University of Pennsylvania Top Questions

Describe the students at your school.

Sonali

My classmates were, honestly, either Pre-Med or Business students, and almost ubiquitously involved in Greek Life. They were really friendly and enthusiastic when we worked in groups or got coffee or frozen yogurt, but it was hard to really connect with them because I was none of those three things: a Cognitive Science major that wanted to go into the film/documentary industry.

Fabiola

Work hard, play hard. Students at Penn know how to have a good time. They tend to be very outgoing and social. I've actually found the majority to be some what artistic in nature. Quakers are competitive, hard working, very intelligent, and have a wide range of interests. It's pretty hard to describe the "typical Penn student" but something that most student have is a great sense of style.

Athena

People enjoy being here but it can be very competitive. Just amke sure to choose your friends wisely andbe open to change.

Andrea Giovanna

Some classmates are very hardworking and friendly, others are unfriendly and competitive.

Rebecca

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Jake

Penn gives plenty of financial aid to its students. However even though they say there's zero aid, most students still take out Stafford/government loans.

Bryana

academically charged and career oriented.

Xavier

Smart, driven.

Rebecca

The students here are so diverse that sometimes I forget about the outside world's normal racial conflicts. Everyone interacts with everyone and freely talks about their race because there is an unspoken rule of respect. Of course, we have some separation by race just like everywhere else, but in general the students are fantastic.

Stephanie

Students here are highly diverse hailing from international and local places and being of all walks of life. No one would seem out of place. Mostly, people wear jeans and t-shirts, the usual attire, but the Wharton students might be clad in suits or business attire. The types of students are more or less divided according to the 4 schools within UPenn - College, Engineering, Nursing, and Wharton. They correlate more or less with Gryfindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin for those who are Potter saavy.

Kate

Penn is a pretty diverse place, with attendees from places like Kenya and Switzerland as well as across the country. Racially it is also diverse, but Caucasian students are the majority--and many of them are Jewish. The campus is overall friendly to different nationalities, ethnicity, and sexual orientations; most have specific groups on campus for members to gather if they wish. The most underrepresented groups are Native American Indians, African Americans, and Hispanics, but their presence on campus is still visible. Many Penn students do come from affluent backgrounds, and some students may find that extracurricular activities strain their budget. There is some self-segregation, facilitated by campus groups with a special focus (Black Whartonites, Chinese a Capella, Indian dance, etc) but also interaction between different people. Classes, dorms, and other groups serve to bring different people together, so the interaction is as extensive as students want. Penn students are generally well-put-together, but are hardly formal for classes. There is always a fair share of PJs/sweatpants, especially during crunch times, but there is not an overwhelming style that dominates.

Amanda

I studied amongst a diversity of affable students that came from wealthy, educated origins.

Andi

The typical Penn student is white (or Asian), upper-middle class, and from a suburban public high school on the East or West coast of the US. Many people are on financial aid of some kind, including work-study. There is little to no socio-economic snobbery; Penn tuition is a substantial expense for all but a tiny number of students. The financial aid rules leave a window of well-to-do students who are ineligible for work-study but still short of cash, and many of them work in the cafeteria ("dining services"), which is a non work-study job. They include some foreign students who are absurdly wealthy in their home countries but work for spending-money during the school year.

Tara

My peers at the University of Pennsylvania inspired me to think creatively and challenge everything I thought and knew; each person I met was unique and I learned a little bit from each person. It was like opening a giant box of crayons and seeing all of the different colors, each one brighter than the last. It was intimidating, at times.

Josh

they are all very smart

Janet

My classmates are extremely driven individuals from all aspects of society that excel both in class and outside of class

Elizabeth

My classmates are amazing: they hail from all over the world and display their diverse ideas and lively personalities through their engaging discussions about the most interesting topics, anywhere and at anytime.

Samantha

My classmates are diverse overachievers who know how to study hard and play hard.

Yu

Many people here are relatively humble given their exceptional backgrounds., with the person next to you in line or in class most likely fitting one of these descriptions: valedictorian, athlete, entrepreneur, genius, hard worker, among others; but don't imply from friendly smiles that they will hold back from you in competition.

Elizabeth

Highly focused, academically accomplished, many from very affluent families, well connected, very diversed in ethnicity, from all over the world.

Melissa

My classmates are very conscientious, but not competitive. They are very willing to send me their notes or explain a concept I don't understand. It is great to be in a class filled with intelligent, chilled-out students. My classmates are not solely focused on work either. They get their work done, but will also make sure to have some relaxing, social time.

Amanda

Nerds.

Helen

They are really smart and career driven.

Kaitlyn

They are driven and dedicated, always attend class, participate in lecture, and succeed.

Faridah

Everyone at Penn is involved in something besides their academics, we all need an outlet for our talents.

Roni

My classmates are my friends, my competitors, and my enemies all at the same time.

Nelson

Pretentious prep schools kids from the east coast.

Nick

They like to work hard and play hard.

Justin

Hardworking people who will do well.

Kate

I had wonderful, kind, friendly, outgoing, inclusive classmates at Penn, many of whom I'm still very close friends with.

Jesse

Most Penn student are from the Northeast and most are from a fairly affluent background. With that being said, I think it is possible for people from all backgrounds and regions to find a place to fit in at Penn. Unfortunately, racial groups tend to self-segregate which is a bit detrimental to the wide diversity at the school.

Karyn

My classmates are diverse, helpful, diligent, and the most intelligent people I have ever encountered in my life.

Angela

Driven, diverse, fun-loving, goal-oriented.

Edward

Most students expect to receive A's while doing the minimal amount of work and incessantly complaining about the workload. All students are concerned about following the pre-professional track and spend a great deal of time looking for internships and other activities to pad their resumes. The social scene is dominated by fraternity parties and serves as a training ground for alcoholism as most students engage in heavy amounts of drinking whenever they go out.

Sean

They are great

Elizabeth

Wide variety of people make up the student body.

Yuefeng

cut throat, driven, ruthless

Caroline

Social, secular Jewish, somewhat sporty, mostly pretty friendly.

Caitlin

My classmates were often proactive people who were aware of their intelligence but usually were not too overbearing.

Jason

Hard working students who can also be very social and fun when not working.

Nathan

My classmates varied greatly; some were great people with a solid grasp of whats important while others were school crazy and too driven.

Albert

Driven, diverse and fun.

adam

Jewish or agnostic and from NY, NJ, PA.

Anthony

A diverse array of students who are mostly liberal in their outlook and maintain good balance between academics and social life

Douglas

Hardworking, but most are nice enough.

Andrew

Driven closet nerds who want to have a lot of fun at college, but expect successful careers immediately upon graduation.

Alex

Students are very smart and motivated, but much more pre-professional and significantly less intellectual than you would expect at an Ivy League school.

Ash

Students comment on their favorite movie, favorite class, and what they do in their spare time.

Ash

Students comment on their favorite movie, favorite class, and what they do in their spare time.

Ash

Students comment on their favorite movie, favorite class, and what they do in their spare time.