<p>Hey, I was wondering, are there introductory courses for languages? Like if I wanted to learn, say German and I had no prior experience, could I do that at Penn?</p>
<p>You certainly can learn a language from scratch at Penn, and many students do just that! One of the things that you will find is that many courses at Penn are part of “sequences.” For example, the Math sequence is MATH103 (optional), MATH104, MATH114, MATH240 and MATH241. You would never take a higher course before a lower course. Conversely, there is nothing wrong with taking, say, PSCI183, then PSCI181, then PSCI241, then PSCI110, because those four courses are all only very loosely related, and none builds on the teachings of another.</p>
<p>With language, the sequences are rigidly defined. Each language department offers four courses in sequence, and once you pass each class with at least a C, you will be considered proficient in that language. Depending on the department, you’ll see different systems, but it’s likely going to be either 101, 102, 103, 104 or 110, 120, 130, 140. For GRMN, it’s the former system.</p>
<p>Language courses move quickly and have a significant amount of homework, but if you do everything you’re asked, you will really get good quickly. If you are truly interested in the German language and have found that languages come easily to you (I’d say, if you got a 5 on a language AP test or a 740+ in a language SATII, language comes pretty easily to you), you can cut the time to proficiency in half by taking GRMN106 and then GRMN107; these are double courses, meaning you will get two CU for each. Interestingly, you will only be in class for one extra hour per week in 106 and two extra hours in 107 than you would be in the equivalent courses (101 and 102 are five days a week, one hour a day vs. 106, which is MWF for an hour and TR for an hour and a half; 103 and 104 are four days a week, one hour a day vs. 107, which is set up the same way as 106), but you will have a lot more homework.</p>
<p>My freshman roommate actually took accelerated Chinese without any prior experience, and he had no problem keeping up or getting decent grades.</p>
<p>@neorobie - there’s also storage containers that you can rent over the summer. Can easily fit 3-4 people’s worth of stuff in there (and I’m talking like fit your entire room in there. Usually about 300-400 for the entire summer. They’ll drop off a storage container, you load it up, then call them up and they’ll pick it up. Ask them to drop it off again once you’re back after the summer.</p>
<p>@lollypop - there’s actually variations on language courses too. you can not only take intro chinese, etc but there’s also classical chinese and business chinese etc once you reach intermediate levels and above.</p>
<p>There’s also Chinese for “Chinese-people-who-don’t-write-or-read-good”</p>
<p>i keep hearing online that penn usually only takes 1 early decision student per school? Is this statement valid? Anyone know more than two people from one school in Penn?</p>
<p>^ That’s not true. Penn looks at each applicant individually, and doesn’t have any per-school quotas. There are many examples of high schools with more than one applicant being accepted in a given year through ED, as well as RD.</p>
<p>what’s the culture at penn like? i have heard that students at penn tend to be very pragmatic and pre-professional - is this true?</p>
<p>^ I don’t see what’s wrong with pragmaticism.</p>
<p>how are the humanities and social sciences at penn like?</p>
<p>^ EXCELLENT. Many of Penn’s departments in the humanities and social sciences are regularly ranked among the top 10 or 20 in the nation, including English, Comparative Literature, Classics, History, Anthropology, Art History, Economics, Linguistics, Music, Religion, Psychology, Romance Languages, and Sociology.</p>
<p>VelvetVeins, Penn contains a lot of students who are very driven to figure out what they want to do, but I don’t see how that is a negative thing. Among my friends, around half went on to graduate/professional school after graduation and the other half got full time jobs. Nobody was left behind, and that is worth mentioning because a great many recent graduates DO get left behind in this world.</p>
<p>And to chime in on social sciences, in four years I was taught by: a sitting governor (Ed Rendell), a former adviser to the president of the United States (John DiIulio), the foremost writer on German geopolitical relations with Europe during the late 20th Century (Ellen Kennedy) and the sitting director of the NBC news elections unit (John Lapinski). That was just in the political science department, which isn’t even a top ranked program.</p>
<p>what is the most important factor of being accepted ED?</p>
<p>I am very interested in the Vagelos Life Sciences and Management dual program. I looked at their website and it seems that most graduates are pursuing fields in science. I am interested in science, but I see myself working more in business after college. My question is, if I am more interested in business than science, should I not waste my time with the LSM program and just apply to Wharton instead?</p>
<p>Hellloooooo. We fly in 2pm Friday and leave Monday. Anyone know of any classes that my son could visit on a Friday afternoon or Saturday. He is more interested in visiting a class than the tour??? Thank yeeeeeeee</p>
<p>@cashewie</p>
<p>1) Passion - what do you enjoy doing, what are you going to bring to the community.
2) Reasonable grades and SAT scores - rank should be in top 10% though.
3) Don’t be a tool.</p>
<p>bbccpp—</p>
<p>Here are links to lists of classes that prospective students may visit:</p>
<p>CAS: <a href=“http://fission.sas.upenn.edu/col/course_list/”>http://fission.sas.upenn.edu/col/course_list/</a></p>
<p>SEAS: <a href=“Classes Open For Observation”>http://www.seas.upenn.edu/prospective-students/undergrad/tours-ug-classes.php</a></p>
<p>Wharton: <a href=“http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/undergrad/files/Wharton_Class_Visit_Schedule.pdf”>http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/undergrad/files/Wharton_Class_Visit_Schedule.pdf</a></p>
<p>Hi,
I am really interested in attending U Penn next year, and I am a perspective pre-med. I wanted to know how per-med is like at U Penn. Is there grade inflation?</p>
<p>Grade inflation is pretty good compared to other schools like Princeton or other Ivies. And there’s a curve in most classes so there’s a good chance you’ll be fine. </p>
<p>I’m just now jumping on this thread. I got into the Dual Degree program this past summer after my first year (started off SEAS) and am now a part of Wharton. </p>
<p>So if you have any questions ask away</p>
<p>I’m applying ED to the Digital Media Design program in SEAS. Does Penn separate their applications by school or do they have one large pile for all apps that get read regionally?</p>
<p>For my program, does that mean my application goes straight to DMD or does it get read alongside people applying to CAS and Wharton?</p>
<p>I’m applying to DMD ED too! Good question… I’d like to know this as well!</p>
<p>(Good luck!)</p>