Accepted to PENN, I HAVE DOUBTS

College Search & Selection
1

Hello to all in the CC Community.

Because life is so unexpected, full of surprises, I have been thrown into quite a dilemma with the season of college acceptances here. I have full intention of studying political science/government because I would like to have a position in government in the future, so I would like the best education possible and best atmosphere in order to further my ambitions and best develop my full potential as an ambitious and driven student.

These couple days have been quite a roller coaster because I was rejected from my two dream schools (Harvard and Princeton)… still in the mourning stages, but I’ll get over it. I was shocked and beyond belief when I saw I was accepted to Penn, but I am not sure if it is the right school for what I want to do in my life. Since its an ivy, obviously everybody around me expects me to accept the offer and jump right into this school, but I am concerned that other schools will suit me better for my future field as a politician/policymaker. (For anybody who reads this and has gone to Penn, please convince me and tell me the pros+cons of a Penn education; I want to make a totally informed decision).

In addition, I was accepted to College of William and Mary, Rutgers, University of Maryland, University of Virginia, and George Washington University.

I also got into American University (made it into the Honors program and currently #2 on the waitlist for the full-ride Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholars Program…still waiting to hear back on whether the first 5 people accepted)

I have been waitlisted at Georgetown and NYU (applied to Stern’s Business, Politics, Economy program). Yes or no to wait lists???

I talked to my cousin (did his master’s at NYU, undergrad at Willy P) and he said in our time and day that where you go for undergrad is irrelevant and that to get into a good graduate school you just need to have stellar grades wherever you go.

Right now, Penn is giving me amazing financial aid and is super realistic for my family (16k per year), while the cheapest out of all the other schools (if I don’t get American’s full ride) is GWU (25k per year); even my school counselor told me it would be absurd not to accept Penn’s offer. Can I convince schools to try and give me more financial aid since other schools are giving me more (my mother mentioned this)???

Lastly, I’m also already thinking about maybe transferring to Princeton (start accepting transfers 2018) or Harvard (both apply to enter junior year) from Penn as a plan B for getting into the best political science schools. Personally, I fell in love with DC and American/Georgetown really caught my attention there.

I want the best education I can get for myself, but I do not want my future career to suffer
I need some really sound and wise CC advice and guidance on what to do… so many emotions and such tough decisions.

EDIT: I have also had my mind set on double majoring too (Political Science/Govt. + Economics)

2

Yes, you can ask GWU if they can “reconsider” your aid package. Whether they would end up matching Penn is another story entirely.

Sit down with your parents. Run the numbers. Penn is a perfectly fine place, and the price is better than GWU. Unless AU coughs up the big bucks, Penn may be your best deal. You could even spend a semester with Penn in DC https://piw.sas.upenn.edu/

3

Personally I would jump at Penn. The price is good and it is a fantastic school (for full disclose I’m an alum) in a vibrant city. Getting your undergraduate degree at Penn can only help you in your career. You can study a semester in DC if you want that experience.

And please don’t go to a school (Penn or otherwise) with the intention of transferring. First of all the schools you would like to switch to take few transfers and the odds of getting in a year after you were rejected are very very small. Second and more important if you don’t go to a school feeling committed you will never be able to put your heart into developing strong friendships, getting involved on campus life etc. If you want to throw in a transfer application that is fine but assume you will be at the college you choose for 4 years.

4

Penn will be great for making connections, which can help you out in your political career.

5

Bump.

My D is in a similar situation

6

What are your reservations about Penn? That it isn’t Harvard or Princeton? That it isn’t located in DC?
Penn is affordable for your family and is $9K cheaper than the least expensive of the alternatives. It is arguably the “best” of all the schools that accepted or waitlisted you (at least in terms of overall rankings/reputation). So what is holding you back?

Keep in mind that none of these colleges provided career training or “placement” into government positions.You could study anthropology and have a career in government; you could study PS in college and have a career in medicine or banking. Presidents FDR, Nixon, and Bush 43 majored in history. Herbert Hoover majored in geology. SCOTUS Justice Thomas majored in English Lit; Justice Breyer majored in philosophy.

7

You can definitely double major at Penn and will get a better education there. Voters will not care where you went to school, but large donors may. You will have the opportunity to build relationships with lots of amazing students and those relationships may help you at some point. If you like Penn, you can stay there. If not you can apply to transfer.

Consider attending Quaker Days to meet other admits and learn more about the school. The fact that they admitted you means that you have impressed them a great deal. They don’t have many golden tickets to give out.

8

People here uses to say Princeton didn’t accept transfers. Has that changed?

9

Penn is an incredible place to study political science. The “Penn in Washington” program is both an actual semester program as well as the umbrella name for all Penn in DC opportunities and experiences. I worked for a summer in DC (along with a ton of other Penn kids). I was working at one of the executive departments (State, Treasury, Justice, etc. etc. etc.) as were many of my friends. Others worked on the Hill or in non-profits and lobbying firms. Penn’s placement in DC is outstanding and the alum network down there is really really strong. The academics at Penn are top notch and career placement is among the best of its peers. As has been said, however, don’t matriculate if you just want to transfer. It will really color your experience in a negative way. That being said, I chose Penn over Yale, Columbia and Princeton among several other great colleges and never looked back. It’s truly an outstanding place and the educational opportunities are second to none. I hope you do choose Penn and love it! Please let me know if you have any specific questions about the political science/government opportunities on campus. I was involved in a lot of them and had really outstanding experiences.

