Graduating Senior Willing to Answer Questions!

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
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<p>Hello everybody,</p>

<p>I haven't posted here in quite sometime, but I'm brushing the dust of ye ole profile to answer any questions you guys might have. This site definitely helped me when I was going through college applications and deciding where to matriculate, so I wanted to reach back. Over my four years here, I've gotten to do quite a bit and see Penn from a number of different vantage points. I'll give a quick profile of myself, in case that helps you formulate what you would like to ask.</p>

<p>Sex: Male
Race/Ethnicity: African-American
School: Wharton/College
Major: Business & Public Policy/Urban Studies
GPA: MEH lol
Post-Grad Plans: Full-time employment (marketing/consulting)</p>

<p>Involved in several extracurriculars, ranging from student government to performing arts.</p>

<p>Feel free to ask anything, and I'll answer it if I have the requisite knowledge/experiences to craft a response. Since the next few days will be hectic, I may get to them slower than I'd like. Just a heads up. Feel free to PM if you do not want to ask on the thread.</p>

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<p>salary coming out of penn?
how much debt?
sat, extracurriculars?</p>

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<p>What is the environment like at Wharton and the school in general? </p>

<p>How much would you caution me to not go to West Philly? Is it as bad as everybody’s been telling me? </p>

<p>Did you do a Dual-degree with Wharton and CAS? How hard is it to get in? I know about the high GPA requirements but do you know any numbers/stats on how many apply and how many are successful? </p>

<p>What do you think of the food options? What’s the cost of living in Philadelphia (alright, high, low?)</p>

<p>thanks! :D</p>

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<p>how does on campus recruiting for investment banking work at Wharton? How do other internships work?</p>

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<p>It depends on where you go. Much of West Philly is relatively dangerous and has little that students would enjoy, but the Walnut Hill and Spruce Hill neighborhoods are tremendous! The area bounded by the western edge of campus, Walnut Street, 50th and Baltimore Avenue has a lot to do. At 43rd and Locust you’ll find a fun little cafe and, of course, Koch’s deli (a MUST for all Penn students!). Along Baltimore, starting at 43rd and extending for quite a while, you’ll find an array of mom-and-pop shops, restaurants, etc. At 43rd and Baltimore is Clark Park - a great place to go toss around a frisbee or baseball when the campus green spaces are loaded with people.</p>

<p>Don’t be afraid to explore, but generally speaking, if an area LOOKS dangerous (broken windows, boarded up houses, trash everywyere), it probably is.</p>

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<p>Penn food options are… meh. I hated the dining halls freshman year, but during the rest of college, it was a real treat to get swiped in by a freshman. The food options AROUND Penn are fantastic. Center City has some of the best restaurants in the country, and you can find plenty of places to get whatever you want. Philadelphia has a rich tradition of good food (and BYO too, so you can save money on wine!).</p>

<p>CoL is tough to gauge when you’re talking about undergraduates… what specifically are you asking about?</p>

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<p>On Campus Recruiting is NOT limited to Wharton. Penn sponsors OCR, and along with the entire One University policy, any undergraduate is allowed to go through the OCR hell. In addition, OCR is not limited to i-banking; it is the same process for all banking, consulting, marketing, management and any other industries that decide to do OCR.</p>

<p>For the run-down… </p>

<p>You don’t really have much reason to do OCR before junior year. During junior year, companies begin doing internship information sessions in December, but they really ramp up in January. Typically, a resume “drop period” begins right after the info session (this term is archaic since now you submit an electronic application instead of physically dropping your resume at career services, as you did in the past); this drop period will last for anywhere from 4-10 days, and that is the only time during which you may submit applications. Once the period is over, the resumes are released to the companies (it doesn’t matter if you submit a minute after the period opened or a minute before it closed… all applications are treated the same), who will pick people to interview; some companies only interview 3 people at Penn while others interview up to 60… you can see the number of available slots on the PennLink website when you go through to apply.</p>

<p>If you are selected for an interview, you will find out a day or two before the sign-up period opens. When the sign-up period opens, you have a specified amount of time to log into PennLink and schedule an interview. For reference, on-campus interviews usually take place in mid-January to early February.</p>

