Current Penn Freshman Taking Questions

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
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<p>Hey all,
I've been meaning to do this for a while but first semester has been a roller coaster and with finals I didn't think I would give your answers justice. I am finally done though, and have a lot of free time with it being winter break and all. So shoot me a question! Academics, social life, food, advice, tips, whatever. Around this time I had mad questions and would have loved if someone took the time out to hear them out. </p>

<p>A little about myself- I am a freshman in the college interested in Pre-Med and Psychology. I am also a minority (African American female) so if you have any questions about minority life on campus (I have friends in the LGBT, Latino, Asian, Muslim, and Jewish communities) I'd be happy to answer those too.</p>

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<p>i’m not going to be 18 until a couple months into freshman year - is this going to be problematic as far as getting into parties?</p>

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<p>Ah, this is great, I’ve been waiting for one of these to pop up. I have a couple questions </p>

<p>What is the best meal plan to go on? What are your options, etc. </p>

<p>What about dorms? I know the drill pretty much having read tons of opinions on them, but for a freshman looking for a social first year, where would you recommend living? </p>

<p>Did you go to a Penn Preview day? What should one expect? </p>

<p>Thank you so much!</p>

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<p>Hi! Thanks for this great thread. I am actually looking into pre-med at Penn with a possible major in psych as well. How have classes been for you this year, namely the science courses? Are the teachers difficult?</p>

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<p>Do you know anyone to successfully internally transferred into Wharton for a dual degree program? If so, how hard was it to do?</p>

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<p>Oooh I can answer some of these questions!</p>

<p>Dsf(many numbers), not going to be a problem at all, realistically.</p>

<p>samesies…
Meal plan… go for the Liberty Plan, or whatever is the one with the fewest meals and most dining dollars. You will find that 125 meals for an entire semester doesn’t sound like much, but that hardly anybody actually uses all of theirs.
If you’re looking for social, avoid Gregory and the high rises. Consider the Quad, Kings Court/English House and Hill. Hill is the most social, but it is also the worst living conditions. If you don’t mind that some things (oh, say, faucets, showers, lights, windows) don’t work, then go for it. But the Quad will remain the most popular for freshmen into the near future.
I did go to a Penn Preview day… and honestly it’s really just no big deal. They take you on a more in-depth tour of campus and try to sell the school to people who haven’t submitted their commitments yet. Also the Glee Club usually performs (woot!)</p>

<p>manu…
I’m not pre med, but a lot of my friends are, and from what I have heard, Orgo = death. But if you’re really dedicated to becoming a doctor, you’ll make it through. A lot of the pre med requirements are weeder courses, so be prepared to work hard.</p>

<p>Staller, first of all, nice username. As for dual degree, I know several people who have done a Wharton/CAS dual degree, and it is pretty much no big deal. Your average College curriculum requires 32 course units and Wharton is 37.5ish course units, but of course, you will not need to complete 70 c.u. to graduate. You can double count most of your College requirements as Wharton requirements, and when it comes down to it, you will find yourself just working on completing major/concentration requirements, which also have overlap. You can feasibly do it in 4 years without taking more than the standard 5 courses per semester. As for transferring in, the rule of thumb is that 3.8 is where you need to be after freshman year to get into Wharton for the dual degree (it isn’t an internal transfer since you aren’t transferring out of the College).</p>

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<p>Thanks for your help. Hope I don’t kill myself trying for that 3.8 Frosh year. And you said that you can double up on requirements? I assume that means that after Freshman year I wouldn’t really have any free classes to spend time on electives and stuff I enjoy? I worry about filling up my schedule with requirements and not having time to enjoy myself, especially with my AP’s fulfilling elective credits.</p>

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<p>I have a few questions:
Can you tell me about the Dubois College House? It seems to have the best living conditions for what I’m looking for (suite style, bathroom, kitchen, diverse community, close to huntsman hall). How is it for freshmen living there or is it better to live in the quad and get the “freshman experience”?
Also did you attend the Africana Summer Institute or know someone who did? How was that experience.
-thnx</p>

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<p>Are you in Huntsman? If so, you HAVE to live in KCECH during your freshman year.</p>

<p>As for dining plans, take with a grain of salt all that stuff people say about going with the most dining dollars and what not. There are quite a few people who run over the 100 meals that plan comes with every year. For example, I’ve used 290 meals so far and counting.</p>

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<p>How is the workload, is it manageable, or does it take genuine effort to keep up with all of the school work. I guess this is directed at Wharton people. I will probably be taking 5 classes, and participating in 2-3 activities, will I still have free time. Like in a typical day, how much time do you guys spend on schoolwork?</p>

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<p>290 meals? That’s ridiculous.</p>

<p>But fear not incoming freshman, you can change your meal plan well into the semester if it doesn’t work out. Start off with Liberty. </p>

