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During junior year, everyone wants to know where you're studying abroad.

But for around 75 percent of Penn's junior class each year, the answer is "nowhere."

Whether for obligations on campus or to stay on-track with coursework, a majority of students have legitimate reasons for remaining in Philadelphia all four years.

Though Penn Abroad director Geoffrey Gee cites the advantages of an international education, he understands that the decision to go abroad is a big one that must ultimately be made by taking individual circumstances into consideration.

"If you are approaching study abroad from the perspective of, 'I'm going to have to give something up to do it,' then that may already be a sign that you really like what you're doing here," he said.

During the 2007-2008 school year, 678 Penn students - most of whom are juniors - have already studied or are currently studying in a foreign country, either for a year or a semester.

The most popular destinations for study-abroad students this year were the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, France and China.

But most juniors who decided to stick around West Philadelphia - be they athletes, campus leaders, Engineering majors, or just students without a particular interest in a foreign destination - say they are happy with their decision and see several advantages to not going abroad.

The Class President

As junior class president, Brett Perlmutter has tackled the task of maintaining class unity, even though juniors might be scattered geographically for the year.

"A huge part of our constituency is all over [the world], and others are like, 'We're here. What do we do?'" he said.

To address these issues, the junior class board started a "Photos From Abroad" competition. More than 100 students have posted pictures from their foreign studies on the Class of 2009 Web site, and a winning photo will be selected in a few weeks.

The competition has allowed all members of the class to see what everyone has been up to while not at Penn, Perlmutter said.

For juniors who did not go abroad, the junior class board held an "Abroad in West Philadelphia" event in October, featuring music, giveaways and traditionally Philadelphian foods.

Perlmutter said he noticed his non-traveling classmates mixing things up first semester - the most popular time for juniors to go abroad - resulting in a distinctive change in the class.

"There is a tendency for people who stay to do something different - a different activity, taking classes outside your major, meeting new friends," he said. "At least everyone takes a semester like that, whether it's abroad or at Penn."

Perlmutter, who is majoring in Hispanic studies and Politics, Philosophy and Economics with an international concentration, decided not to go abroad because of his commitment to the class board.

But he feels comfortable with his decision because his Penn experience will still include plenty of traveling. Perlmutter did a summer abroad program in Spain, traveled to Germany in September and is going to Hong Kong for spring break.

"I've definitely taken advantage of having friends dispersed," he said.

As class president, Perlmutter is thankful that a majority of juniors choose to go abroad in the fall semester, which he says makes his job of reuniting the class much easier.

"You have that whole [spring] semester to build up the momentum to senior year," he said.

The Fraternity Brother

College junior and St. Anthony's president Ian Grajewski opted not to go abroad so that he could keep up with his class schedule and because he wanted to run for president of his fraternity. But he also said he didn't learn about study abroad options early enough.

"I don't think they promote it that well," he said. "You have to do the homework yourself."

Half of the juniors in St. A's went abroad this year, which was hard for Grajewski and the other brothers who were still at Penn. But he says that it ultimately brought them closer together.

"It seemed like it's a blessing in disguise," he said. "It forces you to go out and meet new people. I became closer with some of the guys who stayed at home."

Grajewski is seeking out a summer internship through On Campus Recruitment, and he believes he is at an advantage in the process because he was at Penn in the fall.

"I've been getting invites to closed events because I went to events earlier in the year," he said.

The Intern

Some students don't want to leave the country for a semester but still want some time away from campus.

College junior Annie Friedman is spending the spring semester in Washington, D.C. on Penn's Washington Semester Program. She is taking three classes and has an internship at a strategic communications firm.

The Washington Semester Program "fits perfectly with my interests and my majors," said Friedman, who originally intended to study abroad in Italy but could not find a program that would accommodate her political science and communications majors.

Even though Friedman isn't studying in a different country, she still finds that she is living and learning in a different culture - the political culture of the nation's capital.

"It brings [my majors] to life, being in D.C., where all of this is going on," she said. "That's something I wouldn't have gotten in Italy."

The Washington Semester Program has grown a lot since it first started in 1994, and the 16 available spots have quickly filled up in recent semesters, said Kathryn Tenpas, director of the program.

Some students take advantage of the Washington Semester program as an alternative to studying in a foreign country, while others do both, spending a semester abroad and a semester in D.C., Tenpas said.

Friedman said that while studying in D.C. rather than Italy has many advantages, she does feel like she's missing out somewhat when she sees the pictures of her friends on their abroad adventures.

"I don't know that I'll have the opportunity to live in a foreign country anytime in the near future," she said. "But I'm meeting really interesting people that will be great connections in the future."

The Athlete

While most students spend their first two years grappling with the decision of whether or not to go abroad, some know they probably won't be able to before even stepping foot on campus.

College junior Bryan Scotland, who was recruited by the track and field team, toyed with the idea of studying in Spain because he has taken Spanish courses at Penn, but he ultimately knew that he could not go because of his commitment to the team.

Scotland said that going abroad during the fall semester would restrict his ability to train, and the busy track competition schedule eliminated spring as an option.

"I love traveling, but not only would I not be competing or getting a base in the fall semester, but I'd be letting my team down in a way by abandoning them," he said. "That tipped the scale."

However, Scotland is still hungry for travel experiences.

In the summer of 2006, Scotland traveled with his team to Wales and England to compete in a few track meets. While he had a great time, it didn't quite fulfill his abroad desires.

"I would want to be there for a longer time to actually experience living there," he said.

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