Location:
Undergraduate Admissions, University of Pennsylvania
Modality:
Hybrid
Position Length:
Academic Year (Fall - Spring), Summer
Work Hours and Commitment:
10-20 hours per week
Application Deadline:
Pay Rate:
$28.00/hr
Additional Compensation:
None
Overview
The Undergraduate Office of Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania (UGAO) seeks an Impact Analyst to assess the effectiveness of the College App Classroom.
The College App Classroom is an accessible, modular, free classroom course that serves as a library of vetted resources for educators to support high school students through the college application and financial aid process, designed to increase access to higher education. The course is currently being used across several schools in partnership with Heights Philadelphia. Our goal is to build sustainable models to increase college access for students across the School District of Philadelphia.
Read more about the College App Classroom at https://collegeappclassroom.com/.
Supervisor/Contact
Paul Richards - Vice Dean, Strategic Communications, Undergraduate Admissions
paullr@upenn.edu
Required Duties
To ensure that the College App Classroom is as effective as the founding team hypothesized, there’s a need for continuous assessment of impact. The goal of assessment is to evaluate the program experience from the perspective of students and facilitators. Impact data can also be used to increase the reach of the program in hopes of supporting students within the Philadelphia School District and beyond. In support of this goal, the researcher will complete the following tasks and deliverables:
- Review previous methodologies/instruments for collecting data and feedback from participants to evaluate effectiveness and identify gaps in data
- Assess ability to collect outcomes data from participating students
- Collaborate with Heights Philadelphia team in determining which data points can be collected across our two organizations (Penn and Heights)
- Develop research instruments that can be used to assess impact based on stakeholder priorities
- Conduct research using instruments–surveys, focus groups, interviews as needed–with various stakeholders (like current and past participating students and facilitators)
- Create an impact assessment calendar to help team identify the best points in the cycle to consistently collect feedback
- Compile research findings into full report to be made available on our website; work with our design team to create polished report document
- Generate additional assessment instruments as needed for future use
Preferred Qualification and Essential Skills
- Interest in college access and undergraduate admissions
- Experience in (and willingness to learn) qualitative research methodologies
- Willingness to partner with a faculty mentor on project design and implementation
- Close attention to detail, including observation and note-taking skills
- Ability to work independently and in collaboration with various stakeholders
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to convey information accurately
Application Instructions
Currently accepting applications for the 2026-2027 academic year, with option to begin work during Summer 2026.
Please email Paul Richards, Vice Dean for Strategic Communications, at paullr@upenn.edu. Include your resume and a brief cover letter explaining your qualifications and interest in the position.