<p>I’m thinking about applying for housing at King’s Court or Hill, but I was wondering if the location could be a downside since they’re isolated from most other housing, and they seem to be far from most Wharton buildings where I presume I will be taking many classes as a Wharton student. Would these dorms be an inconvenience?</p>
<p>Haha you can see we’ve all been at fling all weekend so the response from Penn students has been quiet this weekend…</p>
<ul>
<li><p>On housing: it is a matter of personal preference. Most students put Riepe, Ware, and Fisher Hassenfeld as their top three, but the quad is certainly not for everyone. You will be sharing a hall bathroom with ~10-15 other students. If you really want your own bathroom or kitchen, you might be better off with a high rise (Harrison or Harnwell, don’t think Rodin accepts freshmen any more). The rooms in Hill are tiny and don’t have air conditioning but Hill tends to form a very close community and there is also the convenience of having a dining hall in your basement. Living in Hill is awesome in January when it is freezing cold and you don’t want to go outside to get food.</p></li>
<li><p>On the drinking culture: it is really hard to make broad generalizations. I believe a little-published statistic is that 85% of students proclaim to drink in some capacity. For whatever reason, Penn is a Thursday/Saturday school. I believe this is because many students arrange their schedule so that they don’t have classes on Friday. So they tend to party on Thursday night, recover and relax on Friday, and then go out again on Saturday. Partying tends to be slightly more common in the beginning of the semester when there is less school work, and then decline in the middle as we get swamped with exams, papers, problem sets, etc. All I can say is that I didn’t drink at all freshman year, but I still had a blast. I made friends who liked playing videogames, watching movies, going to fun restaurants downtown, going to museums, etc. As an upperclassman, I started drinking more, going to bars, etc. There is a huge spectrum of social activities here; you just need to find your niche. </p></li>
<li><p>On dual degree Wharton and Engineering: this is exceptionally challenging. One of my friends who is doing it is taking 8 classes this semester. Many students who dual degree choose to stay an extra semester and spread out their coursework over 4.5 years. You may be able to take summer classes to make it more manageable. My big advice is to think carefully and ask yourself whether it is truly necessary to do both degrees. The aforementioned friend is working at an investment bank next year, and will most likely never use her training in engineering. In this case, I would say the degree in engineering caused her a ton of stress without much added benefit.</p></li>
<li><p>On living in King’s Court or Hill: both of these houses are freshman heavy, so you will probably develop a good community. I doubt you would feel isolated from your friends in the other houses. Hill is not air conditioned, which can be uncomfortable in September and May. Both Hill and King’s Court have a dining hall, which is very convenient. I wouldn’t worry too much about walking to classes. It probably wouldn’t be more than a ten minute walk from Hill to Huntsman, which isn’t bad at all. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>Final comment on housing: whether you live in Harrison or Riepe or Hill or Gregory will probably have minimal effects on your social life. What is much more important is your personality. If you are outgoing, you will make an effort to meet people during NSO. Knock on the doors of your neighbors. Sit with random people in the dining hall and introduce yourself. When a tough problem set gets assigned in math class, ask the cute girl next to you if she wants to work on it with you. On the flip side, if you don’t make the effort to get to know people, you will probably have a pretty quiet social life regardless of whether you live in a “social community” like the quad or not.</p>
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<p>Why is your friend taking so many classes? I’ve heard that most people take 5-6 classes/semester to finish an uncoordinated degree in 4 years, and even that’s if you don’t take a lot of overlapping courses. Also, how different would a CAS/W dual degree be from SEAS/w dual degree in terms of difficulty?</p>
<p>5-6 classes for an uncoordinated degree would be for…someone with AP credits, possibly summer classes, and degrees that have lots of overlap/classes count for both degrees. And the weight would be heavier on the 6 side.</p>
<p>The thing about engineering and wharton, however, is that you have a lot of classes you <em>actually</em> need to take–in Wharton there are 23 classes that you <em>have</em> to take (assuming you don’t test out of BC calc), though for 7-9 of those there is some leeway (you choose what to take for your concentration and business breadth). (And then language as well, if you don’t pass out of a language, so that can be 1-4 additional classes, as engineering doesn’t have a language requirement). The only ones of those that you might be able to count for engineering is stat (if you take 430/431 intead of 101/102) and math. The Wharton degree requires a total of at least 37 credits (some of those can be from APs)…some of those credits can be filled by Engineering classes, like the 2-3 ‘science and tech’ classes. Some credits that will be filled by both are some of the history/english type classes you take. Then you have the Engineering degrees, which tend to require 39-42 credits (I’m kind of guessing on the 39, I don’t remember what my friend told me)–obviously some of those classes are math, writing seminar, and a <em>few</em> liberal artsy classes which will also count for the Wharton degree. But engineering is just difficult in general and has a lot of classes that don’t overlap with Wharton.</p>
