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College Counseling

Guiding Every Step of Your Journey


We partner with our students to navigate the college search with clarity, confidence and care. As a Penn Charter student, you enter the college process with preparation and the strength of a comprehensive college preparatory program behind you. Our work is highly individualized, partnering closely with each student and family to ensure thoughtful guidance at every stage.

College Counseling’s Mission

Through a comprehensive, intentionally designed program, students develop critical thinking, research and communication skills, discovering how their aspirations for the future may best align with their college experience. Along the arc of their college search, students engage in increasing responsibility as they create compelling applications, consider admission and affordability, and ultimately decide on their destination for college.

The Four-Year Journey

students with college counselors

Navigating the Journey

Beginning in the ninth grade, a team of four experienced educators guide students and families with programs, data, strategies and encouragement throughout the college search process. Signature events, individual meetings and communications increase each year, centering on providing students the resources to effectively navigate their journey while learning to advocate for themselves — key skills necessary for success once in college.


 

Signature Programs

Penn Charter College Counseling offers two hallmark programs.

College Case Studies 

The annual college Case Studies program is a hallmark of Penn Charter’s college counseling program. Designed to give families an inside look at holistic admissions review, the team hosts deans and directors of admission to facilitate mock admissions committees with fictional yet realistic applicants to East Falls University. Divided into small groups and led by the admissions expert, families select students for the freshman class. This interactive program concludes with a deans’ panel. The program clarifies the mystery of how the selection and enrollment process works. 

College Keynote 

Each year, the college counseling team hosts a nationally known dean of admission to deliver our College Keynote to our ninth, 10th and 11th grade families. The program is designed to present the steps and stories of the college search and selection process. It elucidates both the science and the art of admissions decision making. The program is complete with data driven information and practical advice while also providing the human side. 


 

College Admissions Officers Visit Penn Charter

The College Counseling Office regularly hosts visits by admission officers. More than 130 colleges were visited during the fall 2025 recruitment season. These visitors, representing a variety of colleges and universities from around the world, were available to give seniors an overview of their colleges and answer questions, some in person and some virtually.

Note: If you are a college admissions officer who would like to visit to Penn Charter, we are now using RepVisits for scheduling. Please complete a request on that site and we will be in touch to confirm your visit to Penn Charter.

2025-26 School Profile


 

We work with each Penn Charter student to identify a range of colleges suited to their passions, abilities and needs. Our five-year matriculation list reflects the diversity of interests in our student body. 


 

Meet the College Counselors

Jody Sweeney

Titles: Director of College Counseling
Email:

Eric Furda

Titles: Senior Associate Director of College Counseling
Email:

Diona Nicolucci

Titles: Associate Director of College Counseling
Email:

Joseph Rim

Titles: Assistant Director of College Counseling
Email:

The college counseling team’s breadth of professional experience is punctuated by each college counselor’s personal and unique college story and perspective. Together, the team creates an atmosphere of collaboration and camaraderie that benefits all of our students. Our team members’ combined professional experience includes more than 70 years in college admissions, college counseling and teaching. The counselors have held roles as dean of admissions, director of admissions, teacher, advisor and Penn Charter parent. They collaborate closely with each other while supporting an entire class. They know our students well. Meanwhile each counselor works one-to-one with students in their junior and senior years, developing close relationships with families. As members of the faculty, the college counseling team supports student life at PC.

Jody Sweeney (director)
An experienced professional in higher education, Jody graduated from Cornell University in 1994, where she studied human development, concentrating in cognitive development, and rowed varsity crew. She began her admissions career working for Marist College and her alma mater. She also worked in alumni relations at Swarthmore College and interned at the University of Pennsylvania in athletics. After earning her master of education in higher education planning, policy and leadership from the College of William and Mary in 1999, Jody spent eight years working in admissions at Bryn Mawr College, most notably serving as the director of admissions for five years. Jody’s knowledge of a broad array of campuses and competitive admissions enables her to give families expert advice, having had firsthand experience with the Ivy League, state colleges, liberal arts colleges and women’s colleges. Jody is an active member of the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS) where she serves on the board. She enjoys writing about the college search process and has contributed blogs to various websites including ACCISnet, AdmitHub, CollegeAdmissionBook, and The Choice Blog, New York Times. She is also a proud Penn Charter parent (P ’23, P ’25).

Eric Furda (senior associate director)
Eric J. Furda, a 1987 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, served as Penn’s dean of admissions from 2008 through 2020. While a student at Penn he was a four-year letterman on the varsity lightweight football team and was captain his senior year. Eric has served as a higher education leader for nearly three decades, including the position of executive director of admissions at Columbia University in the City of New York from 1995 until 2004. He was appointed as the inaugural vice president for alumni relations at Columbia University, a position he held from 2004 through 2008. Eric earned a master's degree from Teachers College, Columbia University. Over his career, he has served on or led committees for the Ivy League and the Consortium on Financing Higher Education (COFHE). He held various positions on the board of The Common Application, including chair of the board.  Eric was also a member of the scholarship selection committee for The Lenfest Foundation, supporting students from rural counties in Pennsylvania.  Eric co-hosts a monthly show on college selection, The Process, on SIRIUSXM Radio; co-taught a Couresera MOOC, How to Apply to College; and is the co-author of a recently released book for families on the college process, The College Conversation.  Eric received the A. Philip Randolph Award for Diversity and Inclusion from student leadership at Penn. He is also a proud Penn Charter parent (P ’26, P ’29).

Diona Nicolucci (associate director)
After graduating from Pennsylvania State University in 1991, Diona spent nine years as the executive director of a placement and recruiting firm. Diona joined Penn Charter's College Counseling team in 2001 and has since been instrumental in bringing the latest technology and resources to the office; she also serves as Penn Charter’s AP coordinator and liaison to the NCAA Eligibility Center. Committed to professional development, Diona is a member of several local and national college counseling organizations and regularly participates in professional conferences and presents on college admissions panels. She is also a proud Penn Charter parent (P ’18, P ’25, P ’27).

Joseph Rim (assistant director)
After graduating from Brown University, Joe taught science in Philadelphia as a Teach for America corps member. Afterward, he began serving as a college counseling mentor while also designing innovative STEM programming as a teacher, upper school science lead, and instructional coach at Mastery Charter Schools. For 12 years, Joe has guided students and families through the college search process, including identifying best-fit colleges, deciphering financial aid packages and advising on final enrollment decisions. His experiences include mentoring first-generation college students, supporting scholarship searches and applications, and helping students craft compelling personal essays. During his years as a college counseling mentor, Joe shared in the joy of students as they accepted their offers of admission to small liberal arts colleges, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and a variety of public and private research universities. He received his master's in school leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. A lifelong musician and performer, Joe will also assist the Performing Arts Department with front-of-house operations at Penn Charter performances.