What is unique about UPENN?

<p>When you think of UPENN,what do you think of? This is more for students currently enrolled and alumni. I’m thinking about applying to Wharton and I really can’t think of anything particularly unique aside the fact that Wharton is the number one business program in the country. THanks for any input!</p>

<p>Arts, Music, Restaurants, Sports......or close/easy travel to two other major metro areas. I cannot imagine that you have ever been to Penn/Philly or you would have some idea that this is a metro campus with unlimited options for participation and entertainment.</p>

<p>The fact that it is an ivy league in a city</p>

<p>=p</p>

<p>the incredible opportunities for interdisciplinary studies,</p>

<p>the fact that people here aren't in general just booksmart like the other ivies.</p>

<p>upenn = city
is that all??
but many other colleges are located in cities...
what do you guys think is different about upenn students?</p>

<p>they tend to be very professional. Most seem to have a career goal in mind while studying. </p>

<p>Unlike at other elitist schools where people spend 4 years of study, end up with no clue what they want to do and a degree that's good to showoff but can't get a job with.</p>

<p>First and foremost - The folks who are here tend to <em>REALLY</em> want to be here. Nearly half the undergrads are ED. </p>

<p>The place just oozes history. From the oldest football stadium in the country, to the building where ENIAC was assembled, to the Penn Museum where you can see material from virtually every important archaeological expedition of the past 150 years. (Zahi Hawass is an alumnus and comes in to present periodically.) Heck, take the right class (or work study job) and you can work with the stuff!</p>

<p>Even a Classics major (like me) can take Macroeconomics from Jeremy Siegel or study neuro-theology with Andrew Newberg (I was MRI'd by him as part of a research project on bio-chemical depression.) And even though Penn is large for an Ivy, you'll have more direct contact with professors than you might want. My Latin 309 prof.for example is Joe Farrell, who also happens to be Associate Dean of Arts and Letters (i.e. he supervises basically everything that has anything to do with the humanities here.) And yes, there are freshmen in that class.</p>

<p>Don't dismiss the fact that Penn is in a city. For better than a decade Penn has worked very hard to be fully integrated into Philadelphia. That goes so far as to include classes that directly involve Penn students with teaching and mentoring at university affiliated public schools. (I have no experience with Harvard's "Project TEACH" for example, but somehow acting as a tour guide...well, you can read the website...) And of course Penn students have easy access to everything a large east-coast city has to offer. Columbia has NYNY of course, but try walking to the theatre district from campus!</p>

<p>The place is great! But it won't appeal to eveyone (thank goodness).</p>

<p>Love the school for sure - unfortunately, they seem to have a bit of a problem with being in a city campus. Despite their city issues (<a href="http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/4338eec048101%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/4338eec048101&lt;/a&gt;), they do quite well for being in a city.</p>

<p>Hey.....this is a city not suburbia. One does not expect the city to be without the usual circumstances of metro life. If you don't like city life find a remote campus and never leave the confines.</p>

<p>yeah we may not have many notable things but there are tons of squirrels, pigeons on campus. and most of the dorms have rats, cockroaches, if anyone wants to know</p>

<p>meng- is the bug/rat problem a real big deal in the dorms?</p>

<p>yes, my roommate was eaten by rats. most unfortunate, but then i had a single for the rest of the year.</p>

<p>I think Locust Walk is unique . it's an amazing way to bring the entire social heart of the campus into one concentrated artery and make the incredibly large university feel smaller and more communal.</p>

<p>Also Penn has the virtues of a real city (philly) without the city being so overwhelming that it will suck away energy from the campus (cough NYC cough)</p>

<p>thanks for speaking for me john. (p.s. the pest problem is probably gonna be the same every school..)</p>

<p>PENN RELAYS......that is a unique event. Only happens at Penn.</p>

<p>best. university. ever.</p>