<p>for those currently attending upenn, please list the pros and cons of the school (advising, academics, social life, etc).
thanks in advance.</p>
<p>pros: social life, NY is close enough for day trips, philly is ok, people are pretty chill, the chance to take courses in any of the schools</p>
<p>cons: (personally) northeast weather</p>
<p>the variety of possible courses in so many good departments available is a big plus in my book</p>
<p>Pros:
-Social Life: Amazing for the quality of the school. Your options include everything from binge drinking to building robots to exploring the city. I've never heard anyone complain about being bored here. Ever.
-Academics: Almost every professor is at the top of their field. A lot of them wrote their textbooks, are quoted in the news all the time, etc. There are AMPLE research opportunities. After you get past intro classes, most of them are pretty intimate and there is a lot of intellectual discussion (although I am a non-science major in the College).
-Student Body: Brilliant, fascinating, some of the most amazing people you will ever meet. And there is such a wide variety, you will find a niche.
-Location: Beautiful campus in the middle of a city. Philly's a really culturally diverse place- and so many great restaurants. The weather really isn't bad, at least not this year.</p>
<p>Cons:
-Social Life: People that don't drink at all complain that it's hard to find others like them, at least during the first semester or so, but once involved in extracurriculars that seems to improve. If you're looking for an extremely intellectual weekend atmosphere (UChicago and the like), you'll be disappointed. It's more of a state school bar/party scene, just with really smart people.
-Academics: Some intro classes are pretty big and dull. If you're not assertive enough you may become just another number in some of those classes. The math department is difficult and weak until you get beyond Calc 3. Too many TAs don't speak much English.<br>
-Student Body: If you come from a poor background you may feel uncomfortable. Very few people here are overtly snobby, but the student body is very well off in general and some people have no concept of money. Also, like I said before, if you're looking for a very intellectual atmosphere, look elsewhere. We're much more pre-professional.
-Location: Crime is really the only bad thing. I rarely feel unsafe on campus- I'm a girl and I'll walk back from the library alone at all hours of the night. But, as in any urban setting, things can go wrong and you have to be prepared for that.</p>
<p>I'm basically in love with Penn. Most people here do love it- I don't think many people ever transfer out. Good luck with your decision!</p>
<p>I could go on for pages on why Penn is amazing. The quality of the academics, the unparalleled breadth of the academics (yay One University), the social life, Philadelphia and being located within walking distance of the city core, the food, the power of the Penn, Wharton, and Ivy brands, the campus, the endless extracurricular activities...</p>
<p>Downsides? Ummm the dorms suck compared to our Ivy peers--unless you're in the quad. But that's why 1/3 of the student body lives off campus.</p>
<p>There are so many positives that they are tough to list. The negatives that I see are:
on campus housing
dinging halls (though they are only required freshman year)
math and science can be pretty damn hard compared to lower ranked schools (but maybe thats why we're ranked ahead of them)
crime exists, though I don't know anyone who had a violent crime committed against them. lots of crime tends to happen against people not affiliated with the university or be due to unattended theft.</p>
<p>Some things that could go either way:
frats seem fairly prevalent among males
sororities aren't very big (i think we have like 8)
Fridays aren't the biggest days for parties on campus (Thursday and Saturday are fairly big)
athletics aren't the biggest thing on campus. basketball gets big but it didn't seem that special this year when the team was soso. it was probably a lot more active last year when we had one of our best teams.</p>
<p>Aside from these glaring negatives at Penn I still couldn't imagine being happier at any other college.</p>