University of Pennsylvania: Off the Record (College Prowler) (College Prowler: University of Pennsylvania Off the Record)

College guides written by students for students

Your ultimate source for honest, unbiased information, College Prowler delivers an inside look at the University of Pennsylvania, straight from the students mouths. Complete with hundreds of student quotes, grades, stats, and reviews, this student-written guide offers a comprehensive collection of information about Penn. See how students rate their campus when it s time to look beyond the brochures and talk about the issues that really matter.

Introduction from the Author

I would like to offer you a warm welcome, and I hope that you enjoy this attempt to sum up the school that has made my college experience so very rewarding. Statistics are a very poor indicator of a person s compatibility with a school. What s more important are the things that a friend would tell you, like where to go for a great cheese steak. I can not predict if Penn is right for you, but hopefully this book will bring you one step closer to making that decision for yourself.

Penn may be the Ivy League school that most people either forget or mix up with Penn State, but to the students who call our little niche in West Philadelphia home, Penn is a place rich with history, vibrance, and opportunity. One thing that makes Penn such an exciting place is the fact that it offers the best of so many different worlds. As a student here, you can be on campus and forget that you are in a city, or you can walk a couple of blocks and be immersed in the culture and excitement that is Philadelphia. You can study humanities, engineering, or business and receive an unparalleled education, no matter which one you choose. You can join an inner-tube water polo team or start a club to support any cause. You will meet people you never thought you would interact with before.

Some people come to Penn for specific reasons. Many are motivated by the prestige of Wharton s program. Others come to follow in their parents footsteps, and a few come because they were rejected from Harvard. Not to mention the opportunity for a top-notch liberal arts education. However, my advice to you would be to follow your instincts. Don t let the big city or the large student-body scare you. Penn truly is a community, and if you allow yourself to become part of this community, you will soon count yourself among the ranks of those who call proudly call themselves Quakers.

Of course, deciding where you are going to spend the next four years of your life is an important decision that you need to make for yourself. Hopefully, this book will serve as a tool to help you make this decision and provide you with a unique perspective on the University of Pennsylvania.

Jennifer Klein, Author
University of Pennsylvania