University of Pennsylvania Top Questions

What are the most popular student activities/groups?

Rebecca

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Jake

The biggest group on campus is by far the Hillel. Many students are involved in fraternities or student government or the student newspapers. For the past few semesters student life on Penn's campus has exploded with the introduction of many new choral groups.

Gionni

There are so many groups on campus. It's overwhelming how many options a person has. I've been involved a lot with the Latino community on campus. La Casa Latina is a cultural center for the Latino kids on campus. It's great because it creates a sense of community and introduces us to one another. Through La Casa, I joined the Mentorship Pathways Program which paired me with a senior English major. We went to several programs about resumes, maximizing study times, bowling, and a play. It was great. I also joined the Penn Latin and Ballroom Dance team. I had so much fun on the team. I learned Cha-cha, Rumba, Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Samba, and others. It was a lot of fun. I plan on joining Onda Latina in the future. It's a dance team that performs as a show.

Luis

The most popular organization would have to be the Undergraduate Assembly. A group that I am involved with is the Society for Pre-Law Students of Color. We are hosting a conference next week (see tinyurl.com/RPAC2012 for more details). Students do not leave dorms open, typically. There are horror stories of thefts and no one wants to risk something being stolen. In smaller dorms, however, the culture may be a little different depending on the level of trust among hall mates. There is really good security everywhere as well. Athletic events are pretty popular, and there are a select few games that are promoted heavily, with free tickets given out on Locust Walk. Guest speakers come all the time, and shows presenting comedians and other artists are regularly planned as well. The dating scene is what you make of it. There are plenty of fish in the sea. I met my closest friends during my first year and continue to make friends now. when you live with a person you really get to know them. If I am awake at 2 AM on a Tuesday I am probably doing work that I procrastinated on. As with any college, people party all the time, but the majority of parties happen on the weekends. Fraternities and sororities are not that important. Only about 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students here go greek, so don't feel any pressure to do so. Last weekend, I spent time with my girlfriend and went to North Philly to eat at an authentic Puerto Rican restaurant. You can do so much on a Saturday night that doesn't involve drinking: you can go to the Rave theater on 40th and Walnut, go out to dinner or bowling in Center City, or plan a trip to Penn's Landing to catch some fireworks. There is a lot of exploring to do. I live off campus so I have become a member of the greater Philadelphia community.

Kate

A few popular groups are Mask and Wig, the Excelano Project, International Affairs Association, and the Penn Democrats. Mask and Wig is a all-male performing arts group that is highly talented and selective. The members must be proficient in singing, comedy, dancing, and writing sketches, and they mount a completely original production every year and tour the country performing it over Spring Break. The Excelano Project is a spoken word/poetry group that is open to participants and proves perennially popular. The International Affairs Association is the equivalent of Model UN, and is the biggest group on campus. The Penn Democrats is another large organization that is dedicated to politics from a democratic perspective. The members volunteer, hold events, and bring speakers to campus, and currently are a key part of the youth reelection campaign for the President. Depending on the dorm, people will leave doors open and be very neighborly. The Quad dormitory and Hill dormitory are best for that atmosphere, as the three high-rise dorms offer more amenities but a diminished social aspect. Many upperclassman live off-campus, and situations there vary widely. Most people make lasting friendships from their dorms and New Student Orientation, but many are also formed during traditions like Homecoming. Athletic events are not hugely popular, but big events like games against Princeton will attract more of a crowd. For most students, the highlight of the Penn social scene is the April Spring Fling festival that takes place right before final exams. A full weekend event with a concert and carnival, Spring Fling is the biggest party on the East Coast and offers entertainment from fried Oreos to bouncy castles. The party (and hook-up) scene is strong at Penn, but not everyone chooses to partake. Frats host parties very often during the year, enough so it is rare that NO parties (near campus or downtown in clubs) are slated for a particular day. The Greeks are the biggest throwers of parties, but not the only ones. You are always able to find something to do, whether it is going to a friend's performance, a muscial in central Philly, a frat party, or a movie with friends.

