Most Philly public school students have college ambitions − but their level of preparation depends on which high school they attend

Philadelphia's public high schools face a trade-off between emphasizing academic and technical skills. Hill Street Studios/DigitalVision Collection via Getty Images

When Nadia was in high school, her teachers and administrators portrayed college as the only realistic pathway to a respectable career.

“College, they make it seem like the end-all, be-all,” she said. “If it’s not college, I’ll visit you at the drive-thru once a week, that type of thing. There’s kind of like this dark hole. Anything outside of it, you’re not a part of moving up in society in a way.”