professionals who are providing needed services.

“I don’t think a gap year is a luxury,” founder of The Ivy Coach Bev Taylor said. “I think whatever the student’s passion is what the student needs to do in a gap year.”

High-school students who are applying to Penn this admissions cycle have been asked to describe themselves in just 500 words.

Dean of Admissions Eric Furda is taking his message outside College Hall and into the world of blogs and social media.

Deferring fewer students is a “wonderful thing to do,” said Taylor, adding that colleges should not “string kids along and let them hope” if they have no chance of getting in.

For the fourth consecutive year, the percentage of admitted students who have enrolled has remained at 63 percent.

Though Veronique Davis is one of 2,400 students placed on the waitlist for the Class of 2015, she would come to Penn “in a heartbeat” if given the opportunity.