<p>Penn and all the top universities have brand names. Their presence on a resume elicits responses from employers. Regular people are impressed by people who go to these schools. They have beautiful campuses, a concentration of highly intelligent people, and fine endowments. </p>
<p>However, as a student next year, I would like some info from current students or alumni: does a Penn education transform you as individuals? Taking away ALL the prestige and door-opening and networking and whatnot, does a Penn education give you more than a state school would? Does it give you more/less than peer institutions, such as Harvard or MIT? Does the actual education give you more than you could get from reading books at the library? Does Penn really give more practical education than its peer institutions?</p>
<p>I am going to Wharton, so you could talk about that specifically or for Penn as a whole, since I may do a dual degree.</p>
<p>I would choose to pay 40 grand a year just for the Penn people/experience/networking/degree (I know I’m shallow), but I was wondering if there is anything unique–one of a kind to Penn–beyond that. I realize that college is what you make of it, and that I will get what I put in, but I could also learn and grow by not going to college and doing something else.</p>
<p>How does Penn affect you as a student and as a thinking individual? Do you take something unique and significant with you after graduation, besides friends and a degree?</p>
<p>I’d appreciate if current or past students who have experience with this would respond.</p>
<p>Class of 92 - You'll get a better look from some employers but there's no free ride. No. No transformation occurs because you've stepped onto an upper echelon campus.</p>
<p>For me, I am 32 years old and going to Penn this fall to complete the last two years of my Undergrad degree. Am I looking to Penn to transform me into something else? No. Why am I choosing to Pay 80,000 for the last two years of my undergrad degree in Economics, even at my age, as opposed to going to Tulane for free? It has nothing to do with snobbism or thinking I will find the "Holy Grail" at Penn. For me, it's something I will be proud of for the rest of my life. Personally, I always wanted to attend an Ivy and not so that I can stick it people's faces, but for my own self-gratification. I visited Penn, Georgetown, Hopkins and Tulane last month (all schools I was accepted into). Not only did I fall in love with Penn/Philly, but on practical purposes, I feel Penn is the best place to complete my Economics degree and will give me the best opportunities to go into that field/industry and meet people with similar interests and who have that "striver" mentality.</p>
<p>i'm in the same boat as you. i debated heavily for a long time over whether i should get a liberal arts degree and thus more likely "transform" myself, or if i should just go straight into business and get a "leg up" in getting a job.</p>
<p>i decided on wharton. i'm still going to try to cram that liberal arts in, because i think that's really, really important. but on the other hand, i know i'm missing out on a lot of it by going to wharton.</p>
<p>so will penn transform me? i don't know. i might become one of those money chasing whartonites, i might not. however, i know that my college experience will be what i make of it. education is, really, what you make of it. i know you hear this all the time, but it honestly is. think about it. throughout high school there are people who do their homework because they have to, and there are people who go beyond their homework because they're very interested. they may both get A's, but the latter's life may have "changed."
if you choose to go this path and seek a life-changing education, i'm sure you'll get one. lol. it's upenn. you can do anything there =P</p>
<p>I don't know what kind of transformation you are looking for. But being a part of Wharton and Penn will be an experience that you will appreciate for the rest of your life. Whether you end up in business later or not, there's something about being in Wharton - whether it's the drive, the energy, the competitive spirit (positive), the amazing students and faculty - that gives you a sense of confidence and accomplishment once you're out that you can't compare. And at the same time if you want to round yourself out with a broader education, Penn is full of intelligent people and great faculty that will challenge the way you think and the way you view the world as long as you are open to hearing what other people have to say.</p>
<p>I think Penn will definitely give you more than a state school would and it definitely has more emphasis on practical education than the other ivy plus schools (there are 3 pre-professional undergraduate schools on campus, afterall).</p>
<p>Wow, thanks whartonalum--that was just what I wanted to hear.</p>
<p>And bean001--I wasn't having any doubts, whatsoever. When I visited Penn, I couldn't envision myself anywhere else or around any other people. My doubts, I guess, were more about the value of an "elite" college education in general. Everyone focuses on how a liberal arts is essential to become a "whole" person and all that--it would be transformative. However, I've met a few Ivy League grads lately who have shattered my notion that a top college will transform people. I was starting to think that maybe the hunt for a brand name college was becoming more important than the hunt for a good education.</p>