Kaytlena

One popular student group is SPEC, which brings celebrities to Penn. Every year, they have famous speakers come in (recently, James Franco, Bill Cosby, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt). They also organize Spring Fling, which is one massive party for a whole weekend in April. There's a carnival in the Quad with music and food, and then there's a concert one night with people like Flo Rida, Akon, and Kid Cudi. People from all over come to Penn during that weekend. But Penn has a large umbrella of student groups on campus, and you'll most likely be able to find one that suits your interests. And if not, it's really easy to start one of your own. I started a group called the UPenn China Care Club, which raises money for orphans in China with medical disabilities, and also provides a mentorship program for children in Philadelphia who have been adopted from China. It was easy to register the club, and easy to recruit students! The social life at Penn is known to be relatively better than at other Ivies, because it has lots of nearby bars and clubs, making it easy to find something to do on weekend nights. And getting downtown is not hard either. Philadelphia has a ton of great restaurants, and going to BYOs is definitely a popular activity among Penn students. I don't think there's really a drinking stereotype, because you can find students at both ends of the spectrum. There are some who never drink, and some who are at a bar more days of the week than they aren't. It all depends on your preferences. Unfortunately, athletic events aren't too popular because the sports teams aren't that great, but football games are fun to go to nonetheless. It's also pretty easy to get involved with the club/intramural sports teams.

Andi

Penn's large size means that just about everyone finds a group of friends easily. Many people become close with the friends they make in the dorms during the first weeks of school Freshman year, and those who don't like their hall-mates will meet their social group through extra-curriculars and student clubs. The trick is that you have to seek these groups out, and be willing to spend time at Hillel, the Writer's House, the Newman Center, or whatever extra-curricular "second home" interests you. There are plenty of students at Penn who don't drink alcohol, but people who are offended by the thought or sight of people who drink might feel uncomfortable living on campus.

Jesse

There are certain freshman dorms that create social barriers of sorts. The Quad and Hill are by far the best places to live. If you don't live there, it feels harder to meet people and get involved. The social scenes in dorms like Kings Court and Stouffer tend to be very different from the Quad and Hill. I am in a fraternity, so much of my social life revolves around that. About a third of students at Penn are involved in Greek life, but it is not the only possibility. While there are other parties on campus, fraternity parties tend to dominate the scene. There are also a few bars on campus that are frequented by Penn students. Off-campus there a ton of possibilities. There is a very lively nightlife/bar scene for the 21 and over crowd. The Phillies, 76ers, and Flyers are all only a short subway ride away. Philly is also full of amazing restaurants, particularly BYOs, which allow you to bring beer or wine in to the restaurant and tend not to card.

Mark

The social life in Philadelphia is great. There are plenty of parties, performances, etc. on campus, and even more a short bus ride away. Philadelphia is incredibly central to many places such as New York and Washington DC, making weekend trips there very common. With 10,000 undergraduates, political activism is definitely present and active, but usually within a small percentage of those undergraduates. Like most campuses, there are significant numbers of liberals and conservatives; however, unlike most campuses, people everywhere on the political spectrum are respected for their opinion.

Lisa

While it's nice to study in Van Pelt for hrs and hrs, Philadelphia is always a short cab ride away. The little restaurants, the night life(21 or not:)!),the culture,the sports,theaters, shops...Forget Boston, Philly's the quintessential college city!

Maria

There are many opportunities to get involved here in ANYTHING. You can do it all, from professional dance troupes to cultural organizations and anything in between. In fact, you can easily start your own movement or club. Also valuable is the freedom to speak up. Our student newspaper is widely read and is not proctored by any university professor or relation. Protests abound, and you can feel safe that there is someone here with your beliefs. Social life here is pretty good. Eventually you will get sick of the drinking and frat parties. But then you have Philly to explore, which alone is a valuable resource. You also have stores, clubs, bars, movie theaters, right off campus that are easy to get to. However, public transportation isn't always the greatest.

Andrew

Athletics aren't great, but there are a ton of clubs and organizations making campus lively. Greek organizations are first and foremost on this list, running parties, philanthropy events, etc. There are performing arts groups (especially accapella groups) out the wazoo, and each one has it's own theme (be it all-male/female, all-indian/white/black, or what have you).

