University of Pennsylvania

BASIC FACTS

The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) is a private research university located in the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With a $13.8 billion endowment and $10.2 billion operating budget, Penn has seen extraordinary expansion in recent decades and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Penn has been responsible for numerousinnovations and research discoveries and the university’s academic mission promotes an interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial approach to higher education.

Student body is approximately 10,000 undergraduates (2,500 per graduating class) and 11,000 graduate students

Penn students can easily travel from campus into downtown Philadelphia. 30th Street Station, themain train station in Philadelphia, is located a few blocks east of Penn’s campus, making it easy totravel by train or bus to other East Coast cities including New York City and Washington, D.C.

HOUSING

Living on Campus

All undergrads must live on campus during their freshman and sophomore years, with the option to continue living on campus during their junior and/or senior years.

The Quad: Large complex of traditional college dorms surrounding courtyards. The Quad is occupied almost entirely by freshmen.

High-rises: On-campus apartment buildings consisting of 1-to-3-bedroom apartments, located on the western half of campus. The high-rises are occupied mostly by sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

Residential programs: Designed to bring together students with specific common interests, students in these programs live in the same residential hall and participate in themed activitiesrelated to their residential programs’ specific topic (program themes include leadership, arts, science, and travel).

Living off Campus

Most juniors and seniors live off campus, renting houses or apartments within walking distance of campus. It is very common for groups to rent a house together for the school year, splitting the rent between housemates. For many students, it is on average cheaper to live off campus than on campus.

ACADEMICS

Undergraduate Divisions

College of Arts and Sciences, Wharton (business school), Engineering (School of Engineering and Applied Science, or SEAS) and Nursing

One University Policy: Allows undergraduates in any school to take classes in any other school atPenn, including Penn’s graduate schools. Some Penn graduate schools have courses specificallydesigned to accommodate Penn undergraduates (including in Penn Law, the Graduate School ofEducation, and Wharton’s MBA program)

College of Arts and Sciences

Over 55 majors available. Popular College majors include Economics, Political Science, History, Biology, Biological Basis of Behavior, Psychology. Students in the College must declare a major by the spring semester of sophomore year and must go through the respective academic department to declare the major (each department has its own procedures for declaring majors). Some majors require that students take certain intro-level courses before declaring the major. It is the student’sresponsibility to complete the prerequisites before declaring the major. For example, prospective economics majors must have already taken ECON 1 and ECON 2

Many large majors offer multiple concentrations as well as a general curriculum. Usually require additional courses. For example, History major has American, Diplomatic, Jewish, Medieval, and Economic History concentrations. These are NOT the same as Wharton concentrations (see below).

Wharton

Wharton calls majors “concentrations”. There are around 20 concentrations available. Popularconcentrations include Finance, Management, Marketing. Wharton also known for its specialized concentrations like Real Estate, Health Care Management, Behavioral Economics, Business Economics & Public Policy, and Operations & Information Decisions. Each Wharton concentration requires 4 upper-level courses. A student can declare a maximum of 2 concentrations

Engineering

There are 2 categories of Engineering majors: Majors for Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree (for students who want to be professional engineers) and Majors for Bachelor of Applied Science degree(forstudentsstudyingasubjectthatinvolvesengineeringskills). TheMajorsforBachelorof Science includes Bioengineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, and Chemical Engineering. The Majors for Bachelor of Applied Science includes Biomedical Science and Computational Bio. A Computer Science major offered in both categories

Engineering students must declare a major by May 15 of their freshman year and can change majors later by submitting a form to the school.

Nursing

The Nursing undergraduate major has a standard curriculum that all Nursing students follow which includes courses on healthcare policy, nutrition, wellness, anatomy, chemistry, biology, and pharmacology, as well as case study courses that provide practical nursing training.

Joint programs between schools

Management & Technology Program (M&T): Dual degree between Wharton and Engineering

Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business: Dual degree between Wharton (can pick any concentration) and an International Studies major in the College

Nutrition major: joint program between Nursing and the College

Computer Science as second major: College students can add the Engineering school’s computerscience major to their College curriculum

Interschool minors between College and Wharton: Require both College and Wharton courses

Graduation Requirements

College of Arts and Sciences

Sectors and foundational approaches: Total of 13 general requirements covering a broad range of academic subjects (meant to ensure that College students take a bit of everything). For each requirement, the College provides a list of courses that will fulfill that requirement. Students pick courses from these lists to fulfill each requirement and can take these courses in any semester before graduation.