<p>The on-campus interviews can vary wildly from basic personality profiles to math problems to extensive, detailed case studies, depending on the industry and the company. Once everyone has done their on-campus interview with a company, the company will select the people to bring to their office for a “super day.” This super day, typically in early to mid February, will consist of anywhere from two to four interviews and is designed to give applicants a feel for the type of company they’re applying to.</p>

<p>After the super day, you might have another round of interviews, but it is more likely that offers will come out. Penn has a policy against exploding offers so that you can safely interview with many companies and have a comfortable time frame in which to make decisions regarding which offer to accept. Offers are typically given by the time spring break begins.</p>

<p>Many people who get junior internships get offers for full time work at the end, so they don’t need to do senior OCR unless they’re trying to get more money from another company. OCR for seniors is typically largers - more companies recruit on campus for FT employees than for interns - and the time-frame is a little different. Info sessions happen in early September, interviews in late September, on-site interviews in early October and offers by the end of October. That said, some OCR companies recruit later (for example, the company I work for didn’t have its on campus interview until early November).</p>

<p>Most people who secure a job through OCR are finished by Thanksgiving. Do you have any more specific OCR questions?</p>

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<p>

I remember waiting in line at Koch’s in the '70s! They used to pass around samples to everyone waiting in line (predominantly Penn students)–hopefully they still do! Going to Koch’s is definitely a longstanding Penn tradition.</p>

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Fun fact about Clark Park to know and tell: there are only two known statues of Charles Dickens in the entire world, and one of them is in Clark Park:</p>

<p>[The</a> Dickens Statue | Friends of Clark Park](<a href=“The Dickens Statue – Friends of Clark Park”>The Dickens Statue – Friends of Clark Park)</p>

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<p>Hi everyone, I am a junior and want to apply as ED next year. Please tell me what are my chances of getting into jhu. If possible please also tell me my rd acceptance into jhu and NYU.</p>

<p>SAT:2250 I don’t remember the exact numbers as my mom has the password and does not divulge it to even me.</p>

<p>Unweighted GPA is 3.8 Took AP Bio and revived a 4 and I am taking 4 this year: Ap Enviro, Us, Chem and Lang. SAT II BIO 740</p>

<p>I have done some community services in a youth organization racked up 80 plus hours form 9th grade and have volunteered in a hospital for 40 plus hours. I learn Vocal Indian music from when I was 5 and won an award in 9th grade. I have also gave out many recitals in ky temple. I am the editor of my school newspaper and play varsity tennis from 11th grade, NHS member, won an award for volunteer services, also in clubs such as unity in diversity in which I hope to be vice president, history club which I hope to have a position in next year and math club. I am also in Science Olympaid and Masterminds, which is like College bowl.</p>

<p>Thanks for your time</p>

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<p>Before I answer, I just want to say that I won’t get too, too specific, because I’d like to maintain some degree of anonymity hehe. Aside from that, more than willing to answer.</p>

<p>Salary: I’m in the range of $50,000-60,000 starting. That’s without a signing bonus or anything of that sort. I believe that is a bit lower than average (particularly for Wharton), but I’m also not going into banking, and I am in more of a niche role in consulting with a firm you wouldn’t normally think of as a consulting firm. The plus side is that I’ll be in a southern city with a substantially lower cost of living than most of my friends and classmates who end up in NYC.</p>

<p>Debt: Not going to lie, I have a substantial amount of debt, but this is in part due to some extenuating family circumstances that I should not get into on this forum. However, I will say that financial aid packages are pretty reasonable given all the variables of each student’s application. But, even still, students should expect to graduate with some debt. It is just that attending Penn will likely lower the amount of debt in comparison to attending a school with less financial resources to allocate per student (unless you have a merit scholarship at said institution).</p>

<p>Extracurriculars: I was involved with a number of different things. President of one of the leading performing arts groups on campus. 4-Year Student Government member (won’t say what branch) that got to work on some pretty cool projects with faculty and administration. 4-Year Executive Board member for a smaller (but growing) Wharton club. Started and implemented a civics curriculum for after-school programs on behalf of the College Democrats and put on in conjunction with CSSP. Volunteer arts instructor in the Philadelphia Prison system. Student mentored for a little bit. Membership in some other Wharton clubs, but nothing too extensive. All in all, I’ve been around quite a bit and gotten recognized by my peers for it; always cool that people around you find value in what you do with your time.</p>

