Itai??i??s that time of the year again! As the new month begins, seniors will finally receive their long anticipated acceptance letters, and start the exciting process of deciding which school they will be attending in the fall. But, for some seniors, they have already known where theyai??i??ll be spending the next four years of their life. Senior Marleigh Silvernale has committed to the University of Pennsylvaniaai??i??s School of Nursing after being accepted through early decision back in November.

Founded in 1740, the University of Pennsylvania, or UPenn, is a private university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a primarily residential school, it houses around 10,400 undergraduate students, with about 4,700 faculty. UPenn is made up of 12 schools, including the Perelman School of Medicine, The Wharton School, the Annenberg School for Communication, and of course, The School of Nursing. These schools include some of the top rated programs in the world, making the college one of the prestigious universities to attend!

As an Ivy League institution, UPenn is one of the most competitive universities in the country! With an overall acceptance rate of 12.1%, Silvernale was among the few selected to be Ai??honored with an offer of admission to UPenn.

ai???The campus was absolutely stunning,ai??? said Silvernale, when explaining why she fell in love with the university. ai???The architecture was amazing. Itai??i??s in the middle of the city [of Philadelphia], but its own little place at the same time.ai???

Silvernale has been very involved in many of SHSai??i??s clubs, such as National Honors Society, SADD, Key Club, and Chess Club. But her more frequent activities involved outside volunteering at the local hospital and Girls on the Run. She attributes much of her college preparedness to the many science courses she was able to take, such as AP Biology, Honors Anatomy and Physiology, and Honors Chemistry.

For many seniors, the application process was especially grueling and exhausting. But Silvernale said the process for her was rather easy, but very in-depth with the information they required. For the upcoming senior class, she recommends doing some research before beginning the long process of applying to college.

ai???They definitely look for a strong science background,ai??? said Silvernale when addressing some of the things that helped her get accepted to UPennai??i??s School of Nursing. ai???There are lots of online resources that helped me get my application together for this school.ai???

Silvernale plans on going through nursing school with a focus on psychology/psychiatric nursing. She plans on becoming a psychiatric nurse to help those with mental disorders.

ai???Iai??i??m excited to learn something useful, something that Iai??i??m passionate about,ai??? said Silvernale. ai???I canai??i??t wait to fully immerse myself in my studies this fall!ai???

Gallery • 5 Photos