A small number of courses fulfill multiple requirements simultaneously.

Requirements for majors and minors: Each major and minor has its own required courses that studentsmustcomplete. Theseareseparatefromthesectorandfoundationalrequirements.

Wharton

Business fundamentals (previously called the Wharton core): Total of 11 intro-level required courses that span most Wharton departments (including accounting, statistics, finance, marketing, legal studies & business ethics, business economics, and operations)

LeadershipJourney:seriesof4courses(oneeachyear)onbusinessleadership. Thefourth-year course is a senior capstone project.

Requirements for concentrations: Each concentration requires 4 additional upper-level courses in that department

Business Breadth requirement: Any 3 upper-level courses from departments outside the student’sconcentration(s)

Global Economy, Business, and Society requirement: 1 course Technology, Innovation, and Analytics requirement: 1 course

Liberal Arts & Sciences requirements: Wharton provides a list of courses that will fulfill each requirement and allows students to pick courses from these lists for each requirement.

Engineering

For each Engineering requirement, the school provides a list of courses that will fulfill each requirement and allows students to pick courses from these lists for each requirement:

  1. Mathematics Requirement

  2. Natural Science Requirement

  3. Required Engineering Ethics course

  4. Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) Breadth Requirement: must take 2 courses in social

    sciences and 2 in humanities

  5. Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) Depth Requirement: Students must take a second

    course in the same department as one of the other courses they take took for SSH

  6. Technology in Business and Society: Students may substitute up to 2 courses in SSH

    categories with courses from the Technology in Business and Society category

Each Engineering major has its own additional list of required courses for that major.

Nursing

Sector Requirements: set of 6 general education requirements covering a broad range of academic subjects. The school provides a list of courses provides a list of courses that will fulfill each requirement and allows students to pick courses from these lists for each requirement. Nursing major requirements: separate from the sector requirements.

Penn undergrads in all 4 undergraduate schools must take a writing seminar meant to teach students writing at a college level, ideally taken during freshman year.

Language

College and Nursing students must demonstrate the equivalent of 4 semester-level proficiency in a foreign language. Wharton students must demonstrate the equivalent of 2 semester-level proficiency.

The language requirement can be satisfied in one of these ways: Taking 4 semesters of a language at Penn (2 for Wharton) or taking the language placement test at the beginning of freshman year to place into a higher-level language class, then continuing through to the required-level class.

Taking the language placement test at the beginning of freshman year to demonstrate the required- level proficiency. If the student scores high enough, their language placement test score itself will satisfy the language requirement.

Grading

Grading (same across all schools): unweighted 4.0 grading scale.

FINANCIAL AID AND COST OF ATTENDANCE

All undergraduate financial aid is need-based and Penn does not do merit-based or athletic scholarships.

Need-blind admissions for citizens and permanent residents of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico (financial need not a factor in admissions decision).

Need-aware admissions for all other international students (financial need is looked at when making admissions decision).

For international students who are admitted, Penn will meet demonstrated financial need for 8semesters (4 years). “Demonstrated financial need” is determined by the school using informationprovided by the student. Penn has its own formula for determining demonstrated financial need. enn has been known to reject international students for whom it cannot provide enough financial aid; international students should be upfront about their financial need.

Penn sets aside about $9-10 million each year for international students.

Applying for Financial Aid

International students can only apply for financial aid when they first apply to Penn. International students who anticipate needing financial aid any point during their undergraduate years should apply for financial aid at the same time as they apply to Penn.

Required financial information:

• International students should fill out the CSS Profile, the College Board’s online financial aid form. Many colleges ask for a student’s CSS Profile. The College Board will send a copy toeach school that the student is applying for financial aid from. The CSS Profile asksquestions about aspects of both the student and their parent’s finances, including:

o Income of both student and parents, including income from work, investments, and rental income.

o Assets of both student and parents, including value of bank accounts and investments.

o Tax information, including how much income tax student and parents paid.
o Whether student or parents own a business.
o Whether or not parents have a mortgage.
o Whether the parents have other children for whom they are paying education

expenses.

