<p>I'm a current student at Penn, and I have to say that so far, I've found nothing here but a ton of over-elitist children. The student body here is so stuck up and insecure that it's almost impossible to apply teamwork to a given task due to the fact that every student is trying to outshine the other. I chose Penn over Yale because I believed that the students would be more chill here, and sadly, I've been proven wrong. I am certain that all Penn students cannot be this bad, so please, anyone-- where do I find Penn students that are laid back and not completely cliquish and psycho?</p>
<p>My son, a high-school senior, has a very close friend at UPenn who is home this week. She brought three friends home with her (2 kids live far away, one kid lives an hour away). Son has spent the last two evenings with them and he says what great kids they are. My son is a theater/choral/indie/Arcade Fire and Steve Reich and Bach kind of kid--he's not stuck up and neither is his friend at Penn, nor are her friends. They do exist! His UPenn friend LOVES Penn! She does a radio show with one of her new friends. My son has another friend going to Penn next year and she's fun and nice and down-to-earth, too--and super-smart but not cut-throat. One of the keys may be that they've all been involved with theater, which is certainly a collaborative activity.</p>
<p>So I would suggest getting involved with some group that does stuff you like--theater? music? volunteer work? My husband went to Penn many years ago and he is decidedly NOT stuck up. He still wears his corduroys from high school and would drive the same car he had in college if it hadn't died after 200,000-plus miles. He found plenty of funky, interesting, not stuckup kids--please do not equate rich with spoiled--at Penn. He made an effort to get to know Philly--biked all over the place, to the market to buy food, worked to rehabilitate a park, and lived off campus from sophomore year on. (yes, there's crime--but here was MORE crime in the 1970s and he had no problem).</p>
<p>It could be, too, that in the first year people may be worried about their performance. They may let their hair down as time goes by. Good luck!</p>
<p>This has not been my experience at all. It is actually pretty much the opposite. There are spoiled people, but that comes with the territory. Get involved with some new activities or something so that you can meet new people.</p>
<p>i also disagree in general; while there are certainly obnoxious individuals out there, i have met tons of amazing people whom i am proud to call my friends.</p>
<p>over-elitist? perhaps you need to reconsider your choice of social atmosphere.</p>