Thursday, January 22, 2026
Neal Jain
There are many factors that are beyond a student's control in the college admissions process, but there are five factors that are in their control: grades and rigor, standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, recommendation letters, and applications/essays.
To help explain it all, The Penn Club of Chicago is excited to bring you this webinar, "Roadmap to College", where a team of admissions experts from Ivy Experience (co-founded by Penn alumni of the Class of 2009) will break down how and when students and their families should best approach each of these factors.
Highlights will include: College admissions trends; Insights into the impacts of grade inflation; Updates on standardized testing, including test-optional policies and the enhanced ACT; Strategies for impactful resume-building; An overview of effective college essays; and more!
Speaker bios below:
Eric Karlan is one of the co-founders of Ivy Experience. He graduated Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor's in Journalism, History, and Culture; he was one of only two students in the Class of 2009 to design his own curriculum for an Individualized major.
Jordan Holmes graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and earned a Master of Education in Enrollment Management and Policy from the University of Southern California in 2024. He has extensive experience working in admissions offices around the country, including the University of Pennsylvania, American University, and the University of Southern California.
Jim Wismer is the Director of Ivy Experience. A Philadelphia area native, he attended The University of Pittsburgh on an Honors Full Tuition Scholarship, graduating summa cum laude in 2013. He went on to earn his M.A. in Classics from Notre Dame, where he also taught Latin, Ancient Greek, ancient history, and mythology. In addition to his work with Ivy Experience, Jim serves as the Director of Community Relations for the National Test Prep Association, educating the public on the value of standardized testing.