Financial Aid Application Deadlines

For Early Decision applicants: early November (right after the Early Decision admissions application deadline).

For Regular Decision applicants: early February (a month after the Regular Decision admissions application deadline).

*Pro tip: Value of family’s primary residence is considered when determining demonstratedfinancial need.

Loans policy: Penn does not include loans in its financial aid packages, but students can voluntarily take out loans themselves if they want to.

Cost of Attendance

Expenses applicants should consider when determining cost of attendance:

  • Tuition and fees: In 2018-19 school year, $55,584 ($49,220 tuition, $6,364 fees). Tuition has been consistently rising each year.

  • Housing: Varies depending on whether student lives on campus or off campus. Off-campus housing is usually cheaper. Freshmen and sophomores must live on campus. For students who live on campus, the cost of living in Penn on-campus housing is added to their tuition bill.

  • Food: All freshmen must have a Penn dining plan that is added to their tuition bill for the freshman year. All freshmen dining plans cost the same ($5,416 in 2018-19 school year). Most Penn students save money after freshman year by going off the dining plans (either cook their own food or eat out).

  • Travelling to and from Penn during breaks.

  • Books and supplies: Including textbooks and subscriptions to licensed content used in class

    lessons (especially in language classes). Cost of textbooks and other supplies not included intuition. For some books, students may be able to find them in Penn’s library, in which casethey can borrow the books for free.

  • Living costs: Student life on a college campus can involve many unexpected expenses, none of which are reflected in the tuition:

o Going out with friends (restaurants, bars, coffee, lunch, etc.).
o Cover charges.
o Student organizations: Some student groups can cover or subsidize the cost of

participating in their activities, but many require that students pay for them out of

pocket.
o Such costs might include travel, tickets to events, food, supplies, or entrance fees to

private venues.

STUDENT LIFE

There are over a hundred undergraduate clubs and student organizations at Penn, spanning every interestarea. Theseincludeorganizationsfocusedonpre-professionalinterests,culturalinterests, political or social advocacy groups, performing arts groups, and recreational activities. The G.O. Penn is a searchable list of all clubs and student organizations registered with Penn’s Office ofStudent Affairs

Almost all student groups attend the Student Activities Fairs, at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. During these fairs, representatives from student groups are available to introduce their club to new students and answer any questions. Most student groups hold at least one information session at the beginning of each semester to raise awareness about their club. Info sessions usually begin the week after the activities fairs. Each student group has its own application process for selecting new members. These may include interviews and/or submitting a portfolio or resume. Penn requires all student groups to disclose their full application processes the activities fairs and during their info sessions. Some, but not all, student organizations charge membership dues; however, virtually all student groups are required to make allowances for students who demonstrate financial need.

Student Government

Penn’s undergraduate student government is divided into 6 branches:

Undergraduate Assembly (UA): The UA functions like a typical student council, comprising elected studentrepresentativesfromallclassyearsandschools. TheUAprovidesfundingforstudent activities, academic and health resources for students, and advises university administrators on school policies affecting student life.

Class Boards: Each class year has its own Class Board, comprising elected student representatives from that year. Class Boards organize social events for students in their year and oversee many annual Penn student traditions.

Nominations and Elections Committee (NEC): The NEC administers the annual UA and Class Board electionsandinvestigatespotentialbreachesofelectionprocedures. TheNECalsoselectsstudent representatives to fill seats on various school advisory boards.

Student Committee on Undergraduate Education (SCUE): SCUE is a think tank that conducts long-term research on academic policy. SCUE’s research projects can last for several years.

Social Planning and Events Committee (SPEC): SPEC acts as the undergraduate “cultural ministry”and oversees various annual cultural and recreational activities, including the annual Spring Fling concert.

Student Activities Council (SAC): SAC is one of the largest funding sources for student groups. It also organizes the Student Activities Fairs.

Greek life, Sororities and Social Organizations

About one third of Penn undergraduates are in fraternities or sororities. However, a significantly larger portion of Penn undergraduates maintain some tie to Greek life through friends who are members of fraternities or sororities (e.g. going to frat parties with their friends). There are 25 fraternities, 8 sororities, 14 culturally-based fraternities and sororities, 2 coed fraternities.

