This year, Park Slope Collegiate toured 3 great colleges in Philadelphia: Temple University, Villanova, and Haverford.

We woke up extra early, came to the school at 6:30, and departed at 7:15 am for the first college in Philadelphia. A lot of people were sleeping on that ride, as we had to wake up very early to get ready.

College #1: Temple University

As we arrived at Temple, we had a self-guided tour and looked at the different buildings.  (Fun fact: Shama’s older brother just started his first year at Temple a couple of months ago!) The area was very urban and public, and the college itself was pretty nice. It was more open to the public than many, and the campus felt like a public NYC high school, just

much bigger. The people we saw didn’t seem that stressed out, unlike what you would norm

ally see on social media among college students, and outside smelled like mulch and

fertilizer. They also had an awesome gift shop. PSC alumnus Caique Mister (class of 2025) is now attending Temple, and he came and met us to talk about his experience so far. He seems to love both the school and the city, and he can get home to visit Brooklyn easily!

College #2: Villanova 

After leaving Temple University, we headed to Villanova University. There we walked around the very big campus and ate lunch.

They also have a huge cafeteria with different foods. From a sushi spot to Wawa’s, they had basically everything and lots of seating. We learned that Villanova is a Catholic school with a wide variety of disciplines to study. A freshman nursing major toured our group around and answered all of our questions.

At Villanova, you choose your major in your sophomore year and also have an upgrade in rooms the longer you’re there.  We also talked about the majors and minors available and the fields of study you can go into. The class desperately wanted to go to the bookstore to buy some merch, so we walked all the way to the other side of campus to get there!

Night in the City:

After visiting Villanova, we went to our hotel. The Hampton Inn Philadelphia Center City. The hotel was very clean, and the rooms were pretty big. There, we freshened up, got comfortable, and got ready to go bowling. The bowling alley, Lucky Strike, was about a 15-minute walk away from the hotel through downtown Philadelphia. On our way there, we walked through the beautiful atrium of the city hall. At Lucky Strike, w through downtown Philadelphia. On our way there, we walked through the beautiful atrium of the city hall.

At Lucky Strike, we had a lot of space to ourselves. The chefs made a lot of chicken tenders, pizza, and fries, with drinks. Some of us bowled while others played pool or giant Jenga. It was a great time, and we learned that some teachers are actually good at bowling! Mr. Wilson, Ms. Ortiz, and Mr. Farnum were also bowling and were pretty good at it, too. 

After we went bowling, we went back to the hotel and got the rest we needed. Well, some of us got good sleep, others were less fortunate. There was a lot of horseplay, pillow fighting, snack sharing, dingdong ditching other students’ rooms, and nonsense going on. We can’t speak for others, but we left our hotel room very clean, just like how we came in. My roommates and I woke up at 7:00 a.m.flat to make it to the buffet breakfast. Then we checked out and headed to Haverford University. 

College #3: Haverford University

Our last stop was Haverford College, where we received a private introduction from the director of admissions and a tour from a tour guide who graduated from Millennium Brooklyn. Everyone was tired from the day before, but we still stayed engaged in conversation. Our tour guide explained everything we would need to know about the college. They explained the acceptance rates, the school’s test-optional policy, and the financial aid situation. They even apply  financial aid to study abroad.

It was a very spacious campus with beautiful scenery and smelled like spring. We then went to their very big cafeteria and ate some food. From macaroni to chocolate muffins, they had so many options. They also had a soda fountain and a cool machine that took your dishes once you were done and rotated like a conveyor belt. 

The Trip Home

After the tour was over, we took the bus back to the school. During this ride, most of us were sleeping while others were talking, watching movies or shows, or playing games. The ride back was peaceful and quiet, and we got to the school in less than two hours. From there, we went home to rest up.