<p>I have gotten accepted into both University of Pennsylvania and Princeton but I am unsure about what decision to make. My thoughts are a bit scrambled so i will just jot them down.
I know this is long - but help is greatly appreciated </p>
<p>The academic environment.
As of right now I have a focus in engineering but that might change. Which school would prepare me for a engineering profession? Which school would allow for the easiest transition to another career goal? And how are the freshman seminars?</p>
<p>I also want to know about the academic support available at both schools? I'm quite certain I am not stupid But I am aware that I will be attended school with some of the nation's brightest. I want to know that if i were to start falling behind i would be able to talk to the professors (again rumors that UPenn professors are hard to get a hold of) or seek help from advisors. </p>
<p>The social environment.
I understand that both UPenn and Princeton are competitive Ivy Leagues but which if any has a more relaxed environment. (I have heard that UPenn students are always stressed) I want to go to a school where people are not stressing but enjoying the learning process. Does either of the schools seem to have a lot of Greek life? And are Princeton's Food Clubs really a big deal on campus? and anyone know about the outdoors clubs?</p>
<p>UPenn undergrad is roughly twice as large as Princeton undergrad. What are the positives or negatives of each. I am a bit wary of the size of UPenn's undergrad. Are the classes very large? I would like to hear from some Penn students. Do you still feel as if you are a part of the class or does the size get overwhelming. Is there a community feel with such a large class? If so, how is it achieved?. And at Princeton, is your family your residential college or do you get to branch out?</p>
<p>The physical environment.
UPenn is urban while Princeton is suburban. What are the advantages and the disadvantages of either? Does it ever bother Princeton students that they are not in or next to a larger city? Is buying a bike a good idea for getting around?</p>
<p>Which brings me to the point that my boyfriend of 3.5 years has made the decision to go to UPenn (over Yale, Columbia, Dartmouth & Stanford - crazy right?). I am not worried about "how to keep our relationship alive", I both happy to say that we both love each other enough to make it work. I just want to know if it would be 'easy' to commute from Princeton to UPenn every other week or so. I believe there is a train to Philadelphia and that the cities are about 40 minutes apart. But with college class schedules and extracurriculars (especially at these great Universities) does it look possible- easy, ok, difficult, insane? Does anyone have information about that train?</p>
<p>Again constructive advice is needed and greatly appreciated!
Thank You</p>
<p>I know a few kids who go to Princeton, but since I haven’t visited the school, I’ll just tell you about Penn.
Academics: I love the academic environment at Penn. The professors are incredible and I really enjoy all of my classes. Professors and TAs are usually more than willing to speak with you after class if you have a question or need help. There is also tons of opportunities to do research. I am a freshman and have already started working in a lab and will be receiving a stipend to stay over the summer. Penn makes it very easy to start thinking about careers and prepare for grad school, a lot of people do internships, etc. Also I get the impression people get into good grad schools. Out of two random people I met who go to or are going to law school from Penn undergrad, one is at UChicago, the other deciding between Columbia and NYU. Another kid in the sciences is going to Harvard for his pHD, choosing it over Stanford and several other top programs.</p>
<p>Environment: I really love being in Philly, there is a lot to do in the city and I just really love how Penn is in an urban environment but also has a campus. I think the city really makes things pretty lively.</p>
<p>Social Environment: Because Penn is a bigger school, it is socially very diverse with people from all sorts of backgrounds. There is a place for everyone. I myself am a very serious student, but will go out late an average of one night a week if I have been progressing well with my work. I find it is totally possible to make time for a social life even if you put academics first if you manage your time well. There are also great clubs on campus where you can meet people. The school doesn’t feel too big because there are plenty of smaller groups within it.
Hope this helps!</p>
<p>All I can say is visit the campus. I felt that princeton was in the middle of nowhere and couldn’t bear it, while upenn is the complete opposite - smack in the midst of western philly. Obviously the programs will be fairly comparable, so to me the deciding factor would be the physical setting, since they are so different.</p>
<p>Which engineering are you planning on doing? I’m not in engineering but many of my closest friends are. I can say that engineering is probably one of the most stressful majors, but I believe that would be the case at Princeton as well…engineering is just a hard subject in general. The requirements everyone has to fill like chem and physics have big classes, but you’ll have smaller classes for your specific engineering major, and obviously you can choose classes outside of engineering. There is also a ton of support…besides the professors, there are lots of student advisors, and clubs relating to your engineering major, and so on.</p>
<p>The Greek scene is pretty big, but it’s not exclusive. You don’t have to pay to get in parties (except clubs downtown, and that covers the cost of renting the place…there are so many parties on campus you only go downtown if you choose to, though) and as a girl with a boyfriend, it shouldn’t be too hard to get into parties…just easier if you bring more of your girl friends (ratio is always important).</p>
<p>I always forget how big Penn actually is…I have so many close friends and I see people I know walking down Locust or in random buildings all the time. It’s big enough to find any type of people or even find new friends if you really want, but it’s small enough that I’ve never felt overwhelmed.</p>
<p>I never took a freshman seminar but I’ve heard great things. Honestly, to find good, interesting classes, you can use Penn Course Review which has detailed rankings on professors and classes, so you know what you’re getting into.</p>
<p>I haven’t personally been on any outdoors club activities because of my other extracurriculars, but they’re pretty active (I get emails from them all the time) and it seems really fun. They have the basic hikes and camping but they also have the opportunity to go sky diving or to a gun range, or paintballing. This is their website: [Penn</a> Outdoors: The University of Pennsylvania Outing Club](<a href=“http://www.pennoutdoors.org/]Penn”>http://www.pennoutdoors.org/)</p>