<p>Big universities are often criticized for not giving enough attention to each individual undergrad-- that's probably why some students choose Amherst over Harvard. </p>
<p>Penn is big, so my instinct tells me that faculty accessibility is not great. That may not be a big factor in my college search, but just curious.</p>
<p>Part of what makes Harvard so Harvard-y is that the professors have a bit of a god complex..."i'm a professor, at Harvard. maybe you've heard of it"</p>
<p>Penn professors are plenty accessible--at least once you get past the intro lecture. And even then, some professors can be real gems</p>
<p>Penn Profs are accessible as you wish them to be. Small seminar courses are available to Frosh in the Seminar series and you can join a Ben Franklin Scholar seminar for the asking. These are small seminar courses open to all students. I had NO problems finding small courses and no problem ever contacting or meeting with a prof and many invite students to their homes or out on the town for coffee or meals. I found them to be very accommodating.</p>
<p>hazmat is 100% correct. </p>
<p>Be aware also that many departments have frequent colloquia and other social/academic get-togethers that are open to all. These are incredibly valuable, particularly if you plan to go on to grad school.</p>