Jo

Again Penn is just the right size, so that a more social person can always find something to do while a less social person will always find friends with similar interests. Students are involved in many social activities such as Greek life, house parties, going to bars, the movie theater right by campus, supporting their friends' music/dance/drama performances, hanging out in the dorms, sitting outside in warm weather. Any night of the week there is something to do and not just something but many things.

Shelby

The most popular fraternities are AEPi and (off-campus) Theos. Beta, however, is the worst fraternity on campus. The quad is definitely the best place to live as a freshman, but Hill is terrible.

Dylan

I am involved in JRp where we discuss jewish issues. Also, i am in beta, but i wouldnt recommend doing beta.

Michael

Penn is a wonderful place to do whatever it is you want to do. Cultural organizations, political groups, religious gatherings, varsity and intramural sports, volunteering and citizenship, parties, etc etc. In addition, the campus is just minutes from central Philadelphia, which boasts great restaurants, museums, theater, and professional sports. Greek life is fairly common, but not required for social status. Dorms have a collegial atmosphere, and Locust Walk is an intriguing marketplace of activities and ideas.

Harper

Penn has a great mixture of frat life and bar scene. Plus there are an unlimited amount of things to do in the city.

Scott

there are more than enough activities for everyone, and there is never a thursday, friday, or saturday night where nothing is going on. the fraternities are always having parties, and there are local clubs where everyone can go as well. sports at penn are always awesome to go to as well. watching basketball games in the palestra is one of the most memorable moments, with the place packed to the brim. so much energy is flowing in there. franklin field is also amazing. being down on the sprint turf playing or practicing is truly unique, especially with the lights on at night and fans cheering you on.

Jesse

Don't live in the Quad, because Spring Fling takes place there and it's simply a bunch of drunken idiots running about. I am not looking forward to it. My closest friends and I bonded over our hatred of the social scene here at Penn and shared struggles. If you do not drink, I suggest you start or find a collection of very good books to occupy your free time. I came here under the pretense that my refusal to drink would not hinder my social life...and was quickly disappointed.

Carson

The most popular groups are performing arts groups, whether it's dance, theater, slam poetry, or a cappella.

Eric

If your social, there are only two excuses not to be in a fraternity: 1)If your on a sports team and 2) If you are international and find your group among other international students. I have seen too many great, active, and fun kids fade into loneliness and oblivion because they are the few who are not in a fraternity. The truth is that at an Ivy League school, there is naturally a smaller proportion of the student body that does go out. Combine that with the fact that Penn has a very high rate of students in the Greek scene, and its easy to see why the people who go out and in fraternities or sororities.

Samantha

Greek life is pretty popular, however, if you're unaffiliated, it doesn't make much of a difference. I'm a member of Sigma Delta Tau, a sorority on campus. Students sometimes leave their doors open. Athletic events are moderately popular. Guys tend to be hardcore about the basketball games (I only went to Penn-Princeton) and when it's nice out, people go to the football games. Performing Arts is huge here. There are a million Performing Arts groups on campus and it's so easy to get involved with them. The shows are great! The dating scene is weird. If you hook up with someone when you're drunk, don't expect to see that person again unless you knew them before. Don't expect a relationship to blossom out of a random hookup. People hook up when they're drunk. That's really it. Relationships seem to be a rarity freshman (and maybe even sophomore) year. I met my closest friends through this kid I knew the first week of school. I'm not friends with him anymore...awkward. I probably wouldn't be awake at 2am on a Tuesday unless I were doing work in Van Pelt. We throw toast at every football game, Spring Fling happens every year...I think that's it. You party as much as you want to. I could easily find a party (house, bar, etc) every night if I wanted to (some of my guy friends do). I only go out 3 nights a week on average. Frats and sororities are great but definitely not a mandatory part of the social scene here at Penn. Last weekend, I went downtown to a bar for a friend's birthday and then came back to a frat on campus on Thursday. Friday, I had a mixer for my sorority, and Saturday, I frat hopped. You can do plenty on a Saturday night that doesn't involve drinking. You can go anywhere and not drink and still have a good time. I go to a lot of parties at clubs downtown. That is a very popular thing to do and it is a welcome change from the frat party scene on campus.