Officially, all Greek groups at Penn must register with the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life and be members of the respective umbrella organization (Interfraternity Council for fraternities, Panhellenic Council for sororities, Intercultural Greek Council for culturally-based fraternities andsororities). Theregisteredgroupsareconsidered“on-campus”.

SomeGreekgroupsarenotregisteredandoperatewithoutrecognitionfromPenn. Theseareconsidered “off-campus.”

Pre-professional fraternities: Not officially part of “Greek life” but have Greek letter names. Theyfocus their activities on career development and pre-professional networking for their members, who often share specific career interests (e.g. finance, pre-law, pre-med, engineering). Most are coed.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Penn accepts the Common Application (Common App). The Common App allows students to apply to multiple colleges through one central online platform. Students applying to Penn should add Penn to their list of colleges in their Common App account. There is a $75 application fee (fee waivers available for students with financial need)

Early Decision: Penn has a binding Early Decision option for applicants who are sure that Penn is their first-choice school. Early Decision applicants commit to go to Penn if they are accepted, which is factored into their admissions decision.

Early Decision applicants receive their admissions decision in mid-December (unlike Regular Decision applicants, who receive theirs in the spring). If applicants are accepted Early Decision, they must withdraw any other college applications that you have submitted. Early Decision applicants also give up the opportunity to compare possible financial aid packages from different schools, sincethey’re committing to go to Penn if they get in

Application deadlines:

  • Early Decision: November 1

  • Regular Decision: early January

    Applicant Components

    Common Application:

  • Includes sections on applicant’s high school academics, extracurricular activities, languagesspoken, and contact information

  • Includes an essay (650 words maximum): A good essay gives the reader some genuineinsight into the applicant’s personality and way of thinking. It should tell the reader something about the applicant that is not already included elsewhere in the application

  • The Penn supplement is accessible through the Common App and includes an essay aboutthe student’s interest in Penn. The Penn supplement essay is an opportunity for applicantsto show that they’ve done their homework and are genuinely interested in trying the thingsPenn has to offer. Students can pick a potential major when they apply (does not mean they have to keep that major at Penn)

  • Official high school transcript: Transcripts are accompanied by a School Report, whichdescribes the high school’s academic curriculum and grading practices (if a high school isvery academically competitive, its School Report will indicate that as well).

  • Recommendation letters: 3 required: From high school counselor and 2 high school teachers. 1 optional additional recommendation from someone else who also knows the applicant well (such as a coach, supervisor, employer, tutor, music instructor, minister, or another teacher)

  • Resume (optional)

  • Fine Arts Supplement (optional): Applicants can include a sample of their artistic work as

    partoftheirapplication. TheFineArtsSupplementcanbeaportfolio,musicalrecording, original score or sheet music, or research abstract. Strongly encouraged for applicants interested in the Fine Arts, Music, or Architecture majors

  • SAT/ACT scores: Penn has no preference for which test you take as long as you score well. 2 SAT Subject Test scores (recommended). Many SAT Subject Test subjects correspond with

Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) subjects, so students who are taking AP or IB exams should try to take the corresponding SAT Subject Tests.

The Common App will send a copy of the student’s application (including their essay) to every school that the student applies to.

WORK

Internships and Career

Popular post-graduation jobs for Penn students include Finance, banking, consulting, and Tech. Many Penn students also go on to graduate or professional schools after graduating from Penn (law, medicine, engineering, MBA programs, etc.).

Penn has a large Career Services office with resources to help students find internships and jobs, including mock interviews, resume critique, and job boards. Career Services office centrally locatedon Penn’s campus and any Penn student can walk in during the day to speak with a career advisor.Penn students can keep using Penn Career Services even after they graduate (Penn alumni have lifelong access to Career Services).

Handshake is Penn’s Career Services portal that allows employers to post job openings targetingPenn students.

On-campus recruiting (OCR) has a major presence at Penn as many Penn undergraduates apply forjobs with companies that come to Penn’s campus specifically to recruit Penn students. OCR is mostly common in investment banking, finance, and consulting jobs.

Students apply for an interview slot through Penn Career Services with a company that participates in OCR. If a student gets an interview with the company, the interview will take place at PennCareer Services’ office. OCR used to fill both full-time jobs and summer internships.

All information obtained online from University of Pennsylvania organizations and resources.