<p>co-ed communal bathrooms but you can easily go in a bathroom you’re not technically assigned to (it’s common practice to do so). The bathrooms are all cleaned regularly. They provide the toilet paper and paper towels but I must warn you the paper is VERY rough. I actually bled from their toilet paper…</p>
<p>The kitchenette has a full-sized fridge, a microwave and a dish set. People are generally good about cleaning up after themselves to no problem there.</p>
<p>Stouffer is probably the worst known dorm but so far, all my friends have been impressed with it. The single is very nice in that it gives you privacy a double/triple can never ensure.</p>
<p>Not sure if you guys are still answering (and thanks for doing this, btw)…wondering about Ben Franklin Scholar program. Is this something prosp/accepted freshmen apply to or are they simply selected? (I was accepted ED to CAS).</p>
<p>Housing: what are pros/cons of quad versus other housing? Does living in quad freshman year mean you might not GET on-campus housing after that? Is it safer to try for a different (apt style or high rise) dorm to guarantee upperclass housing?</p>
<p>Thanks, guys!
But it sounds like the residential programs can only benefit the people who get in, with high rise privileges and credit for certain courses. What prevents everyone from applying?</p>
<p>Also, how did YOU guys choose your roommates, if you have one?
Was it a hs friend, or some sort of roommate-matching thing on facebook, or just random?</p>
<p>I also wonder how important is the supplemental essay. Could anyone share the communities you wrote in your application and what you said in your essay? Thanks a lot!</p>
<p>i wrote about beign a part of the civic house and joining a cappella groups, and briefly described my involvement in these activites at my current school</p>
<p>my interview was great, we talked about my interests, my interest in Penn, and a lot of educational philosophy in general (education is something i’m pretty interested in and thats the sector that my interviewer works in)</p>
<p>i wrote p.217</p>
<p>i wrote the communities essay about the major i intend to pursue and some activities i look forward to being a part of, but a lot of it was talking about penn as a larger community</p>
<p>Penn security is fantastic. The Penn police are REAL police, not just rent-a-cops. I have never felt unsafe on campus. Just be smart and don’t walk alone at night. :)</p>
<p>@jesse10: I wouldn’t worry about being in the Quad as a freshman and not getting into the high rises as a sophomore if you are thinking of doing a residential program in the high rises. My boyfriend and a few of my other friends are living in Harnwell/Harrison residential programs for next year. They are all super excited. </p>
<p>@cerealkillerx: Choosing my roommate was a mistake. I wish I hadn’t chosen and had been matched up randomly. We met through facebook.</p>
<p>Does anyone know more information about the residential Mentors Program at Riepe? The housing sites I browsed on Penn only provide a small brief paragraph about it. About how much time needs to be invested in it since it involves helping local high school students?</p>
<p>And a question on residential programs in general… Are there any pros or cons to being in one? Do they take up a chunk of your time? Are people within the same residential programs usually close with one another?</p>
<p>Can you be happy at UPenn without joining a sorority or frat? I’ve heard both, but wondered if it wasn’t your thing, would you feel very left out? Would just joining clubs, etc. be enough to meet friends or do frats make cliques like high school which exclude others?</p>
<p>Trust me, you do not need to be in a frat/sorority to be happy. The frat scene is definitely not my thing (well, social frats that is) and I enjoy all my other clubs and have several friends both from frats/sororities and not. Penn has so much stuff going on that few people define themselves by just one thing they do since most people are involved in multiple organizations.</p>
<p>66% of undergraduates are not affiliated with a social Greek organization… as long as you do SOMETHING, you’ll be happy! Glee Club, for example, provides an incredible social environment, and everyone has a common link in enjoying performance. </p>
<p>Speaking of which, Glee Club has a show coming up this upcoming weekend! Check it out at the Zellerbach Theatre, 37th and Walnut, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8PM… $15.00 for tickets ($10.00 for PennCard holders)</p>