Application Information
We are accepting applications for every grade level (6th to 12th) and expect to have 30-45 seats available for incoming 6th graders, as well as several spaces available in each of the higher grades for both hybrid (on-site and online) and virtual pathways.
USP Information Sessions for 2023-2024 School Year
USP staff and families will hold Informational Session Meetings, in-person at the AIC Building and virtually, on the following dates:
February 22, 2024 – Sign-up link
March 19, 2024 – Sign-up link
April 18, 2024 – Sign-up link
Info Sessions begin at 6:30 p.m. at 1585 Paoli Pike, West Chester, PA 19380 and online.
Contact USP Administrative Assistant Michelle Gonnella at mgonnella@palcs.org for more details.
Application Information
Current School Year (2023-2024): The application deadline has passed for 2023-2024 participation in the University Scholars Program. The program has reached capacity for the current school year. Families may still enroll in PALCS and participate in non-USP honors and AP programming through our standard cyber program. Standard academic information is available on our curriculum page and enrollment information is available on our application page.
Next School Year (2024-2025): The application timeline is available below. To wait to enroll in PALCS and USP simultaneously in the fall, please complete an Application of Intent to be notified when the general PALCS application is available this winter. If you are currently enrolled in PALCS, you may complete your USP application, when it becomes available and it will be considered for the next school year according to the timeline below.
Timeline for 2024-2025 USP Applications
Middle School Application Timeline
December 12, 2023: The University Scholars Program will begin accepting Applications for Participation for the 2024-2025 school year.
February 2024: Admission testing will begin for middle school applicants. Testing takes place either via Zoom or in person at the Advanced Ideas Center, located at 1585 Paoli Pike, West Chester, PA 19380. For those located in the Pittsburgh area, admission testing can also take place via Zoom.
March 1, 2024: Early decision deadline for participation in the University Scholars Program for the 2024-2025 school year. Applications must be delivered to the Advanced Ideas Center (during business hours) or postmarked by March 1, 2024 for early decision consideration. Early decision notifications will be emailed in early April.
March 2, 2024: Rolling admissions begins from this point until the available spots for the 2024-2025 school year are filled. The University Scholars Program will post an announcement on this page when enrollment has closed.
July 21, 2024: Deadline for all application materials for middle school students interested in program participation for the 2024-2025 school year.
*Participation in the University Scholars Program requires enrollment in the Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School (PALCS). PALCS enrollment information can be found at https://www.palcs.org/enroll-now. Please wait until the 2024-2025 enrollment information is available to complete the PALCS Enrollment Packet. We cannot accept the 2023-2024 packet for the 2024-2025 school year.
High School Application Timeline
High School onsite and virtual classes have limited openings for the 2024-2025 school year. Once all spaces are full, applicants will be placed on a waitlist for future considerations as spots open up. Being placed on a waitlist does not guarantee the student will be accepted for the upcoming school year. While there is a waitlist, we do recommend all interested students apply in the event a spot does open up. We will select the most appropriate candidate for an opening that becomes available.
December 12, 2023: The University Scholars Program will begin accepting High School applications for Participation for the 2024-2025 school year.
February 2024: Admission testing will begin for high school applicants. Testing takes place either via Zoom or in person at the Advanced Ideas Center, located at 1585 Paoli Pike, West Chester, PA 19380. For those located in the Pittsburgh area, admission testing will take place via Zoom.
March 1, 2024: Early decision deadline for participation in the University Scholars Program for the 2024-2025 school year. Applications must be delivered to the Advanced Ideas Center (during business hours) or postmarked by Tuesday, March 1, 2024 for early decision consideration. Early decision notifications will be emailed in early April.
March 2, 2024: Rolling admissions begins from this point until the available spots for the 2024-2025 school year are filled. The University Scholars Program will post an announcement on this page when enrollment has closed.
June 2, 2024: Please call University Scholars at (610) 344-0524 or speak with your PALCS School Counselor to learn what courses still have spaces available. Applications will continue to be accepted until all seats are filled. As of 7/10/2024.
*Participation in the University Scholars Program requires enrollment in the Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School (PALCS). PALCS enrollment information can be found at https://www.palcs.org/enroll-now. Please wait until the 2024-2025 enrollment information is available to complete the PALCS Enrollment Packet. We cannot accept the 2023-2024 packet for the 2024-2025 school year.
Application for Participation
Begin your application by clicking on the Application Checklist below to see a list of all the required documents. You may access the official Teacher Recommendation form next. After downloading these documents, please scroll further down this page to complete the Application for Participation.
The following button is a link to the University Scholars Program Application for Participation. Please take time to complete the application completely and accurately. You may alternately download, print and mail/fax the Application for Participation as either a .pdf or .rtf.
Please call 610-344-0524 with any questions or concerns.