Alex

There is so much to do at Penn! You'll find yourself having to skip one event for another and wish there were more hours in a day! If Greek life is your scene, there is a frat for every type of person. There is a great cafe featuring local and popular music as well as occasional political speakers, and if you venture into the Center City you can find anything. In my dorm, everyone props their doors open when they want company or goes out into the study lounge to have big group study sessions. The dorm staff sponsors cookie nights and tv dinner parties to get the dormmates together. Buildings on campus with regular events include the Women's Center, the Writer's House, the LGBT center, the student union, and each college house individually. Also, many sports and clubs have social gatherings to foster a sense of community.

Brett

Dorms open: no. Athletic events: football's pretty popular. Guest speakers get good audiences. Theatre... not if they're from the Theatre dept. Closest friends: they live in my residence hall. Awake at 2am: I'm not. I have to go to practice. Fraternities/Sororities: you'll know at least 6 people who are pledging, probably more, and from different groups that you know. Last weekend: went to Center city for a movie. Saturday nights: go to a comedy event, check out Center city, do work.

Royce

Frats/sorororitie and performance groups. I study a lot on some weekends and then go out every ngiht on other weekends

West Coast Transplant

Students in dorms leave their doors open for the most part (or at least they did when I was a freshman). The freshmen dorms (particularly the Quad) are great. There is an instant community and they put on tons of activities. There are hundreds of organizations at Penn. In terms of Greek organizations, there is a presence but it is not overbearing. I am in a sorority but most of my closest friends aren't. There is lots to do outside of the Greek system. The social and dating scene here is not my favorite. Penn is renowned for its population of rather unattractive guys. Most college students don't seem to want to 'tie themselves down' though so the lack of a good dating scene may not be a problem. 2am Tuesday I am definitely last-minute writing that essay that's due Wednesday.

Ali

I don't know what the most popular clubs are, but Greek Life is pretty big here - about 25{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the campus is Greek. If you're looking at the people who actually go out and have a social life, the percentage is probably larger. I am in a sorority (Chi Omega) and it has really helped me expand my social circle and world here at Penn. I've met people that I never would have otherwise and I love all the events we have with frats, the downtown parties we throw, and the bonding I get to do with my sisters. I'd say the majority of freshmen leave their doors open - I know we did. And even after that, when I lived in an on-campus apartment sophomore year, our door was always open. Athletic events are marginally popular - "big" games (such as Princeton, the Big 5, etc) are always packed, but only football and basketball actually draw fans. The people who go get really into it, though. Penn usually gets some great guest speakers, so those almost always sell out. We've had Bill and Chelsea Clinton, Whoopi Goldberh, Peyton Manning, etc. The dating scene at Penn is so bipolar. Either you're casually hooking up with someone (or lots of someones) or you're in a serious relationship - there's no middle ground. This annoys me because I'm not looking for anything super serious but guys won't do the "dating" thing. I met my closest friends on my hall freshman year, which I think is pretty standard. I've met more through my sorority though, and added people through those people. On a Tuesday at 2 am, I'm definitely at Blarney (one of our campus bars) playing Quizzo (a bar game that goes on every Tuesday). The game would just be ending and people would be starting to head home. The bar always gets packed and it's so much fun -if you win, you get a $75 bar tab! Spring FLing is the biggest event of the year - basically a weeklong drunk fest. THe school puts on a carnival in the Quad (a freshman dorm area) with moonbounces, dunk tanks, etc and everyone just drinks themselves silly for a week. There's also a concert - my freshman year was O.A.R. and last year was Ben Folds and Third Eye Blind. Other traditions are Hey Day (where juniors march through campus and seniors throw stuff at them to "initiate" them into senior year - this happens on the last day of classes) and Senior Week (the week in between when finals end and graduation where each day seniors have a differnt event to do). I would say people party a lot. There tends to be something going on almost every night of the week. Tuesday is Quizzo at Blarney, Wednesday is Sink or Swim at Smokes, Thursday is either Smokes/Blarney or a downtown club event, Friday is more chill just hanging out at a frat or with your friends, and Saturday is big frat party night. Greek Life is important for those who are in it, but it's not the end of your social life if you're not. I'd say it's more important for a guy to be in a frat than for a girl to be in a sorority. Last weekend I went downtown for a date party my sorority had, and again the next night for a party thrown by a frat on campus; I also hosted a Beer Olympics at my house. On a Saturday night you can go see a movie, hang out with friends, go out to dinner at the amazing restaurants in Philly...