<p>Also, the high rises get a bad rep. for being anti-social, but Harrison’s Fresh-Ex program is tons of fun. It’s not the Quad, but not anti-social by any means (miles ahead of Gregory).</p>

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<p>Thanks ChrisW!
I’m gonna answer questions by post number not names so</p>

<h1>2- As far as Penn parties go there’s no age limit so you’ll be okay. If you’re goin to a club downtown just show them your Penn ID and you’ll still get in.</h1>

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<h1>3-</h1>

<p>_ Meal Plans- There’s Ben’s- unlimited meals, Red, Blue, and Liberty- most dining dollars. I suggest Liberty it has the most dining dollars and least meals (125) at the end of this semester I had 70 meals left at $1.50. So even though it doesn’t look it, 125 is enough meals. Also dining dollars roll over and meals don’t, just a fact to keep in mind. If you live in Hill or Kings Court though I would suggest getting a lesser plan since the meals are more convenient to get.</p>

<p>_Dorms- see below, it’s my post from the “How are the dorms at UPENN” page 4.</p>

<p>_Penn Previews- Basically it’s an orientation/ intro to Penn. There’s tours and info sessions. If you’re still deciding on Penn go but if you’re set, it really isn’t that big of a deal. It might be nice to see campus. If you’re a minority, you should DEFINITELY go to Multicultural Scholars Weekend. For a lot of people it solidified their choice to attend Penn. I applied Ed so I was already set but it was the absolute best time.</p>

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<h1>3 DORMS (must-read for everyone)</h1>

<p>Du Bois- This is where I live currently and I love it. A lot of students steer away from it because it is dedicated to African-American culture but the rooms are really nice. They offer singles w/ bathroom, double w/a bathroom, triple, with bathroom kitchenette common room, and quads with the same features as triples. It’s easy for freshman to get in b/c not many appy for it. All freshamn get triples. Unless you’re in a residential program freshman are housed on the west wing of the fourth floor so you’ll be around your peers. It’s the smallest dorm on campus both in size (4 floors) and residents (~160), so there’s a sense of community. There are no elevators and no A/C so the first couple weeks at school are pretty bad. It’ closest to frat row and all the parties, FRoGro, CVS, and the movie theater Rave. It’s furthest away from classes though (10-15 minute walk). The closest dining hall is 1920s Commons food is okay my favorite is downstairs (Starbucks, Burger Stop, Grocery store and Subway) They all take dining dollars.</p>

<p>Hill- I nicknamed it Hell but it really isn’t that bad lol. If you’re an engineer or just hate walking definitely live here. It is the closest dorm to about 90% of the classes you will take. There is no A/C either so first few weeks are pretty bad. They offer singles and doubles but both are pretty small. Roommates can literally lie on their beds, stretch out their arms and touch each other. I do, however, like the layout. The rooms surround a main common room and kitchen and are divided by colors and streets. They are arguably the closest dorm on campus and if you’re a freshman and worried about making friends it’d be a qood choice to live here or the Quad. In my opinion, Hill dining hall has the best food on campus so it;s nice to have it at your fingertips. It’s also close to Houston Hall and shops on Walnut like CVS. It’s the furthest dorm from all the parties, unless you’re going to Drexel.</p>

<p>Quad- ahh the infamous quad. There is no way I would live here (hate shared bathrooms and bedrooms) but it is quite beautiful and nicer than Hill. It’s made up of Ware, Fisher Hassenfield, and Riepe and they’re all pretty much the same. There are singles, doubles, and triples with one bedroom and a common room. All rooms have A/C but the layout is really luck of the draw. Some rooms are bigger than other (5th floor Ware is ridiculous) and shaped differently, it depends. It’s mostly freshman which again is great for meeting people and the fact that it’s closed in makes it one of the safer dorms on campus. The location is nice as well. It’s closer to classes then campus proper (High Rises, Du Bois) but closer to parties than Hill. It’s also near Wawa if you need a late niqht coffee run. Most athletes (well BBall, Football) are housed here and the majority of them have singles next to at least one teammate.</p>

<p>Kings Court/ English- In my opinion the hidden gem at Penn. One of my friends got stuck here but she likes it now. It’s two houses- Kings Court and English but they are joined together with a nice courtyard in the middle. One of the safer ones as well. English is the better of the two but most freshman live in Kings Court. It’s basic doubles but they’re a lot spacier than the Quad (my friend has a walk-in closet!) I don’t know that much about English house. The dining hall is arguably the best on campus but closed on weekends. The location is kind of weird, it’s tucked away past the bookstore. It’s close to Cosi and Urban Outfitters though and in the middle of the extreme directions like the Quad.</p>

