<p>Amazingly, we made it through our 8 colleges in 8 days (I didnt review 2 of them since we either just interviewed or walked/drove through) finishing up today at University of Pennsylvania. I note that no one caught my little joke in the Wesleyan review (our Penn-ultimate stop?). Oh well. Comedy has never been my strong suit. I dont feel much like laughing since our flight home has been cancelled (apparently a shot over the bow by the Northwest Airlines machinists who plan to go on strike on August 20th and want to jerk management around a bit) and the only flight they can get us on wont get us home until almost midnight. At least Philadelphia Airport has wi-fi, so I can feel somewhat productive and get this report posted about Penn.</p>
<p>As we approached the hotel on the edge of campus in a taxi, my first impression was This place is too big. I had even more doubts when over a hundred of us filed into a huge auditorium for the info session which was conducted by a regional admissions director using a handheld microphone. I must admit that I was absolutely wrong. Although Penn is big by the numbers (10,000 undergrads, 9000 grad and professional students), my overall sense after our visit is not of uncontrolled hugeness, but of lively, intellectual potential in a more moderate but not impersonal setting. Although West Philly, where the campus is located, is decidedly urban, Penn is not. Much like Columbia, the campus is entered through gates that are open to the public and accommodates only foot traffic, no cars. Unlike Columbia which is fairly small with little green space, Penn is spacious (4 avenues wide and 10 blocks long) with wide paved tree-lined walkways, and tall, tall beautiful buildings which are mostly newly renovated and very high tech. Although today was miserably hot and humid, most times the tour guide found shady cool areas to stop and talk. One plus of Penn is that all of the grad schools and professional schools, including the hospitals, are adjacent to main campus making undergraduate research and sub-matriculation, the practice of enrolling in grad school during the 4th year of undergrad and graduating in 5 years with both bachelors and masters degrees, quite accessible.</p>
<p>Unlike the other colleges and universities weve visited, Penn requires application to one of four specific schools, the Nursing School which admits 70 to 100 freshmen, the Wharton School of undergraduate business which admits 450 to 500 freshman and confers a bachelor of economics degree to all, the School of Engineering which admits 400 freshmen who receive either the bachelor of science in engineering if they plan to go directly into engineering or, more commonly, a bachelor of applied science if they do not, and the College of Arts and Sciences which admits the remaining 1400 freshmen. When pointedly asked how difficult it is to transfer from one school to another if a student desires to do so, the adcom replied Well, its not easy and its not hard. A student is required to spend an entire year in one school before applying to transfer, and an opening must exist to accommodate the transfer. My translation was that it is easy to transfer to CAS, but not to Wharton, the school of engineering, or the nursing school. Dual degree programs which confer degrees from 2 of the 3 schools simultaneously also exist (e.g., a health management degree which grants degrees from the school of Nursing and Wharton) and a box is checked off on the application if the student wishes to consider one of these programs. Approximately 40% students double major, most in related fields. It is more difficult to major in distinctly unrelated fields since the general/distribution/curriculum requirements number approximately 10 classes and a double major requires up to 18 additional classes in each major. They noted that some students take a 5th year to complete the double major, though one tour guide graduated in June with a double major in poli sci and theater arts. </p>
<p>The adcom reported that Penn is in the top 10% of colleges who send students abroad, but didnt report exactly what percentage of students do study abroad. Most students spend a semester, some 2 semesters, and some go abroad during the summer. There over 100 Penn-sponsored study abroad programs in >40 different countries. Penn also has a Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CURF) to assist students in finding opportunities in these areas. The average class size is 28 students, with 75% classes under 25 students. The remaining 25% classes (introductory level, i.e., most of the freshmen classes) can be as large as 200 students and are usually taught in the professor lectures: grad assts do the recitation format. Non-professors also teach the freshman writing class and the beginning foreign language classes. The adcom stated Safety is no more and no less a concern at Penn than it is at other urban colleges and that the major crime is theft. Students uniformly stated that they felt safe but knew they could use the blue light system and campus escort system if they didnt.</p>
<p>On-campus housing accommodates approximately 60% of the student body and housing is not guaranteed. 99% freshmen live on-campus, the other 1% commute. Options for housing include the 11 traditional college houses with a dean and a master (like the other Ivy League schools), high-rise apartment-type buildings, and other arrangements. After the freshman year, some students choose to live off-campus, most in the 10 blocks surrounding campus. The adcom could not answer the question How many students are denied housing? stating that, although some students might not like the housing available, there is usually enough housing to accommodate all students who want to live on-campus in some capacity. She noted that most freshmen get one of their top 3 choices and Penn makes no attempt to try to match students, but assigns them as the applications come in. Meal plans are flexible including meal and point options.</p>
<p>From the admissions standpoint, she candidly acknowledged that ED gives a significant admissions boost. Approx 30% of early applicants were accepted this year, and 46% of the freshman class ultimately came from the early decision pool. Interviews play a small role in the process, since they can only interview about 50% of the overall applicant group. Only children and grandchildren of alumni may interview on campus.</p>
<p>Thats it for now. If there are any questions, fire away. This will be my last review. I would greatly appreciate even a few sentences from anyone who has visited Northwestern, Oberlin, or other liberal arts schools that could accommodate a kid who wants to do a science and vocal performance.</p>