<p>Princeton review describes the "typical" Penn State student as comfortable, relaxed and school spirited, usually wearing sweatpants and a T, a footall fan, works hard during the week, involved in sports or other activities, and likes to party on the weekend.</p>
<p>Would you agree with this typical description, and if so, how typical is this typical student? I guess this is another way of asking, how much "diversity" is there in terms of types of students on campus? </p>
<p>If you think that this typical description is accurate, do you think that people "self-select" Penn State because they fit this mold of the typical student, or do you think the school molds students into this type?</p>
<p>How accepted is it to be different at Penn State?</p>
<p>I’m not sure aglages’ thread really addresses the OP’s question. I would say that the PR description is somewhat accurate. However, a school the size of PSU cannot help but be somewhat diverse. I think one indication of the diversity among the students is to look at the diversity of the clubs on campus–
[Index</a> of Student Organizations at Penn State](<a href=“http://www.sa.psu.edu/usa/studentactivities/search.asp]Index”>http://www.sa.psu.edu/usa/studentactivities/search.asp)
There are 55 music and performing arts clubs, over 200 academic and professional groups, gaming clubs, IM sports teams and political groups of all stripes. I wish I could remember what percentage of students participate in 'Thon during their years at Penn State; I read it once and was amazed.</p>
<p>I’m sure that many students self-select because they visit and the fit feels right. But many are here because it is our state flagship and their best choice for a reasonably priced, reputable education. I’ll bet many of them don’t give serious consideration to other schools (unless they are worried about getting in). There is probably some truth in the school “molding” the students. For example, my son made friends who got him involved in clubs he would probably not otherwise have considered. Otoh, he went to one football game (Notre Dame, even) and that was enough for him.</p>
<p>I think the other thread addresses diversity in terms of racial/ethnic groups, whereas the question here seems to be asking about diversity in terms of student personality/characteristics. </p>
<p>It’s an interesting question, whether the student picks PSU because they fit the PSU mold, or if it is PSU that “molds” the students. We’ve seen examples of both. We definitely know lots of students who were attracted to PSU because of the sports and/or partying. And we also know kids who quickly transformed into party animals once they got to campus. </p>
<p>In our case, our son’s first freshman roommate was a partying type who was often just coming in when my son was heading to his first class. On the other hand, his second roommate often pulled all-nighters at the library studying. </p>
<p>I think it is true that the party and/or sports crowds do seem to be the most visible or vocal, but there are lots of other types of crowds around campus. (And on a side note, while I feel the majority of PSU students are school-spirited, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re into the sports scene. It simply means they really like Penn State, even if they don’t show it in a “rah rah” type of way. So it’s definitely possible to fit in the school-spirited mold even if you’re not into sports, frats, etc.) </p>
<p>One good thing is that PSU has so many clubs and organizations I think there are more than 800 now that it’s fairly easy to find a group of kids that share your interests. For example, there are clubs that focus on video games, community service, arts, diversity there’s even a Harry Potter club. </p>
<p>So I guess my answer would be, while the Princeton review you mentioned does seem to describe a lot of PSU students to some degree, there are also lots of other types of students who find like-minded students and fit in just fine.</p>