This year, there was not one, but two groups of upperclassman mentors waiting to greet new students as they first set foot on Penn's campus. But despite the 100-plus volunteers, new students had varying opinions on the necessity of these resources.
In addition to the peer advisers with whom most undergraduates are familiar, Peers Helping Incoming New Students were also incorporated into the New Student Orientation program, to help smooth students' transition into University life.
Unlike peer advisers, who are primarily meant to assist with academic matters, PHINS were put in place to answer everyday, logistical questions.
"For a lot of kids, the first upperclassman they saw on campus was a PHIN," said Matthew Scafidi, a College senior and NSO student coordinator.
Yet, while some freshmen praised the usefulness of PHINS, many said that despite the visibility of the volunteers, they never came into contact with them.
"We kind of knew what we were doing, but [PHINS] were there," College freshman Sirisha Prathipati said.
Nevertheless, others found the PHINS to be valuable.
Wharton freshman Jed Cairo had a particularly beneficial encounter with PHIN and College sophomore Ariel Greenstein, who helped him move in.
"She was the best," Cairo said.
While PHINS are isolated to NSO, peer advisers -- whose functions vary slightly from school to school -- typically are in contact with freshmen beginning in the summer and lasting throughout the first semester.
"We're basically there to answer any questions that they might have [and] allay any fears," said Scafidi, who is also a peer adviser.
Ultimately, students had mixed reactions to their peer advising experiences.
"My peer adviser was really helpful," Wharton freshman Edan Yacobovsky said.
"We had a two-hour question-and-answer session. It was pretty beneficial," he added.
College freshman Alana Kopke shared Yacobovsky's positive characterization of the peer advisers.
"I had a really excellent experience with my peer adviser, actually," she said. "She made me feel right at home."
In contrast, not all advisees found their peer advisers so accommodating.
"My peer adviser didn't really help us out so well," College freshman Neiman Ramjattan said. "Everything was always late. ... [He was] really disorganized ... always late for meetings."
Looking back on their experiences as freshmen, some upperclassmen challenged the usefulness of peer advisers in general.
"I think they're kind of pointless," College sophomore Megan Davidow said, adding, "How much stuff do you really have to ask them?"
College junior Eric Henry said, "They were helpful, but I didn't really need that much help."
However, other upperclassmen reflected differently on their experience with the peer advising program.
"I found my peer adviser to be great," College sophomore Kate Liberman said. "He was there when we needed him."
College junior Duncan Lloyd agreed that "sometimes it can be overwhelming, and peer advisers definitely help that process of getting acclimated to the University."
According to Kendal Barbee, associate director of student affairs for the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the usefulness of upperclassmen as resources will naturally vary from new student to new student.
"Some freshmen don't feel as though they need as much hand-holding," Barbee said.