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<p>Environment: Wharton is very competitive, though I will say that it isn’t cut-throat as some people try to claim. Simply put, the curve is going to make your grades based on performance relative to your classmates. This means everyone is working hard. At the same time, there will be a lot of group work, so you will learn to work with people (or I hope you do). Overall, this hard-worker mentality permeates the entire university. Penn is full of smart, motivated people regardless of discipline, so this should be expected. But, Penn is also incredibly social and people like to have fun. I also find it to be less stuffy than other elite universities (particularly a certain rival of ours…). Work hard, play harder is the motto. It’s real. You’ll see if you end up here.</p>

<p>West Philly: chrisw offered a great answer here already, so I won’t really get into it. I will say, that I am always impressed when Penn students are willing to venture into West Philadelphia and leave the campus bubble. More students should do this!</p>

<p>Dual-Degree: As I was already a Wharton student, applying for the dual-degree was a smoother process than what you’re probably imagining. You need to have a 3.0 to be able to apply, and if you have a 3.4 you’re pretty much guaranteed to get it (not saying you can’t if you’re between 3.0 and 3.4… you just need a strong reason to do the degree aside from “it’ll look good.”) Now, if you’re in the College and applying to Wharton, that’s a different story. Your GPA will have to be very, very high (3.8 minimum), which is difficult to pull off in college. Why so high? Well, you’ll basically be tossed into the pool with other transfer applicants for the few spots Wharton has left to fill its class. Wharton has about 550 matriculate in Freshman Year, and won’t let that number get past roughly 650 students. Thus, spots are limited. The College being so much larger, has more spots, and thus, competition isn’t as intense. I also don’t know many Wharton students who pursuing dual-degree outside of a special program (M&T, Hunstman, Vagelos), so that further limits competition. Take this info into consideration, and plan accordingly if you’re interested.</p>

<p>Food Options/Cost of Living: Again, chrisw has addressed this wonderfully. I will say on-campus options have improved during my tenure here. Since Penn switched from Aramark to Bon App</p>

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<p>Please refer to chrisw’s post on the matter. Very thorough breakdown. I will say, that OCR definitely is not for everyone. I didn’t do OCR until my senior year. If your interests are not in Finance/Banking or Consulting, then it makes more sense to pursue things on your own. Investigate firms in your area of interest, contacting people, paying attention to job and internship listings on their websites. If you’re going this route, it makes a lot of sense to keep in contact with Career Services to see if they can help you navigate the ambiguity. </p>

<p>That said, it’s good to keep an eye out as to what companies are recruiting on-campus. Something might come up of interest to you, and the process (while stressful) is formalized, which will make it easier to secure the attention of a company. Because of this, I believe that most people do find full-time employment because of OCR (either they get an internship between junior and senior year and return offer, or they get a full-time offer as a senior).</p>

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<p>I’m a current HS junior who is very interested in Penn after visiting a few weeks ago (didn’t think I would like Philly but I’m glad the city took an initiative to “clean it up” and make it safer). I am interested in medicine and engineering. However, I would also one day like to form my own group and Wharton is the best school for that. I guess my questions are the following:</p>

<p>1) Are there any dual degree programs such as M&T (would this be a good fit for me or would this and premed be WAY too intense?) that suit my wishes?
2) How successful are premeds at Penn in general?
3) Should I try to get a degree from Wharton given my aspirations, or would it just be superfluous? </p>

<p>THANKS again</p>

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<p>Thanks for the awesome answers chrisw and Chi-town! </p>

<p>About OCR, how successful are students at landing an internship/FT offer? I know that it’s obviously dependent on the student but what would you say the percentage of students getting offers are? </p>

<p>My parents are so scared of me leaving campus because of everything they’ve heard about West Philly. It’s safe to go down to Centre City right? (of course, exercising common sense and a healthy dose of caution) I wouldn’t want to miss out on all the wonderful food choices Philly has to offer! </p>

