Last fall, high-school senior Christine Li, of George Walton High School in Marietta, Ga., applied early action to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. When she was deferred and later rejected, she turned her attention to Penn. And after Shams Ahmed, a senior at Cherry Hill High School East in Cherry Hill, N.

The Philosophy, Politics and Economics department is in the process of devising new courses for the major, although there will not be any significant changes in the core of the curriculum. Cristina Bicchieri, director of the PPE department, said PPE faculty are working with several participating departments to expand the number of PPE course offerings, but she added that "nothing is written in stone" and said the exact details will not be available for a few more months.

With his greyish white hair cropped neatly, navy blue suit and persuasive mannerism, Michael Wilson looked and sounded like a man of power in the business world. In fact, Wilson was just that, until he left the private sector to become the 22nd Canadian Ambassador to the United States.

A shake-up in the admissions office and a projected lower yield rate likely contributed to Penn's slightly higher acceptance rate this year, admissions experts say. Penn's acceptance rate increased to 16.4 percent this year, up from 16 percent last year. In contrast, the other Ivies - excluding Cornell University, which has yet to release its information - have all reported record low admissions rates.

Now, when you watch a video on YouTube, the clip's creator can gain insight into your identity. YouTube Insight - a free tool that allows users to view detailed statistics about the videos they upload - was released last week. Students who post videos on YouTube have reacted positively to the new feature, but they admit that releasing any more information about site visitors may violate users' privacy.

For thousands of Americans, the current credit crisis is a nightmare of potential home foreclosures and job layoffs. For Wall Street, it is a market tsunami of complex mortgage investment losses. But for Penn professors, the crisis is an extra opportunity to bring real-life financial examples to the classroom, where students are showing renewed interest in the current economic situation.

The typical "American-dream" family - complete with pet, SUV and soccer-mom - has in recent decades given way to an increasing number of divorced and single-parent families. As a result, colleges like Penn may have to rethink traditional formulas in financial aid and admissions.

What's in a name? A lot, professors say - in a course name, at least. As Advance Registration draws to a close, professors acknowledge that an eye-catching course title can make a big difference in enrollment - both in the number and types of students who end up taking it.

Polls for the 2008-2009 student government elections closed yesterday afternoon after record voter turnout, but results will not be announced until two violations filed yesterday are settled by the Nominations and Elections Committee. Both charges were filed regarding the Class of 2011 Class Board and Undergraduate Assembly races.

For many students in the College, Barbara Woodford has a voice and a face you know, but a name you probably don't. To many, Woodford is simply the middle point between you and a meeting with your academic advisor, but she may be the most important person at the College office in Logan Hall, ensuring things run smoothly and giving visitors their first impression of Penn's staff.

As fuel costs rise, the benefits of solar energy are often touted - but solar power is easier to implement in some places than others. The construction of a solar community in Northeast Philadelphia displays the benefits of obtaining energy from the sun. But it also highlights the difficulties in applying such technology on a large-scale, such as at institutions like Penn.

In contrast to the other Ivy League schools, Penn's overall acceptance rate increased to 16.4 percent for the class of 2012. Penn is the only Ivy League school thus far that has not reported a record-low acceptance rate. This admissions cycle, Penn admitted a total of 3,769 of 22,922 applications.

"What you stand for is just as important as what you stand in," said last night's Fashion Week keynote speaker Kenneth Cole. Cole, known for his humanitarian efforts, fashion brand and quirky campaign slogans, discussed the role philanthropy plays in his position as CEO and Chairman of the Board of Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc.

Assault March 22 - Samuel Benesby, 21, of the 1700 block of Cold Springs Road in Newton Square, was arrested on the 200 block of S. 40th Street by Penn Police for allegedly assaulting a Penn Police officer at about 2:10 a.m. Auto theft March 27 - A male student, 27, reported that his dirt bike, secured with a cable lock, was removed by an unknown suspect at about 9:30 a.

Voters and presidential candidates are debating many issues this election cycle, but while candidates are offering higher-education policy proposals, most voters are focusing their attention elsewhere. According to a nationwide survey conducted by The Chronicle of Higher Education and Gallup, issues in higher-education came least-important out of nine issues which Americans were asked to rank.

The numbers are in, and Democrats are up in Pennsylvania. On March 24, the final day to register voters for the April 22 primary, more than 33,000 new voters registered as Democrats. Additionally, nearly 46,000 registered voters switched their party affiliation to become Democrats before the primary between Democratic presidential candidates Illinois Sen.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Rocky Balboa have a lot in common - or so she said during a speech in Center City yesterday morning. Responding to recent pressure to drop out of the race, Clinton used the famous scene at the Philadelphia Museum of Art as an analogy for her continued fight for the nomination.