-OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM-
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1. What is campus life like at Penn?
ANSWER: Penn combines a leafy, architecturally distinguished campus with all the advantages of a dynamic, culturally rich East-coast metropolis. Penn draws intellectually inquisitive students from across the country and around the world. With four undergraduate schools and access to courses in twelve graduate schools, Penn offers one of the most comprehensive and diverse educations available anywhere.
Penn features many resources beyond the classroom:
Certainly having alumni in your family helps you understand what campus life is like at Penn. To get a feel for how it is today, you can always visit
campus or speak to current students through our Linking
Legacies program. One of the "benefits" of being a legacy is the opportunity that you have had over your lifetime to hear firsthand what makes Penn a special place.
2. What research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
ANSWER: As part of its mission in undergraduate education, Penn is committed to nurturing the next generation of world-class researchers. Penn is among the most accomplished and productive research universities in the world, whether in the field of natural sciences, social sciences, or humanities. Penn ranks among America's top recipients of competitive research grants, earning more than $500 million in external funding annually.
3. What extracurricular activities are available at Penn?
ANSWER: Approximately 9,700 University students, faculty and staff participate in more than 300 Penn volunteer and community service programs, as well as the more than 150 academically based community service courses that Penn offers. Community service at Penn is primarily coordinated by Civic House (student volunteerism and advocacy), the Barbara and Edward Netter Center for Community Partnerships (coordinates academically based community service and Penn Volunteers in Public Service for faculty and staff volunteers).
Almost every day, Locust Walk is crowded with club representatives selling tickets to student performances, holding bake sales for social causes, or simply urging you to join their group. You can find clubs
and organizations based on civic engagement, sports, cultural background, politics, almost anything you can imagine. Or, if you can't find the club you want to join, create it!
Visit the Reference Guide to Penn websites to connect to the above programs and additional activities.
4. What should I do if I'm interested in playing varsity athletics?
ANSWER: Contact between a college coach and a high school prospect is regulated, and some methods of contact are restricted before a prospect reaches senior year. The prospect or their parent is allowed to initiate contact with a coach, and email may be the recommended method. Coaches are very careful in the timing and method of their reply, in order to maintain compliance with recruiting rules.
If the student hasn’t already done so, we encourage a visit to www.pennathletics.com, where students may select a particular sport, and find contact info for the coaches. High school juniors or seniors may also complete a recruiting questionnaire at that website.
(The Recruit Questionnaire can be found on each team's page- sometimes as a stand-alone menu item or by clicking on "contact.")
More information:
Ivy League recruitment policies
Penn Athletics
Ivy League
NCAA