<p>High Rises- If you are a freshman who wants apartment-style living but don’t want to give up the freshman experience APPLY TO FRESHEX (freshman experience). It’s housed in Harrison and all my friends LOVE it. They get really close and I always see them out together. It’s I think 5 floors of freshman residents with a RA. There are triples and quads with a bathroom, kitchen, and common room. All of the high rises are like this with singles and doubles as well (all have the accommodations mentioned earlier). Even if you dont do FreshEx, if you’re a freshman and apply to a High Rise you won’t be isolated. Harnwell doesn’t have a program but all freshman who get in are housed on the same floor. Rodin doesn’t accept freshman. The location is same as Du Bois close to all the parties and Commons but far from classes. Also, after freshman year all your friends will be scrambling to get rooms in the high rises and you’ll have the upper hand, being a former resident you get points the longer you stay there. This means you get preference over everyone else.</p>

<p>Gregory- Correction: This is the furthest dorm from classes, it’s at the very end of campus. A couple of my friends live here and they have nice rooms. Triple with a bathroom an common room I believe. Besides that I dont know too much more. Pretty anti-social I’ve heard.</p>

<p>Stouffer/ Mayer- These are the only dorms I’ve never been inside. Unlike KC/English though they are two SEPARATE dorms, Stouffer is next to the Quad closer to the High Rises/ Du Bois side. Mayer is across the street and down a little bit. Pretty far from classes but closer to parties.</p>

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<h1>4- Classes</h1>

<p>Awesome! Pre-med classes (math & sciences) are the hardest simply because of the class curves. It doesn’t matter how well you do but how well you relative to your classmates so that can get a little discouraging. I’m starting my sciences next semester but my friends say the hardest part are the tests. Also each class covers a lot of material so keeping up with the chapters and notes will do you a lot of good. also go to office hours. If the teachers know you and know you’re trying they might boost your grade up a little bit. My friend in my Math class always went to office hours and the Prof. saw her effort and promised not to take her below a C.
I took Intro to Psych and Math 103. Intro to Psych is really easy as long as you read the chapters you’re guaranteed at least a B. The material in Math 103 was simple but the tests were difficult. I went to a public high school so it took me a while to get used to the types of questions they asked.</p>

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<h1>5- Wharton transfer</h1>

<p>I don’t know a lot about this but from what I do know transferring into Wharton past Freshman year is rather difficult. These websites might be helpful</p>

<p>[Penn</a> Admissions: Transferring into the Wharton School](<a href=“http://www.admissionsug.upenn.edu/applying/transwharton.php]Penn”>http://www.admissionsug.upenn.edu/applying/transwharton.php)</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.seas.upenn.edu/undergraduate/pdf/ug-transfer-dual-wharton.pdf[/url]”>http://www.seas.upenn.edu/undergraduate/pdf/ug-transfer-dual-wharton.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Those two links you provided have contradictory info. One says the requirement for Math 140 can be fulfilled by Calc BC while the other say you need Math 140 or 150 AND Math 141 or 151… Any idea which is accurate? I’m more incliined to follow the first link as that’s what I ahve heard.</p>

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<p>If you’ve heard about the first one then follow that. Again, I’m not 100% on this topic so I hoped the links would’ve helped. Seemed the opposite happened lol.</p>

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<h1>8</h1>

<p>_Du Bois- I currently live in Du Bois and I love it. The rooms are on par with the high rises. If you’re a Freshman, you’ll be put into a Triple (3 rooms, bathroom, kitchenette, and common room) on the Fourth floor, unless you’re in a residential program. Most freshman who put it as their first choice get it since not many request it, but I still chose to apply to a res program (consciousness in black film) since I really wanted to live here. It’s not the traditional “freshman experience” but I find that overrated anyway. True, in the Quad people are more eager and open, but Du Bois residents are just as friendly. You just might have to work harder to seek them out. However, you will still be surrounded by freshman in the suites around you so it’s easy to make friends there. Also, living with upperclassmen can have it’s benefits. You’ll have older, more experienced friends to help you out from time to time. Du Bois is also the smallest house both in size and numbers so there’s more a sense of community then say the high rises.</p>

<p>_Africana- I also did the Africana Summer Institute (as well as PENNCAP Pre-Freshman Program or PFP) and I strongly recommend it. It’s a really intense week with the workload but it’s a nice wake-up call to Penn. Also, since there’s so few of you (~50 this year) you become really close. Some of my closest friends to this day are from that program. Both of my roommates did it as well as some of my hallmates.</p>

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<h1>10- Wharton Workload</h1>

<p>I’m not too famaliar with Wharton so everything from here on out is hearsay. If someone from Wharton can answer this please feel free to do so.</p>

<p>From what I’ve heard from my friends in Wharton- It really depends on the classes you take (what level math, Management is time consuming, don’t take BPUB and OPIM and the same time) but if as a freshman you want to take 5 classes and do well and dedicate yourself to an activity (not just be a general member) you might want to limit your activities to 1, maybe 2 but that’s still pushing it, in my opinion. However, only you know your capabilities and work ethic so if you reach here and think you can do it, go for it.</p>