Lucia Gonzalez is a sophomore studying Political Science and Urban Education. More specifically, she is interested in the intersection between the school choice movement and de facto segregation, and its impact on the college application process. Lucia is on the executive board for the First-Generation, Low-Income Dean’s Advisory Board, a mentor for Latinx Philly students through Puentes de Salud, and a research assistant for the Political Science department. In her free time, she enjoys playing basketball and eating Wawa with her friends late at night.
Lucia Gonzalez
Wolf Humanities Center Undergraduate Fellow
2020—2021 Forum on Choice
Lucia Gonzalez
Political Science and Urban Studies
CAS, 2023
The Role of Extracurricular Activities in FGLI Students' Selective College Admissions Experiences
Scholars have explored how “meritocracy” rhetoric eerily permeates into the contemporary educational landscape and is heavily reinforced through neoliberal education policies. As a result, pre-existing inequality is exacerbated. This study will explore the role of high school extracurricular activities in first-generation, low-income (FGLI) students' applications. The following questions will be explored in the research: 1) what do FGLI students do to stand out in a competitive admissions process and 2) what is the impact of high school extracurricular activities on FGLI students’ admissions experiences? A semi-constructed interview process will be used to explore FGLI students’ experiences. While Penn will be used as a case study, the challenges associated with competing with limited resources are applicable to any elite college application process.