I was recently accepted into Northwestern University and University of Pennsylvania. Both of the schools fit my academic desires and the financial situation is similar for both schools, so it looks like campus culture is going to be the deciding factor for me. For any UPenn or Northwestern students/alumni, what is campus life like? Specifically, do students generally spend most of their time on campus? Or are the communities of Evanston and Philadelphia important in shaping the college experience?
As for myself, I enjoy being close to a big city, but am open to living in a college town as long as their are enough resources and activities to do off campus. Thanks!
Congrats on getting into both schools! I went to Northwestern undergrad and went to Penn for grad school. IMHO, both have diverse campus life, but Northwestern has a a slightly more vibrant campus community. That said, I am splitting hairs as both have strong school spirit. Put another way, Northwestern’s campus is larger and offers a few more “escape” opportunities, whether it is going into Chicago via the L or riding your bike in the suburbs to the north. Penn has done amazing job of buying adjacent property to campus and investing in/revitalizing West Philly, but the area can at times seem constraining. Both schools have a diverse student body and an amazing range of club activities and events. Best of luck in your decision.
My D was torn between these two schools as well. She loved both campuses, programs, and the nearby urban areas.
She ended up selecting NU because she felt it had a slightly friendlier/less intense vibe than Penn which suits her personality - maybe it’s the difference between the east coast and midwest vibe, or just who she met on the tours… NU is close to home so the vibe/surroundings feel more familiar. She loves the Chicago area.
She also thought there were more undergrad research/co-op opportunities at NU in her particular major and she likes the Big 10 sports spirit/camaraderie. Really, both are great schools and she loved them both.
Also, I know plenty of undergrad NU students and they rarely come home to visit their families (who live in nearby towns) so it’s not at all a “commuter school.” A large percentage of students are also involved in Greek life/houses and frequently take the purple line (train) into the city of Chicago for concerts, events, etc. There is also plenty to do in Evanston itself (restaurants, beach, etc.)…
As a first year student at Penn, I think the best way to sum up campus life is that there is always something really interesting going on. There are so many performing arts groups always having shows, there are high profile government and business leaders always giving talks to students, and if you are looking to go out, there are parties Thursday-Saturday and downtown Philadelphia is really easy to access. I would say that most people I know spend their time on campus because extra-curricular activities are a huge part of the student experience. My clubs go out to dinners together, we work on group projects, and we even have a yearly vacation for all members.
I’ve loved my time at Penn and all of the students here are very driven people, but it is definitely not cutthroat. I’ve never been in a situation where my friends won’t help me with homework, in fact, most classes encourage people to do their assignments in groups. Penn can be intense sometimes, but you will find that any comparable school.
I love Penn, but you definitely should pick the school that feels the best for you!