<p>Just a quick question, does UPenn's CGS also ascribe to the financial aid policies applying to its other colleges? Does Columbia University SGS? Does Washingtton University's University College?</p>
<p>Thank you in advance...can't seem to find the info. I should know it, but I'm at a loss, and a friend of mine back home is seriously interested in CGS especially. I went through the process myself--but I claim getting more mature as my excuse.</p>
<p>No. </p>
<p>CGS is designed for working adults. The basic assumption is that since you're getting a Penn degree for less than half price, you can pay for it yourself.</p>
<p>There are a few scholarship opportunities - everything is clearly described on the website.</p>
<p>Thanks WillC.....will pass that along.</p>
<p>I did part of an MA in Liberal Arts through CGS and can tell you ppl that being a grad or an undergrad cgs student is exactly like being a regular student.</p>
<p>In my case I had to do cgs because the program I had expected to attend overseas last year was cancelled due to regional violence. The year before I had graduated with honors from a top 15 LAC and now am in an MA/PHD program at Uchicago in my field. </p>
<p>I applied to CGS about 3 weeks before the school year started, got in, lived in the graduate dorms (samson east, right on campus) and took phd classes with phd's in my field, have a penn email address @sas.upenn.edu and all the shabang. The only thing that was CGS particular was a special seminar that was essentially a cgs version of a normal phd class with the same exact professor--just at a different time of the day. This was actually more interesting because most of the CGS ma students are older and know alot more about life than the less mature grad and undergrad students. Discussions were certainly much more lively and interesting. </p>
<p>Most of the other students were not in my situation. Most were over 30--some were even in their 50's-60's. Many had specifically taken jobs at penn so that after 6 months they could do the MA or BA free of cost (except paying taxes on the courses).</p>
<p>NE-ways, the program is highly recommended. I took essentially as many phd classes in any humanities/social science dept's as i wanted to, and im sure it helped me a bit get into chicago this year.</p>
<p>Sonandar:</p>
<p>Thank you for the insight regarding MA and PhD programs at CGS. Now, it's only a question of finances. A friend of mine is looking at CGS.</p>
<p>Are Upenn CGS and Harvard Extension School the only two schools that are not following Columbia SGS's lead by trying to match their traditional undergraduate counterparts with regards to college admissions? Be it SAT's or College Recomendations? Is it only the two of them that want to stay very low key with regards to that?</p>
<p>HES would have a looong way to go to match Harvard College admissions standards, and would of kind of defeat its mission of community education (with a hefty price tag)</p>
<p>Penn CGS (now LPS, Liberal and Professional Studies) wants to keep itself separate and pursue the same mission of community education (with a similarly hefty price tag).</p>
<p>Columbia can more easily lend itself to mixing GS and traditional students because it's no big deal to not live on campus--Columbia has little on-campus community compared to Havard and Penn.</p>
<p>I should also mention that The Diplomas you get from Harvard ES and Columbia GS specify that you are a graduate from those Schools, and not the college itself. They make the distinction in the diploma, While Penn's CGS diploma will acknowledge that you're a College of Arts and Sciences graduate, whitout mentioning CGS anywhere. The transcript, of course will say CGS but not the diploma. </p>
<p>At Penn CGS You can get the same education as College kids, by the same professors, brag the same rights and everything, for half the normal Penn tuition. In the other hand, you can't do that with the other Ivy League adult education programs (Excepting Brown RUE program and Yale Ely Whitney Program, both really hard to get in, having the same admission rate as their college counterpart) because they will specify that you're a graduate from that special adult education program that is completely different from the college.</p>