As a high achieving Pennsylvania resident, you should definitely apply to Penn State, either UP as #1 campus if the “traditional campus experience, study away with prestigious internship, final year with high professional specialization” model attracts you, or Altoona as a guaranteed safety for all 4 years. Schreyer at both. Nursing at UP is one of the most competitive colleges to get into so you’d be with very accomplished student, the nursing campus area is nice and relatively contained and the new building is so cool the firm that built it includes it prominently in its portfolio to advertise to others.
https://www.pennstatehealth.org/childrens
UP is likely too large, Altoona too small, but it’s a great safety/high match for you. If you really don’t like the UP model, apply for Altoona+Schreyer as 1st choice campus in August and you’ll hear in September, it’s always good to have a sure thing in the pocket early on!
Try to go visit during the year.
Temple would be another good choice; with a SEPTA stop right on campus you can easily go to center city for any clinical (note however that your assignements can be anywhere including outside of Philly).
UScranton is relatively small indeed but itt’s really nice - definitely worth a visit, especially if the coach just reached out! What you want is to have a choice in the Spring.
As for Penn, I agree it’s a reach, but it’s a “reach for everyone” and not out of reach I think.
Seconding UAkron and York. Very different environments.