<p>I am a high school incoming senior interested in going to Penn, but I am and hope to continue to be heavily involved in an organization that is based around NYC (I live near there now). This is a prime extracurricular of mine and I refuse to give it up, even if I go to Penn. So is it doable to go up to NYC a lot for meetings, etc. (say a few times a month, including weekday evenings) and still attend Penn without spending too much time or money on transporation? Will I have time/will this be practical? Consider also all the additonal time/money spent on taxis and getting from the station to where I need to be in NYC and back to campus</p>
<p>Assuming that you live on campus and that you rely on Amtrak for your “commute” to NYC the Philadelphia to Penn Station part of your trip would take 2+ hours. Then there’s whatever you need to do once you’re in New York City. Double this for the round trip.</p>
<p>If you plan on doing this on weekends it’s not a major problem. For weekdays this is unrealistic.</p>
<p>The work at Penn is intense enough without a commute dimension.</p>
<p>Have you considered NYU or Columbia?</p>
<p>Yea I’d say it’s generally impractical to commute to NYC frequently without interfering with your other commitments or academics.</p>
<p>Uh, 2+ hours to get to NYC on Amtrak? Don’t think so … the Keystone line gets you from PHL to NYP in around 80 minutes and costs $37 one-way if you book a few days in advance (if you get the student advantage card, which will probably make sense for you since you live in NYC, take 15% off of that cost). </p>
<p>Alternatively, buses will get you to NYC in 2-3 hours for around $10 each way, and if you want cheap but reliable, go for SEPTA + NJ Transit, which will be closer to 2.5 to 3 hours, each way and will cost about $45 for the round trip.</p>
<p>Is it practical? No, not really. Is it possible? Sure. Will it be expensive and time consuming? Yes and yes.</p>
<p>Think about applying to Columbia or NYU instead. Not only will you be in NYC, but also these schools take advantage of what NYC has to offer! Penn won’t offer you this, and I guarantee that the minimum 4 hour round trip will cause lots of hassles and time issues if you choose to pursue it for a long period of time.</p>