How good is UPenn at Computer Science, Engineering and physics (in both rankings and how good the program is)
Penn’s Undergrad School of Engineering & Applied Science/ SEAS is a real gem and the students are serious, collaborative and very well placed after college. Many will do some kind of high tech research in their 4 years or join a results oriented club such as a web programming group or electric car team. I’d say it is a whole notch below Cal Tech or MIT OR just a half notch below Stanford/CMU in terms of academic opportunities and on par with Michigan, Cornell, Princeton, Northwestern, etc.
For whatever reason, physics at Penn isn’t highly looked upon among undergrads but is nonetheless very good, though its presence on campus is absorbed into premed or engineering students, so the dept doesn’t stand out as well on its own.
If you are thinking about studying Comp Sci/CIS at Penn, then you are going to find tons of motivated people in your major. Other engineering majors are incredibly solid too but are more difficult such as Chemical or MSE, so the major cohort is more compact and thus, advantageous for students looking for faculty guidance. IF you can juggle it, then dual degree programs are really good option too.
also SEAS’s acceptance rate (averaged between ED and RD) is 6%ish making it the most competitive undergrad school at penn.