<p>Now evrything is clear! Thanks again, Hazmat! Reeze, I made exactly the same calculations, but thought that I misunderstood something, mainly because most of the kids tend towards a lower-meal plan. My advice will be: "Take the Quaker Plan, don't bother about the meals that you will not utilize and buy extra dining $ or use cash if you need and can." But the decision will not be mine :).</p>
<p>sorry ..im kinda slow.<br>
So the meals for each plan are the same? everybody get the same meal option and the difference is just in the flexiblility of extra dining money i can use on express places like (foodcart)??</p>
<p>haz, I guess I just can't imagine going for a full day without eating AT LEAST 3 times... especially if I'm working out 5 times a week.</p>
<p>I hear 'ya and if you don't buy any additonal food then you have got the right idea..............buy the maximum dining hall meals and stoke the furnace. I work out everyday myself but I don't happen to eat in the DH as often. The food is just fine, you will not have any problems.</p>
<p>I don't think the Penn dining halls serve 21 meals a week. Don't they only offer brunch on Saturday and Sunday and nothing else?</p>
<p>This is true. I wasn't thinking in those terms but that is accurate. Meals and swipes to me are variable........you can swipe at a grab n go in addition to the 3 meals.. I guess i just don't know anybody who is up and studying on Sun morning except at Biddle.....and they are open Sun am.</p>
<p>If anyone can help me in making my decision/calculations... how much does a normal breakfast/lunch/dinner cost in Philly if I were to use D$... just an estimate would be helpful</p>
<p>is it mandatory for freshmen to get meal plans?</p>
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<p>Yes. I believe a few posts after the original poster made that clear.</p>
<p>"haz, I guess I just can't imagine going for a full day without eating AT LEAST 3 times... especially if I'm working out 5 times a week."</p>
<p>I couldn't either before I came to Penn. But as you will find out... there are some days where you will only eat one meal. I know it sounds inconcievable, but I'm dead-serious. </p>
<p>I rarely have 3 meals a day and yet I'm almost broke as far as dining dollars go. Did I mention that as hard as I tried I couldn't get through all 125 meals alloted for the first semester? I only got through about 100. </p>
<p>HOWEVER. I am a snob. I hate the dining halls (1920 Commons, Kings Court, and Hill). Houston Hall (Dining dollars only) Food Carts (Cash only) Restaurants (Cash/Credit/Check only) are the only places I eat. On average I spend $10 a meal or less and every two weeks I splurge at a restaurant in Philly ($20-$50 a person). Honestly, I think it's cheaper not to have a meal plan at all. Food carts range from $2-$4... while dining halls rip you off at $11-$13 a meal for tasteless turds in a plate. </p>
<p>Coming from the outside this lifestyle can seem totally senseless, but spend a year here and I promise your perception will change. </p>
<p>So my conclusion is... take the cheapest plan available and use the money you saved to treat yourself to a restaurant in Philly every now and then. And don't worry about not using every meal. It happens to almost everybody.</p>
<p>I was just at a Penn Preview - EVERY student I spoke to said to get the plan with the fewest meals and the most dining dollars, and then add dining dollars as necessary. As one kid said, the stuff in the dining halls is "fortified crap."</p>
<p>Wharton, all the freshman plans cost the same $1839</p>
<p>They all cost the same but the cost of a meal changes with each plan if I recall correctly. Regardless, go with Liberty if you want the most flexibility.</p>
<p>The cost of a meal changes, but if you have 100 meals left over at 5$ a meal, that's not exactly cost efficient.</p>
<p>and it's really expensive to add on meals</p>
<p>damn penn make it cheaper! :(</p>
<p>Don't sweat efficiency. The whole process is inefficient. Why force freshmen to take a meal plan? (So the dining halls can look useful).</p>
<p>As they taught in economics, think of the meal plan as a sunk cost. Now, make the most convenient choice given that cost -- in this case, choose Liberty :P</p>
<p>I think someone asked about the number of meals served on the weekends. There is brunch and dinner served, so only 2 a day on Saturdays and Sundays. Also, my opinion is to definitely get the meal plan with the most dining dollars. It's the most convenient and you can use dining dollars to purchase extra meals if for some reason you run out of meals and have extra dining dollars at the end of the semester.</p>