First, congratulations and welcome to Penn! You have a lot to be proud of.
Here at the Editorial Board, we wanted to do our part and welcome you to campus with a preview of what the Penn experience is really like. We have organized our advice into five overarching categories that we feel best encompass life at Penn.
1. Career funneling can feel intimidating.
If you ask any Penn student about our campus culture, you’ll probably hear the word “preprofessional.” In all honesty, there is some truth to this. For some time, a large part of any given Penn graduating class has been whisked away into consulting and finance. Right now, you might not know what “investment banking” or “consulting” means, but after a semester at Penn, that is destined to change.
When you first get here, all the talk of resumes and recruiting can create some culture shock. It It might make you feel like you have to fall neatly into those buckets and go along with the crowd. But the truth is, you don’t have to. So many Penn students pursue the careers they want regardless of social pressures. In fact, recent trends show that less and less Penn students are following those narrow paths. Still, that does not detract from the value a Penn education carries for those careers. If you want to work in high finance, you’re in luck.
Our advice is to do whatever truly interests you. Penn has so much to offer in terms of academics, research, and career opportunities. Be curious, explore, and take advantage of the resources here. Having unique academic interests can actually mean being in smaller groups, allowing you to form closer relationships with professors and peers.
2. Social life isn’t straightforward.
Clubs are a good place to start and usually the most reliable way to make friends at Penn. While you might hear that a good number of Penn’s student organizations are career-focused, not all of them are. Penn is known for its vibrant performing arts scene, along with many interest-based and affinity groups. Oftentimes, joining clubs can build friend groups and become the backbone of your social life. So, cast a wide net and then stick to what you enjoy with the people you grow close to.
Even though Greek Life typically involves only about 30% of the undergraduate population, it does have an outsized influence on the “going out” scene here. For the most part, sororities and fraternities follow a wealth-based hierarchy, but usually anyone who wants to participate in Greek Life can at some level, so it’s something to consider. If you don’t join Greek Life, don’t count on having an on-campus party lined up for you every weekend. Still, there are other ways to have fun and be social on your Friday nights. From club formals to live music events, there is no shortage of ways to spend your free time.
3. Penn students are abnormally privileged.
Following up on social life, it’s also important to note that most Penn students have an incredible amount of privilege. A lot of the time that means that they come from wealthy backgrounds, but many students who don’t have also experienced other types of privilege. This takes the form of prestigious high schools, a plethora of connections, and the most obvious privilege of them all: being able to attend Penn. Wealth culture can be pervasive at times, particularly in Penn’s fashion trends. Regardless of your background, though, there are plenty of resources and communities that exist to fit your needs.
4. Your classes won’t feel like high school.
The best thing about academics at Penn is that you can learn about pretty much anything you want, during any semester. In the fall, the topic offerings for required first-year writing seminars range from Reality TV to failures in systems engineering. Accordingly, we would encourage you to be flexible and try new things; your interests could always (and probably will) change in college.
Otherwise, classes at Penn will have different expectations than you are probably used to. Stay on top of your work and go to class, but also remember to not take everything so seriously. Grades are much less important in college than they were in high school, and challenging yourself is a good thing.
5. Take advantage of Philadelphia.
The best thing a young adult can do is move to a city for college. Here at Penn, we are lucky to have access to such a vibrant professional, cultural, and social scene in Philadelphia. Sometimes, that privilege is underutilized at Penn. All students will spend the vast majority of their time on campus, but many almost never branch out into other parts of the city. It’s called the “Penn bubble.” So, as a Penn student, we would encourage you to take classes that explore the city, go out to restaurants in Center City, or get an internship that gets you off campus.
Once again, we want to offer our congratulations. Getting into Penn is extremely difficult and all of your hard work has paid off. Now and throughout your Penn journey, remember that you deserve to be here. While there are many valid critiques of the Penn experience, we are each so grateful for the wealth of opportunities and experiences that our University has brought us. We’re excited to see you on campus soon.
Editorials represent the majority view of members of The Daily Pennsylvanian Editorial Board who meet regularly to discuss issues relevant to the Penn community. This body is led by Editorial Board Chair Jack Lakis and is entirely separate from the newsroom. Questions or comments should be directed to letters@thedp.com.
