I visited all 3 of these schools and like them all even though they are in
different types of locations. I’m from
the south but don’t mind cold weather. I know they are all academically
Serious. Any feedback on social life
/fun factor of these compared to
each other or cut throatiness of any of them (not interested in Wharton at
Penn). Thanks
Hey there- all great schools so you really can’t go wrong. Some things to consider:
- Campus- Penn's campus is a beautiful, contiguous, 300 acre campus just a short walk from the center of America's 5th largest city. The combination of a robust campus life and the amazing opportunities Philadelphia has to offer is an unparalleled experience in higher ed. Penn's physical plant is beautiful and offers students everything they could want in a college experience from the quiet corners to the bustling city streets. In the center of College Green or the Quad you feel like you're in a quiet suburb and yet only a few minutes walk to the east and you are in the heart of one of the most vibrant urban metropolises in the world. The art, culture, food, clubs, bars, music, and more that Philadelphia offers also supplements the already robust campus life at Penn making it a truly outstanding experience.
- The Social Ivy- Penn's reputation as the Social Ivy stems from its ability to marry all the fun of college with the intellectual intensity of America's finest universities. Greek life isn't huge (about 27% of the school joins Greek life) but it has an obvious and awesome presence on campus. Students, regardless of whether they join Greek Life, often go to fraternity parties, attend Sorority formals with their friends in greek life, attend philanthropy events thrown by fraternities and sororities and more. If Greek life doesn't interest you, there are so many other incredible opportunities to have fun. Penn's College Houses organize social events and the University as a whole often sponsors events like NSOver Again in January, Hey Day in your Junior year, concerts, speakers and more. Students are EXTREMELY involved in their extracurricular activities and those involvements extend beyond the primary focus of the clubs as well. Kids on the debate team throw parties at off campus houses and the rugby team will grab dinner together downtown occasionally. Opportunities to socialize at Penn cut across traditional boundaries and the campus, university support, and location in Philly make it even easier to have a good time. Philly is also a BYO city which means there are a lot of restaurants at which you can bring your own alcohol to have a good time without having to pay the restaurant's crazy prices for drinks or have to go through he hassle of being carded. Philly's public parks, museum, unique Pop-Up garden culture, history, nightlife, and more make it a constantly evolving and exciting place to go to school. Philly's size, however, makes it so that you aren't overwhelmed by a city that is too large and inaccessible. There is a perfect balance between Penn's incredible campus life and the opportunities of the city that one could not find elsewhere in a larger city or on a smaller campus.
- Intellectual diversity- students don't often consider how important it is to have a critical mass of individuals studying subjects dissimilar to their own fields of interest. As a student in the college, I LOVED having kids from Engineering in my classes to add a new perspective to conversations in the humanities. As a student in the humanities, the way I approached problems outside of class in my clubs was VERY different than my Wharton friends who had a more numbers based approach to funding decisions and markers of event success, but who also occasionally forgot to engage with the multiplicity of factors that exist outside of the spreadsheet. It sounds cliche but the way in which a student is instructed in their discipline can have a profound impact on the way they interface with the world around them. At Penn, having the four undergraduate schools fosters an unparalleled degree of interdisciplinary collaboration and intellectual cross-pollination that isn't possible at a school with fewer students studying an equally diverse array of subjects. Penn's One University Policy also allows students to take classes and do research in any of the other undergraduate and graduate/professional schools, providing opportunities to add a certain depth or alternative perspective to your world view while ensuring that those interdisciplinary experiences are actually occurring, and are not just buzzwords in an admissions brochure.
- There is not a huge sports culture at Penn which differs from the other two schools. Penn does have a fun rivalry with Princeton (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penn%E2%80%93Princeton_basketball_rivalry) but students don't really care all that much. It's fun for homecoming but certainly doesn't dominate campus life- the Ivy League just isn't the Big 10. While at some universities, students have big parties for winning certain games, Penn just always has big parties regardless of how the teams play.
- Spring fling is one of the largest and by far the best collegiate music festival on the east coast. The ENTIRE campus (from Franklin Field, to the center of College Green, to the Quad, to Hamilton Village) becomes a carnival that lasts an entire week. Dedicated students start partying the monday/tuesday before fling and don't stop until the next monday of classes. Most students however will party Thursday-Saturday and recuperate with brunch on Sunday. The university's support for student activities, however, is like at no other university in the freedom Penn gives students to have a good time.
- If partying isn't your thing, there are always students interested in hanging out in the college houses or seeing a movie. Penn is the Social Ivy not because every day is an all-out party but because the opportunities to socialize are innumerable and the premium students place on social life is enormous. There is always something to do that will fit your particular interests/preferences- you just have to keep an open mind and you'll find your niche.
Again, all three schools are incredible. I seriously considered Northwestern and think there is a lot to be said for it. My friends who attended either Northwestern or Duke were very, very happy as each one fits their personalities best. Yet, friends from both NU and Duke came to Penn for fling multiple times while I was an undergrad… just something to keep in mind 
good luck!