Rory

The good thing about Penn is that there's always something going on. Every day, I get emails about interesting events coming up, whether it's a guest speaker (this year we've had Bill Clinton, Teach For America's Wendy Kopp, Karl Rove, and Keenan from "All That", to name a few), a subsidized trip to New York to see a Broadway show, a camping trip with Penn Outdoors, or a party downtown. I never have enough time and/or money to do everything I want to do. The bad news is that most of these alcohol-free activities are during the week. On the weekends, it's completely possible to hang out with friends without alcohol, but it's usually more of a create-your-own-activity sort of thing.

Lindsay

Most popular - Sororities, Fraternities, Penn Dems, Wharton Women, Mask and Wig The F-Word is a feminist literary magazine that publishes an issue each semester. We are a venue to spread the feminist voices of Penn men and women. Campus Crusade for Christ is a nondenominational Christian community. We hold Bible studies and large group meetings every week. Students in the Quad and Hill leave their doors open. Not in the high rises. Basketball games are pretty popular. Guest speakers are popular depending on who it is. Penn kids don't date. They hook-up. I met my closest friends through my religious community and from my freshman hall. 2am on Tuesday - I'm cramming to do my homework for Wednesday. Traditions: Spring Fling, Skimmer, Hey Day, New Student Orientation, Amy Gutmann's Halloween Party people party thursday-saturday on Saturday night you can go downtown for dinner, see a play or the Philadelphia Orchestra, go to a student performance, hang out with friends, study, etc I go downtown all the time. Go to art exhibits, shop at Trader Joe's, shop on Walnut Street, wander around Rittenhouse Square, run along the Skuykill River, etc

Cameron

The most popular organizations are the frats. It is annoying when one is not a part of one, or doesn't care to be in one. However, it is easy to just ignore it. There are a lot of private house parties on weekends, which are the better ones if you don't like the frats. You can also go off campus to a nice restaurant, to a cheap restaurant, to a club, to a jazz bar, to the movies, etc. There's lots to do. Dating is apparently gender reversed: the guys are the shy ones. I wouldn't know, personally. There are a lot of other dance troupes, accapella, theatre groups, spoken word poetry, and miscellaneous events to attend year round, some of which are very worth it and some are not. I have only lately started to go, and I regret not going before. There are also lots of free events, talks, and conferences, all of which involve free food. In fact, a girl once showed how you can survive on free event food for a week. In all honesty, I have had a hard time making friends, and I don't know if it's because of the culture clash or the actual people at Penn. I believe I have made a total of 10 friends over 4 years, and kept about 5. And most of them are from my same hometown. The cool part though is that I would have never met them back home.

Nellie

Athletic events are not very popular. Guest speakers are very popular - from political (Clinton) to feminist (Angela Davis). I met my closest friends freshman year - I lived in Hill House, a dorm where everyone bonds very easily because of its small rooms, and because everyone leaves their doors open. The dating scene is awful! Most people just have random hook-ups, and if you do end up dating someone, it' probably the case that they've dated someone you know. The penn traditions are one of the best things about Penn, from Spring Fling, to FebClub, to Hey Day. THe Greek scene is a little too strong on campus for my liking. Now that I'm a senior I go out a lot more on weeknights, but as an underclassman I would go to the library. I also cook with friends often as a sober activity. We try to go downtown to restaurants and bars twice a month.

Jody

Students in KCE College House do leave their doors open. Hill is also quite social. The high-rises are less so. Off-campus, there's a metropolitan area of 4 million people to explore. Greek life is here but I generally avoid it.