10

Don’t forget- Penn is giving you financial aid which is automatically renewable if you qualify. Merit scholarships at some other schools may only be renewable based on your GPA eligibility. Though, I am sure you will do well wherever you choose.

11

Don’t enter a school wanting to transfer. Either go to Penn, take advantage of the Penn in Washington program and all that Penn has to offer, or pick American or GWU…

Penn at that price is a tremendous opportunity…make sure you talk to someone at Penn about the program before you decide…and do an admitted student day. But if you decide that Washington is the place for you, that is ok. Own it, love it and don’t look back.

But seeeeeeeeeriously look at Penn.

12

“I talked to my cousin (did his master’s at NYU, undergrad at Willy P) and he said in our time and day that where you go for undergrad is irrelevant and that to get into a good graduate school you just need to have stellar grades wherever you go.”

What if you don’t get stellar grades in college, just good ones? Which education and degree would be best for you then?

13

There’s just not an ounce of difference between a degree from Penn and one from Princeton or Harvard. I have always found that nitpicking between schools of this caliber is foolish and people waste too much time and energy on it. That said, there is an unbelievably big difference between a degree from Penn and a degree from one of the other schools you got into. Penn is your best option. It’s not even close. By any metric that anyone would typically use for evaluating these sorts of things, Penn is the ideal choice; there are better students at Penn, better opportunities for Penn graduates, and overall I just see no reason for choosing any of the other schools over Penn. The only one I can see making sense is Georgetown if you got off the waitlist there. Please don’t overestimate the importance of being in DC and lose your chance at going to Penn.

Also, I’ve found that basing your decision off of subject-specific criteria is often a bad plan. You might want to major in government or politics or whatever right now, but in two years who’s to say? If you don’t change from who you are now by the time you’re a sophomore in college something very wrong has happened.

14

Also the only reason I would focus on grad school over undergraduate is because of cost…choose a cheaper undergradate that may not be as highly ranked in order to focus on grad school…You may not even want to go to grad school later.

15

Don’t be blinded by ivy hoopla. Your chances of getting into princeton as a transfer is bleaker than your chances of getting in as a freshman-- don’t hold your breath.

DC is without a doubt a better place for government internships than Philly. Period. End of discussion. I turned down a full ride at UPenn because it wasn’t as strong in my major. Best college decision I ever made.

But money talks. Pick a school that won’t bankrupt your family.

16

OP this is a no-brainer. Go to Penn. It is the best school academically among your choices and the one that will give you the best connections. Being in government and politics is as much about connections as anything. Also many people in the federal government are still enamored with where you go to school and Penn has the best reputation of all the schools. I won’t mention the the quality of poly sci at Penn because @PennCA S2014 can cover that much better than me.

Please note that my wife and I are Georgetown graduates, my son attends Penn and my daughter works for a government agency. Thus I can understand your issues.

17

@Todd87 Be nice. It is a fair question.

@GMTplus7 What do you base your Ivies are not good for Poly Sci comments on?

In thinking about the undergrads of the last 4 Presidents and 5 current candidates, I count 5 Ivies, and only 1 Washington DC school (and he went to an Ivy for Law school).

Last 4 Presidents undergrad
Bush 41 Yale
Clinton 42 Georgetown
Bush (43) Yale
President Obama Columbia

5 current Presidential Candidates
Clinton Wellesley
Sanders U Chicago
Trump Penn
Cruz Princeton
Kasich. Ohio State

18

No.
https://admission.princeton.edu/applyingforadmission/admission-faqs/eligibility
“Princeton does not offer transfer admission”.

19

And @Much2learn only named presidents and candidates. If you count those individuals in important federal cabinet positions, as well as state, city, and local government, then the number of ivy grads in government/politics is outstanding. As for Penn, the political connections are very real and very powerful. Reporters like alumna Andrea Mitchell (who actually meets with the Penn in Washington students every summer) and strategists like alumnus Frank Luntz happily attended Penn. The former governor of PA and Penn grad, Ed Rendell, who is very close with the Clintons, actually teaches a class at Penn during which he invites top political figures and strategists for behind the scenes convos about politics. Marjorie Margolies (as in the former US House Rep for PA and Chelsea Clinton’s Mother-in-Law) is also a professor and she has had Bill Clinton Skype into her class to discuss his take on politics. Professors Eisenhower and Roosevelt are also on the faculty, providing a different perspective on politics and law… And those are just some of the big names with whom you will regularly have contact. The political scholars at Penn and the abundance of opportunities in City government during the semester make for a fascinating education in politics and gov’t. And again, you can spend your summers in DC, which I very happily did. Never once was I asked during an interview “but why didn’t you go to Georgetown or GW?!” The Penn brand carries a lot of weight down in DC where pedigree is (for better or worse) heavily valued.

Again, I’m happy to answer any questions specifically about poli sci/gov’t at Penn beyond the unapologetic name dropping I just committed :wink:

20

I hope you get the scholarship to AU. I’d like to see the Penn spot go to someone who really wants and values it. It shouldn’t be a consolation prize. And I’d like to see you go where you are most comfortable and happy. You shouldn’t pick it just because it’s an ivy if you don’t want to be there.