University Park, PA
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

Penn State allows students to find their own identity. It is a very helpful school academic wise and professors are always looking to help. It can be noisy at times and expensive but overall a great school with plenty of opportunities. There are always people to meet and learn from.

Since first visiting Penn State, I knew that this school was special. Students burst with school spirit on game days and during the week. I wanted to attend a school that was proud of themselves, with students who were happy to attend their University. When I decided the commit to Penn State, nicknamed “Happy Valley”, I had no idea how much my love of the University would grow during the next four years. The large university gives me tremendous opportunities and world-class education. The environment at Penn State facilitates academic growth as well as the community. I was able to join the club figure skating team as a competitive skater and am now the President of the team. This opportunity is not common in many other schools. I was also able to find a religious club that fit my specific spirituality and has been able to give back to that club by holding a leadership position. There are so many other great things that a large university like Penn State can do with its resources and student body. One of which includes THON, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, raising money for children and their families battling pediatric cancer. To see a University come together to raise money year-round for this organization creates a sense of pride to be a part of such an accomplished University by their exceptional sports teams, academics, communities, and student organizations.

I enjoy the school overall and the social life that it provides. The professors are usually ones that have worked directly in the field before and have many connections to people and resources to be able to obtain jobs and internships. There's a club for just about anyone and there are plenty of sports teams and intermural teams to be a part of and connect with people. The dining halls are generally pretty good with North and West being the best. There are many shops and things to do downtown for the most part. Overall huge school but you can easily make it feel small.

Pennsylvania State University is a great place for those who want a great social life and academic challenge. There is always some event, social, cultural, etc., happening on campus. As many people know, football is a huge part of the Penn State culture.; however, there are many more fun sporting events such as women's volley ball and men's basketball! I live in the South Residence halls, so I got really lucky with location; all of my classes are close to me, the food is great, and downtown is just a block away! My only complaint would be that the math department is not very good. The math teacher I had did not explain concepts very well and this led to many kids not going to class. My other friends also complain about how bad their math classes are.

I have been going up to visit Main Campus while my sister has been a student there for the past two years and I absolutely love everything about the large campus and the endless opportunities that come with such an active student body. I cannot wait to be able to attend Penn State for four years of my life.

Being such a big university, it has a lot of options and opportunities that other colleges might not have. Some downsides of this size would be the huge classes and it can feel overwhelming. But if you really don't want a big campus, you can go to one of the commonwealth campuses and still be a part of Penn State!

There is always something going on, and always something to partake in. Whether academics, parties, or a mix of the two are your thing, there is something for everyone here. many of the people are friendly and approachable, and there is so much activity on a daily basis that you would be hard pressed to ever be bored.

I'm a third generation Chinese, attractive female. Visited campus and this is the most racist place I have ever visited. From the airport staff to the hotel to Penn State students, and prospective students, this was a terrible experience. An airport employee bumped into me and spilled a drink on me and just walked away, no apology. There were many other bad encounters too, definitely felt like a second class citizen. I asked Americanized Asians and blacks that I saw on campus and they confirmed my experiences—they had to find their own and were miserable prior to finding their own ethnicity. There was only one other Asian at the welcoming orientation. I spoke with professors and they were nice and so were some students telling me about the department but the general vibe of the student population was cold as ice. Only Caucasians should consider attending Penn State. It's also a subculture of silence and hushing (frat alcohol deaths, Jerry Sandusky, Joe Paterno). In addition, I heard the second flight is often cancelled, as they were when we visited too, not always from weather, but from lack of passengers. I wouldn't even attend here if I were white.

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus is a beautiful campus. The design of the campus is very detailed and well-thought-out. The campus bus is also very convenient in order to quickly get from one side of campus to the other. While the professors are all extremely knowledgeable and the academics are rigorous, it is challenging to get to know your professor with such large class sizes. There is not an intimate classroom setting even in the upper-level advanced courses. Those classes still have 30-40 students per class. The professors, staff, and students are all extremely pleasant on campus. The campus is extremely safe and I would feel comfortable walking alone in the dark. There is a fun positive spirit just stepping foot on campus that is contagious.

Penn State Main clean, safe, and friendly environment. Professional staff and other students were welcoming. The presentation s were informative. The area around the campus has numerous activities both school related and non school related. The visit I attended made Penn State summer session tour.