<p>Hopefully that makes sense to someone with very little knowledge of the classes so far?</p>
<p>CAS/Wharton degree difficulty really depends on what you want to major in. Some things overlap a lot better than others, plus some college degrees are only “32 credits” as opposed to the ~40 of an engineering one (though some, like science ones, tend to be 36 I think). (If I haven’t made it clear, no, you don’t add up 37+40 or 37+32 because there is overlap). If you want to do International Relations, for example, there are several Wharton classes that count towards the specific IR core classes, whereas if you do something like…English, I guess…well, those classes won’t really count for anything in the Wharton degree, except possibly 2-3 “Liberal Arts and Cultures” (I think that’s what it was called).</p>
<p>I can’t think of any reason why someone would be taking 8 classes unless they planned poorly at the beginning/are trying to do more than 1 concentration or something. I would also hope some of those are pass fail, because I can’t even imagine having the time for that and anything else. I do have Eng+W or CAS friends who have done 7 in a semester (did one do 7.5? I don’t remember) but they were pretty miserable.</p>
<p>**To sum up, the point is, it depends on what you’re studying, how many AP credits you come in with[/how many science classes you test out of], and how well you plan and choose classes to overlap. (And if you have money to take summer classes).</p>
<p>Weird question. Is it possible to enter as a single-degree, apply for a dual-degree, get accepted, and then drop back to single-degree? In case you find that a dual-degree is not for you…</p>
<p>i’m a sophomore (a young one, i know) and im dead set on becoming a lawyer/attorney/prosecutor of some sort. im planning on applying to upenn ed but the problem is- my high school doesnt offer law or business related topics. all ive taken/planning to take are just a bunch of ap classes. i want to show upenn (and other colleges) that im interested in law but my school just doenst offer any classes related to it.
i AM in some ec activities like mock trial and youth court. i was wondering what else i could take to increase my chances of being accepted to upenn.
oh! my sister is also attending upenn. does that increase my chances also?
thanks so much for doing this!!! (BIG BEAR HUG) :)</p>
<p>Having a legacy will greatly increase your chances for UPenn during ED. Take a good amount of AP’s and study to keep yourself in the SAT.</p>
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<p>As the economy has improved, and the TARP restrictions for most banks are no more applicable, recruiting for internationals has been fairly good. There will be always be banks that don’t take internationals, but they are smaller banks and very few of them.</p>
<p>I am an international and throughout the recruiting process, I did not even think about being international or anything. You just drop your resume everywhere like everyone else. If you are good enough, you get a job and they you worry about getting a visa. Most banks are more than willing to do all the administrative work</p>
<p>So I’ve that Writing Seminars are among the worst classes I’ll ever take at Penn. What exactly makes it so bad?</p>
<p>Writing seminars aren’t exactly bad classes (unless you have a bad teacher)–it’s just that they have a very set structure in how they’re run, and you have something do basically twice a week, and it’s really annoying (you get used to not having things due very often in your other classes). They’re not very difficult and if you actually look at how much time you put in, it’s not that much (especially if you actually do your readings for other classes). The problem is when you get a terrible professor in a writing seminar. Just use Penn Course Review and be sure to sign up one that has really good professor ratings (and preferably one you have an interest in). I recommend Styles of Atheism–aside from the writing seminar component of it, it’s basically a philosophy class, and you don’t have to have any strong feelings on religion either way…I think it may in a way be easier than certain other writing seminars because you tend to use reasoning in your arguments about religion, which makes writing the types of papers you will have to much easier (whereas other less philosophical classes require you to use more facts in your writing, which can be more time consuming).</p>
<p>And at powerbomb, yes, if you are dualing you can drop one of your degrees. It’s probably frowned upon but I really have no idea, and probably what is most common is for CAS students to apply for a dual with Wharton and then decide to just single degree with Wharton and drop the CAS.</p>
<p>@meadow36- Here is a link to the list of writing seminars being offered in the fall semester. I don’t think “Styles of Atheism” is there, but maybe one will focus on a topic that interests you. </p>
<p><a href=“https://fission.sas.upenn.edu/writing/ccs/catalog.php[/url]”>https://fission.sas.upenn.edu/writing/ccs/catalog.php</a></p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>Okay, I’m a prospective CAS student and I have a few different questions:D</p>
<p>How bad are the winters in Philly? I love Penn but I really, really, really don’t like the cold.
Do many students remain at Penn during Winter / Spring break?
Do you know how competitive/tough CAS is? In terms of average GPA, curves, grade in/deflation.
Can you provide me any information or links or anything for Penn’s work-study program?
