Little Bens

On Saturday morning started with a site visit and tour at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania. 

The ILC provided my first two experiences with genuine college tours, and so the UPenn tour presented my first opportunity to compare how different Universities present themselves to prospective students. 

The first thing I was struck by at the start of our visit was the sheer size of the room where the pre-tour presentation took place and the highly planned and businesslike feeling of the presentation itself. We took our seats in the massive auditorium filled completely with our peers and their families all wanting to learn more about the historic Ivy. 

The Gorgeous interior of the presentation auditorium

The presentation began by talking about UPenn's founder, Benjamin Franklin, and the way that he started the school to create a place where students could receive an education spanning different interests and majors, modeled after his own life of diverse accomplishments. Our presenter, Beth, spoke about how UPenn wants its students to be like "little Bens", not confining their interests or studies to just a major checked on college applications, but instead, kids who will take advantage of a wide array of courses offered at the university pioneering their own paths. Because of this, the University offers a number of coordinated dual degree programs that allow students to take a preplanned route the combines two fields that are often otherwise regarded as separate, across two of the Universities smaller schools. For example, the Huntsman program combines international studies and business, to prepare students to play a role in the ever-expanding global economy. 

Besides the dual degree programs, the UPenn also seeks to manifest the spirit of Franklin through an emphasis on a customizable education, where students only pursuing on major can still take classes across the different sub-schools, and a robust foreign language department that allows students to create their own class with a teacher provided by the university as long as they can find 4 other friends to take it with them. 

This approach to a more fluid style of education really appealed to me as someone whos interests are not yet totally defined, and span areas that would typically be confined to separate degrees. The school also boasts an enticing study abroad arsenal with programs spanning disciplines and taking place on every continent, (Briana, our student tour guide assured us they would even send you to Antarctica if you wanted) and more than 40 countries, with any financial aid you receive for a regular semester at Penn also carrying over to your international studies. 

Beth tells us a lot about UPenn through individual stories of students that have attended the university and exemplified the Benjamin Franklin ideals, which fits with the whole theme of the overarching presentation, focusing more on the overarching valued and opportunities at Penn and shied away from the nitty gritty details of application that the student questions revealed to be what many of us wanted to know. 

While it was nice to hear an admissions officer tell us to focus on being ourselves and not worry about test scores and admissions rates, it also left me with some unanswered at a time when my thoughts about college are becoming increasingly specific. UPenn is an extremely selective school with an acceptance rate of around 10% and dropping, and those numbers really do matter. I also found the presentation a bit vague when it came to financial aid, but Beth did explain that the university provides grant-based financial ade so that students are not saddled with loans, and focuses on need-based rather than sport or merit to ensure that all those who need help will receive it, which was comforting. 

With some questions still bouncing around my brain, combined with excitement about the International Studies major and opportunities, we headed off to the walking tour portion. 

I found this section to be a lot more personal, and therefore more appealing to me as an individual. Our tour guide Briana, a rising senior at UPenn, held a genuine enthusiasm and love of the school that was clear to see, making her words enthralling and informative. 

Another group in front of one of the numerous Benjamin Franklin Statues 

She walked us through campus to a few of the major buildings making up some of UPenn's Subschools, such as the Wharton School of Business, and The College of Arts and Sciences, and even took us inside at times to see what life as a student would be like. She spoke a great deal about the vast array of clubs and organizations at UPenn, earning it the nickname, "The Social Ivy", and how that helped to create tight-knit and diverse communities within the school. She explained that the school had a relatively low rate of students involved in Greek Life, only about 25%, and that she found that with all the other opportunities for community Greek Life was there if you wanted it, but by no means a necessary element UPenn life.  

Inside The Wharton School 

In terms of food, Briana was very impressed by the food trucks she says are almost always all over campus, where one could find anything from some delicious Mexican fare, to a classic Phillie Cheesesteak.

Briana also emphasized the way Professors were extremely engaged with their students (the university has a 6:1 student to faculty ratio for undergraduates) and that the school and its faculty wanted students to succeed. All professors are required to hold office hours weekly, and UPenn will provide two free tutors for each student in order to help our with areas that they struggle with. 

Walking around campus, Briana pointed out the "blue light" system, employed by many universities to increase safety for students, where someone who is feeling uncomfortable or unsafe pushes one button and has an office at their location in 90 seconds or less. On top of this she told us that UPenn has one of the largest private police forces in the nation, and "Penn Walk", and "Penn Ride" systems that allow students safe and accompanied transport throughout campus at any time day or night. 

Walking around the gorgeous UPenn campus and attending the informational session was immensely helpful in learning not only about what that specific university has to offer, but in informing what I will be looking for in schools in general. There is nothing like being on site to feel the pulse of a university, how it functions and what makes it unique. My interest was piqued by the free-flowing nature of UPenn and its ample foreign relations studies opportunities, and we all left with comfy new UPenn merch, proudly displaying our time there.

Us in all our new gear!