STI Participant Leads Tour of U Penn
by Alan J. Sheptin, MBA, IECA Student Member (NY), Sheptin Tutoring Group, LLC
When I saw that the IECA Summer Training Institute afforded me and my fellow trainees a free evening this week in my “second home” of Philadelphia, I jumped at the chance to show off the schools of University City. After all, I am an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania, but more fundamentally, served as a volunteer tour guide during all four years of my time at Penn. I called Sue DePra in the IECA office and proffered my services. She was thrilled and gracious.
[OK, last time I gave a tour, Ronald Reagan was President, I wore my hair layered and parted in the center (when I had hair), and had 20/10 vision. Yes, things were different.]
So, during the first session, I enthusiastically suggested this event, having no idea if anyone would consider it. So, imagine my surprise (and sudden panic!) when nearly one-third of my classmates decided to take me up on this offer, and seemed really excited about this road trip. I went back to my room and recalled whatever trivia and fun stories I recalled from way back when. Yes, Penn has changed (haven’t we all?), but the rudiments remain the same.
On Thursday evening, as my new LinkedIn and Facebook friends, team purple cohort members, and curious onlookers approached the Swarthmore train station, I began my presentation about Penn, which sounded eerily similar to the one I gave a mere 30 years earlier, down to my school, major, and minor. My peers asked outstanding questions and were truly engaged, excited, and curious. About twenty-five minutes later, we arrived at campus and I was on a roll.
Franklin Field: the first two-tiered college stadium in the US; Irvine Auditorium: Irvine flunked his senior thesis, but donated the funds which served as the blueprint of the auditorium; Hill House: Designed by Eero Saarinen, built to look like it had a moat to keep the men away from the women; College Hall and Logan Hall: The Addams family house was inspired by these buildings; Toast: we throw it at the football games (don’t ask). [I barely recall where I put my keys and cell phone every day and I remember all this?]
I think that my guests (yes, Penn is my home away from home) were impressed with what we have to offer, and I hope that I did the school justice. No, it’s not the same Penn from which I graduated in 1983. Back in the day, the acceptance rate was about 45%, and everyone seemed to come from Long Island and Philadelphia. Today, it is a bona fide global community, and the acceptance rate is fast approaching single digits. Nevertheless, it is a great place to get a comprehensive education and to grow as a thinker and as a human being.
This served as my first presentation for IECA. I don’t intend to make it my last.
Oh, and did I mention that we’re called Quakers and our colors are red and blue?
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- Nearly 100 Presenters will Examine Hot Topics in College Admission, Boarding Schools, Special Purpose Programs & Independent Educational Consulting
- Information Dump: The Summer Training Experience for Upcoming Independent Educational Consultants
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Tagged: admissions, campus tours, college consulting, independent educational consultants, Student member of IECA, Summer Training Institute, University of Pennsylvania
Alan’s tour was a wonderful opportunity to explore one of the top Ivy League schools on the east coast. As a west coast attendee of the IECA STI, this was my first time traveling to the east coast. I had hoped to tour a few campuses in the Philadelphia area, and was thrilled when he volunteered to take us on a tour of his alma mater. His knowledge & passion for U of Penn shined through from start to finish. Great job & excellent blog, Alan!!