So I have gotten into both of these schools, and I really like them both to be honest. So I am not sure which to choose. I am interested in going in biology and potentially the medical field.
For UPenn, I have to pay around 2.5k for everything including books, room and board, dining, personal expense (not quite sure what is included by the financial aid package), and tuition.
For Penn State (University Park) , I would need around 10k for everything excluding books, and “personal expense”
Money is not the biggest deciding factor since I am more worried about the academics and campus environment of both schools. Which one would be better if I want to pursue a career in the medical field/med school?
Thank you for any helps or insights on these two schools.
There are quite a few differences at the school which should make it easier to choose one:
UPenn - Urban environment - traditional College Campus in the midst of a major city
PSU - Rural environment - College town
UPenn - Mid size
PSU - Huge
Both have Greek environment but PSU very large Fraternity Environment and center of social scene
UPenn will probably have more opportunity for research just by sheer numbers - less students and similar number of labs.
If UPenn is actually less - please confirm total cost for both to make sure - then it would seem to be the better choice unless you don’t like cities (or you live in Philly and want to get ‘away’ for college)
@Dolemite Yeah the financial aids that UPenn offered combined with the federal/state aids and work study come down to around 2.5-3k per year. My parent would be able to afford both of these schools so I am just worrying about the housing situation about UPenn because I heard that they only guarantee housing to freshman and most upperclassman have to get housing off campus on their own. Also how would the rigorousness of both of their schools compare?
I would think that UPenn is going to be more rigorous but UPenn does have pretty strong grade inflation so I don’t think the increased rigor isn’t going to greatly effect your GPA. You’d more likely be able to find easier classes at PSU to mix in with your core/major classes.
I think you could get better/more advice if this was in the UPenn forum.
No question in my mind that the academic support you will receive at UPenn is much better. Additionally there are far more medical research and volunteer opportunities. UPenn is an excellent private school with vast resources. Penn State is a very large more impersonal place that struggles to get money from the state.
UPenn, no doubt. For that cost, in a heartbeat. Schreyer is a top Honors college, but the resources at Penn will totally change things for you, especially if like 75% would be pre-meds, you change your mind along the way… And it’s 1/4th the cost of Penn State!!
@MYOS1634 @ClassicRockerDad would it be difficult to get research opportunities at UPenn since they have such a large amount of graduate students?
@Dolemite how does the grade inflation work? Do they just curve the grade to make sure certain number of student get A’s, B’s, C’s, etc.?
Seriously, you are choosing between UPenn and Penn with UPenn being cheaper?
Do you realize that University of Pennsylvania is an Ivy League university and one of the best universities in the world? The quality of student will be vastly superior, on average, to the students at Penn State, which is a public university for the state of Pennsylvania. Plus, the resources, the people you will meet there, and having University of Pennsylvania on your resume will bring returns for the rest of your life.
@ccfk1221 I thought Schreyer at Penn State is comparable to the ivies (at least that is what I heard from my friends)
@angelababy30
“@MYOS1634 @ClassicRockerDad would it be difficult to get research opportunities at UPenn since they have such a large amount of graduate students?”
Penn has significant opportunities for research and a top 5 research hospital right on campus.
“@ccfk1221 I thought Schreyer at Penn State is comparable to the ivies (at least that is what I heard from my friends)”
There is a very significant difference in these two schools, and in their students. On average, it is not close. “Comparable” is just what you say to people who were rejected from Penn to make them feel better. They will get an excellent education at Penn State. However, it is not comparable. You should choose Penn.
Based on your questions, I strongly suggest that you contact Penn and work this summer with an advisor to understand as much as possible about Penn. It is an extraordinary place, but you have to know how to study, prepare for classes, how not to get behind and how to capture the benefits of all of the clubs and opportunities it offers. There are more opportunities there than hours in the day. You have no idea right now how much you don’t know. The sooner you begin to understand the opportunity you have and how to fully capture the benefits, the better.
If you can do that, you will receive a truly world-class education.
UPenn gives only financial aid, so no minimum GPA is required to keep your aid. How about your aid at Penn State? Is some of that merit money? Is there a minimum GPA to keep that merit money?
Are you afraid that Penn will be too hard? I think that Much2learn had some great ideas on contacting an advisor and preparing for college. Penn State has some huge classes and they won’t be any easier than Penn. At either school, you will need to hit the ground running. Penn would not have admitted you if you weren’t up to the work!!!
Penn has all the resources to make sure you succeed but you have to take advantage of them and work hard. My D has a friend from High School that is at Penn and he is on academic probation this semester because he slacked off last semester and didn’t work as hard as needed and didn’t take advantage of the resources available.
As for your Grade Inflation classes - yes they curve the class to something like a B+ and give out a minimum amount of As.
@muchtolearn While Penn State overall may not be in the same league as Penn its harder to get into Schreyer than Penn. I know a few local Philadelphia kids who were accepted to Penn but not to Schreyer. So its not just to make kids feel better. Philadelphia area kids have an easier in to Penn. 1/3 of my son’s graduating class will attend UPenn next year while only one or two (if that) were accepted to Schreyer.
11: to be fair, OP will be in Schreyer, so peer quality and small classes will be par for the course BUT.. only within Schreyer.
At UPenn, it’ll be like that 24/7. All your classes will be good. All the students will be strong. At this point you can’t even imagine the resources you’ll have available, the opportunities you’ll have. Being a student at an Ivy League is unique and an opportunity you shouldn’t pass… especially since it’s much cheaper than Penn State!
You’ll be part of a special network dedicated to helping you develop leadership skills, find mentors and internships, and connect with peers.
https://www.vpul.upenn.edu/gic/pennfirst.php
There’s also a group, called (FGLI) Figli, that’s awesome - and has all the resources you can’t think of.
https://www.vpul.upenn.edu/fgli?
Email your dedicated secretary (Dear Sir, Dear Madam,…) to ask any question you have about Penn, research access, class preparation, how “curves” work in classes, etc.
pennfirst.secretary@gmail.com
An example in which UPenn will differ from Penn State: both have good career centers that will help you find an internship. But it’s your first internship, so, it’s unpaid. If you’re at Penn State, your choice is either to drp the unpaid internship and work to make money or take the internship that will advance you in your career.but be without any money earned over the summer which you will need to pay tuition. If you’re at Upenn, no worry, they will give you a stipend to compensate the fact your internship is not paid and so you can get on your career path right away with no financial trouble - basically you have your bread and eat it too. That’s the sort of difference UPenn endowment makes.
@angelababy30 Penn seems like a nobrainer unless you have you heart set on Penn State. Although, there is an older study (that was updated more recently) by a Princeton economist that found no difference in outcomes between a student who gets into Penn but chooses Penn State. You will succeed where ever you go and you should examine the differences between the schools in the factors that are most important to you.
@naviance @Much2learn I just not sure if i would be able to maintain a high enough GPA for med school application and time preparation of MCAT. Also I am not sure about the learning environment of both schools since I have not physically visited the school.
@cookies510: there was one big caveat - and it was for students who were lower income, or URM, or first gen. In their case, Penn made a big difference.
Go and visit both. Register for an overnight. See if the fgli group will pay for your trip.
UPenn and Penn are the same school. Penn State is the other one OP is considering.
Not by numbers. A typical acceptance rate for Schreyer is around 20%, compared to Penn’s ~10%.