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At the University of Pennsylvania, there are "more than enough" resources, funding, and opportunities, and students are constantly encouraged "to truly take advantage of it all!" There are four undergraduate colleges-the College of Arts and Sciences, the Wharton School of Business, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the School of Nursing-and students appreciate the range: "I can take a course in old Icelandic and even another one about the politics of food." That said, note that this prestigious Ivy League school is "very challenging," perhaps even more so at Wharton, which carries a "strenuous course load" for its "highly competitive" and "career-oriented" enrollees. Those interested in dual-degree and specialized programs can tack on interdisciplinary studies, with access to "courses in any of the schools, including graduate level courses." While "course and exam materials are difficult," professors balance that out and are described as being "downto-earth and approachable in general.... The academic support is great." Between being "very passionate about what they do outside the classroom" and "incredibly well-versed in their subject (as well as their audience)," faculty are "always willing to offer their morethan-relevant life experience in class discussion." Students appreciate the student-tofaculty ratio, and report that when they "reach out," professors are "happy to reciprocate." This personal touch even extends to the application process, with one undergrad having enrolled because the campus outreach team "made me feel like I wasn't just another set of applications; instead, I was an actual human being-one that they valued and wanted."

The UPenn student body is comprised of "people from all over the world, of all kinds of experiences, [and] of all perspectives. Students describe their peers as "determined" and "either focused on one specific interest or very well-rounded." Some find the academic atmosphere at UPenn to be competitive, though one student points out that "hypercompetitive" peers can be "helpful." It also makes overachievers feel right at home, and it says a lot that some describe their peers as "off-the-charts brilliant." Given each student's "strong sense of personal style and his or her own credo," the net result for many is a feeling of being "fascinated by everyone else."

The 64-acre campus at UPenn offers “the perfect mix between an urban setting and a traditional college campus.” Located in West Philadelphia, students need only cross the Schuylkill River to access all of the City of Brotherly Love’s delights. There’s also easy transportation to other East Coast cities, and the weekend buses to/from New York and D.C. “are always packed.” Not that there isn’t plenty to do at UPenn: there are lots of guest speakers, cultural events, clubs, and organizations for the “mighty Quaker” students to channel. Conversations vary: “politics and religion come up often, but so do baseball, types of wine, and restaurants.” Overall, “people are constantly trying to think about how they can balance getting good grades academically and their weekend plans.” Some report that “partying is a much higher priority here than it is at other Ivy League schools.” Students looking for a night out might find themselves “split between the downtown club scene and the frat/bar scene, depending on your preference.” But make no mistake, when it’s time to focus, “people get really serious and…buckle down and study.”

Penn’s Career Services is an amazing resource for students who wish to discover opportunities on- and off-campus. A bursting job board (with over 13,000 individual position postings), trips to New York City and Washington D.C. to learn about organizations and industries, as well as hundreds of employer information sessions give students tons of chances to network and research fields. One neat perk: along with other offices like Civic House, Kelly Writers House, and Penn Global, Career Services provides funding to finance research and unpaid (or lowly paid) summer internships. Career days each year bring over 600 employers to campus (Amazon, IBM, and Bloomberg, to name a few), and PennApps, a weekend-long “hackathon” for student developers, draws prospective employers like Intel and Microsoft for sponsorship and presentations. Alumni mentoring is also available to help students find their path. Penn grads who visited PayScale.com report median starting salaries of $73,700.