<p>I really regretted not applying to Huntsman (since my intended major is IR and I’m now thinking of doing a DD with Wharton), but I didn’t really know I would want to go to Wharton after I applied. From what I’ve seen, it seems very hard to get into Wharton from the College. Do you know a general number of how many people apply each year and out of that pool, how many are accepted? </p>

<p>What are your views on the sororities and fraternities on campus (disregarding the Owls and such)? My mom wants me to rush (because she wants me to build connections for later on in life) and a few alumni have told me to join as well. What are your thoughts on the benefits and disadvantages of being in a sorority/frat?</p>

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<p>Can someone please chance me for Penn on my above post thanks</p>

<p>Sent from my HTC PH39100 using CC</p>

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<p>Also graduating this year…</p>

<p>80k base, probably 50k bonus or so in this economy
No debt, thanks to my parents
SAT: 2330 I think?
ECs: In college? just some fun clubs and stuff. Most employers aren’t that interested in your ECs since work experience is generally much more important</p>

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<p>Google Penn Career Surveys. Almost everyone at Wharton who wants a job lands one, even in a weak economy. </p>

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<p>Not nearly as cutthroat or competitive as people say. All of my best friends are in Wharton. It’s more about teamwork (lots of group projects, presentations, etc.) than competition in my opinion</p>

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<p>1) You’re not restricted to special dual degree programs. You can choose to do a dual degree with any two schools, even if you’re not in M&T, Vagelos, or Huntsman.
2) I don’t personally know any pre-meds at Wharton, but Penn has one of the strongest medical program in the nation, so I’m sure they do very well
3) I always encourage people to do a dual degree. It gives you a lot more options/flexibility down the road. However, if you’re not planning on entering the finance/business field immediately, you can always do an MBA later.</p>

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<p>As astonmartin said, nearly everyone who wants a job gets one. That isn’t to say that it’s EASY to get a job; many people apply to dozens and dozens of places, going through ten or more first round interviews and five second round interviews before getting jobs. It’s incredibly taxing but well worthwhile once you finally decide where to work.</p>

<p>Now, not every student who does OCR gets an offer; it isn’t like applying to colleges where you have your reaches and your safeties. You can get a very basic sense of where you’re qualified by looking at your GPA (a 2.8 isn’t going to get you an interview at JPM, but a 3.8 is), but getting an interview is only the beginning: you need to impress the recruiters all along the way. I’m not sure the breakdown, but fair number of people go through OCR without getting an offer (companies that recruit at Penn but not through OCR get a LOT of students). For reference, I did OCR junior and senior years; I did not get an internship offer junior year, and I got two offers senior year.</p>

<p>With that said, you would be smart if you go to the career services center during September of your junior year. Get your resume torn apart, get help writing cover letters, get interview advice and make sure that you’re applying to the right kinds of companies. If you do that in the fall of junior year, it’ll make internship applications much easier the following spring, and job applications will be comparatively painless.</p>

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<p>YES it’s safe to go to Center City! I currently live in South Philly, and I’m in Center City weekly. Granted, there is crime in Center City (as should be expected in a metropolitan hub), but neither I nor anyone I know has ever had any problems.</p>

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<p>It’s your choice. Roughly 1/3 of Penn students join Greek organizations, but that means 2/3 don’t! Penn has a rich tradition of extra curricular activities, one of the great aspects of the tradition is that students manage their groups internally. They are given budgets and need to manage their money, lest they lose recognition (and funding). As a result, the leadership of most campus group takes great pride in running a good organization. This enthusiasm trickles down to general membership, and it really helps form a bond between and among members.</p>

<p>I make mention of this because for some, their campus groups ARE their fraternities (just without the Greek letters). Alumni are very involved, and the friendships and connections you form often last forever.</p>

<p>Of course, Greek life is an important part of Penn, and it does help you to find a diverse group of friends as well as make memories that you otherwise couldn’t. Personally, I was in a fraternity, but it was never as important to me as some of my other campus affiliations. My recommendation to you is to rush - get the free food - and see what happens. You might find a fraternity that you really like and want to join; it is just as likely that you won’t. No harm in looking, though!</p>