<p>I found the least of that at Penn. Almost all the Penn kids were down to earth, friendly, and really smart. Even in Wharton. At other colleges in the Ivy League, I definitely felt like the elitism vibe was stronger than the intellectual vibe. But that's why I chose Penn...</p>
<p>I promise...people in the business world/law schools/grad schools KNOW what Penn is. that's all that matters. If you want to impress Jethro and Billy-Bob down at the Jiffy Lube, maybe you should enroll in State/Tech school.</p>
<p>I think you guys are completely right in disagreeing with Raven. Anyone who is going to be hiring your or reading your grad school application will DEFINITELY know what Penn is and will not confuse it with Penn State - even if you don't go into business.</p>
<p>On the east coast, sure. Out on the west coast, though, there is less ivy name-recognition. I know several managers & hirers (?) for large corporations who didn't know that Penn was ivy until I brought it up and told them.</p>
<p>Feel free to disagree, but I'm just relating my experiences...</p>
<p>You know, it really disturbs me when seventeen/eighteen year olds think they can generalize about certain college/universities based on their conversations with "several managers & hirers" (the proper term, I think, is "head of human resources"...). Not even taking into account how many of these "managers and hirers" you could've possibly met in your miniscule existence of 17 years on planet Earth, what do you have to say for the bundles and bundles of other companies that hire Penn graduates (Goldman being the top recruiter, Blackstone Group, Citigroup, JPMorgan...etc.have you talked to any of these firms?)? Of course, if you are counting on your college name to get you a great job, I don't think the problem here is the college now, is it? Raven, I'm sure you are a great person, but insinuating the fact that just because two/three/however many "heads" of coporations you've met in your life don't know about Penn, therefore it somehow depreciates a Penn diploma is baseless. I find it mildly offensive and absolutely lame.</p>
<p>Catch-22 you're overreacting. My point in post #13 was that the impact of the Penn brand name is lessened as one moves further geographically from the school. This sentiment is one that I have heard straight from the mouths of job-seeking Penn graduates.</p>
<p>To deny that less people know that Penn is an Ivy compared to, say, Harvard* is ridiculous. I guarantee that every head of human resources in this country is familiar with the reputation of Harvard. A lesser number (but perhaps still a significant percentage) are similarly familiar with Penn.</p>
<p>Whether or not this fact "somehow depreciates a Penn diploma" is up to you. Those are your words, not mine.</p>
<p>(* not trying to cause a Penn v. Harvard debate, just using it as an example)</p>
<p>EDIT: Also, I find it ironic that the companies you listed off primarily (though not exclusively) draw from Wharton, not the College at Penn (which is what this thread is about). Wharton has more universal name-recognition.</p>
<p>Yeah today I got another "Oh, Penn? You mean Penn State?" question thrown at me. Wharton, however, would be more recognized. I've actually gotten into quite a few other schools that most people would argue has a "better name" but I am still choosing Penn regardless because I think it would be the best fit for me. I've lived in suburbia my whole life and I'd love to give city life a shot.</p>
<p>grrr. i'm sorry, i don't <em>really</em> like the fact that some people (not saying you) will choose a school over another based solely on ranking. those rankings are not set in stone, and sometimes you just can't compare colleges, take everything and consolidate it into one measly number. iit allll depends on what you want in a school. that's how rankings should work for you. (you being anyone choosing where to go to college)
rankings are meant to give a general idea of overall academics and stuff, but honestly, the differences are small when you get up there in the rankings. best fit! best fit!</p>
<p>this wasn't a rant against you, just .. people who do choose off of rankings.</p>
<p>Raven..I agree that Penn v. Penn State is an issue, even with educated people. But lets be honest, the only schools that are nationally known by everyone are Harvard, Yale & Princeton. Outside of those schools, you'll always get people who don't know that Penn, Brown, & Dartmouth are ivys but think that more popular schools like NYU, Georgetown, & Duke are ivys.</p>
<p>That being said I've never met an MD, JD, PhD who didn't at least know about Penn--they may not know its strengths precisely but they know its one of the top 10. If you want to impress a middle manager who has locally educated [doesn't matter if its in CA, Iowa, or even PA] and whose hiring consists of mostly state school folks, its very possible they won't know anything about Penn and assume its PA's state school. Once you start dealing with professional school grads, the Penn v. Penn State problem fades rapidly.</p>