And finally, can someone link to a page which states how many penn students go to grad school, and which grad schools they tend to choose.</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Haha, I guess weather is all relative, right? I have friends here from Hawaii, and they bought their first winter jackets and saw their first snowfall; I also have friends from Alaska, and they think it is quite warm here. Winters are unpredictable. Sometimes we get feet of snow, sometimes only a few inches. Temperatures usually hover in the high 30’s - low 40’s. It can really be a drag sometimes, but overall I don’t mind it too much.</p></li>
<li><p>For winter break, a lot of dorms close, especially the freshmen dorms. I would say the only people I know of who don’t go home for winter break are the international students for whom the cost would be prohibitive. But they usually go to a friend’s house or something. Winter break is more or less dead here, though athletes come back early in January for practices. Spring break is variable. A lot more students stay on campus. Spring break is also a great time to visit friends at other colleges; I know a lot of people who make annual trips to MIT, Columbia, Princeton, etc. which is easy to do because the northeast is so connected by trains/buses.</p></li>
<li><p>Grades vary a lot by major/class. The toughest curving classes will be large, intro ones: econ, physics, biology, chemistry, calculus, etc. Once you get up into your in-major classes, the curve usually gets softer. I would say that “average” in intro physics would probably be a B minus, but “average” in an upper level physics would probably be a B+.</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t know much about work study, but here’s what google returned for me: [Student</a> Employment Office](<a href=“http://www.sfs.upenn.edu/seo/?page=students]Student”>http://www.sfs.upenn.edu/seo/?page=students)</p></li>
<li><p>Here is a really huge file that career services compiles about what the graduating class does after graduation: </p></li>
</ul>
<p><a href=“http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/undergrad/reports/CAS_2010cp.pdf[/url]”>http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/undergrad/reports/CAS_2010cp.pdf</a></p>
<p>Is there a particular college house out of the 3 quad houses that is predominantly athletes (or even slightly more so than the others)?</p>
<p>Also, do the 3 quad college houses vary in levels of noisiness (like related to people hanging out outside in their centers)? Which is the noisiest/ quietest?</p>
<p>Just realized that as a senior you probably don’t live in the quad anymore, but maybe somebody could answer this?</p>
<p>Thank you ! :)</p>
<p>Three more questions, if you have time.
How are Penn’s study abroad opportunities? Easy to do?
How are Penn’s internship opportunities- for College students?
Annnnnd, are students generally absolutely in love with Penn?:)</p>
<ul>
<li><p>How easy it will be for you to study abroad depends on how much you want to accomplish and what your major is. If you want to do something ambitious like double major or dual degree, your schedule might be packed and it might be hard to study abroad. There is also the question of how easy it is to find classes abroad that correlate with your major at Penn. Something classical like economics or math or chemistry, you can find that stuff anywhere. But something like bioengineering might be harder to find classes that would transfer back to Penn. In this case you would probably have to take most of your engineering classes at Penn and save some of your graduation requirements for abroad (humanities classes, writing seminar, etc.)</p></li>
<li><p>It is definitely possible to get internships, and Penn has the highest percentage of its students who do internships of any school in the nation (90%, [10</a> Universities Producing the Most Interns - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2011/03/01/10-universities-producing-the-most-interns]10”>http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2011/03/01/10-universities-producing-the-most-interns)). Internships tend to be extraordinarily competitive; the one I got the summer after my junior year had over 1,000 applicants for 50 spots, a 5% acceptance rate. Penn has a great network of alumni to help you land an internship.</p></li>
<li><p>I definitely like it a lot here, but I want to be honest and say that it’s not always rainbows and butterflies here. There are times when we get buried so deep in work that it feels like we will need to pull three straight all-nighters to finish everything. But we also have a lot of fun. There is a saying that gets used mostly at MIT, but I wish it was used more at other top colleges: IHTFP. It simultaneously stands for “I have truly found paradise” and “I hate this f***ing place” and I think it captures the love-hate relationships that many students at high caliber institutions have with their school. I’ve met some of the most amazingly nice, smart, funny, talented, and passionate people you could ever imagine. I’ve published two papers in highly respected scientific journals. I’ve learned more in four years than I ever thought possible, both in the classroom and outside of it. And I think most of my friends would agree. There are times when we hate Penn, but in general I would say that we are very happy here.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>^ Great post–especially the 3rd paragraph. :)</p>
<p>Could you explain the differences in opportunities, coursework, job placement, and sociallife/experience. The two dual degrees I am considering are M&T and the Huntsmann Program. I am also considering a regular B.S in Economics, given that I am accepted to Penn</p>
<p>I just want to note that I don’t think writing seminars can be taken abroad, unfortunately.</p>
<p>Also, everyone obviously has their own experiences, and while Sunkist has had an IHTFP one, I have not…I just really love my time at Penn. I have never had the thought “I hate Penn.” It does get hard at times, but I don’t remember ever feeling the IHTFP feeling…it could be because I haven’t spent as much time as Sunkist, but it could also be because my high school was an IHTFP experience (with less emphasis on paradise and more emphasis on appreciation for the opportunities afforded me) and Penn just isn’t as stressful/a pressure cooker for me. Obviously I’m not saying it is rainbows and butterflies for me, but rather, the challenges I face haven’t been so terrible. Of course, I’m also not an engineer/science major/other ridiculously hard major, which could have something to do with it.</p>
<p>hummoo, all your questions have either been answered on the CC forums (look into past discussions) or are answered on the Huntsman/M&T program websites (in terms of coursework).</p>
<p>Is there a particular college house out of the 3 quad houses that is predominantly athletes (or even slightly more so than the others)?</p>
<p>Also, do the 3 quad college houses vary in levels of noisiness (like related to people hanging out outside in their centers)? Which is the noisiest/ quietest?</p>