Taking a gap year might be the key

By Piper Slinka-Petka · Aug. 31, 2026

Senior columnist Piper Slinka-Petka argues that Penn students will never reach true success unless they give themselves time to figure it out. 

Penn needs on-campus graduate student housing

By Kamau Louis · Aug. 30, 2026

Columnist Kamau Louis argues that Penn should provide on-campus housing for its graduate students.

Editorial | What we need in Penn’s next president

By The Daily Pennsylvanian Editorial Board · Aug. 27, 2026

The Daily Pennsylvanian Editorial Board evaluates what has historically made past Penn presidents successful.

Penn stopped talking to its applicants. Admissions is worse for it

By Peter Kennedy · Aug. 27, 2026

Columnist Peter Kennedy argues that Penn should both reinstate and formally weigh the alumni interview. 

No, AI detection won’t save your pedagogy

By Jared Francis · Aug. 25, 2026

Guest columnist Jared Francis argues that educators are mistaken in hoping watermarking will save them from the real work of redesigning how they assess student thinking.

Engage with energy

By Larry Jameson · Aug. 24, 2026

Penn President Larry Jameson welcomes students and offers advice for the upcoming academic year. 

The Ivy League gives us the most. Why do we risk the least?

By Diya Choksey · Aug. 17, 2026

Senior Columnist Diya Choksey questions why students at one of the world’s most prestigious universities end up taking the smallest deviations from what’s considered “normal.”

Penn isn’t another college application

By Tracy Xie · Aug. 9, 2026

Columnist Tracy Xie argues that incoming students often bring to Penn the optimization mindset that got them admitted, sacrificing the chance for spontaneity and unexpected opportunities that define the college experience.

Your race isn’t automatically your community

By Carina Thomas · Aug. 2, 2026

Columnist Carina Thomas highlights diversity within affinity spaces and explores what it means to truly find belonging. 

Stop ranking your Penn experiences

By Saanvi Vinod · July 19, 2026

Columnist Saanvi Vinod argues that relying on an instruction manual for how we should experience each stage of life, from college to adulthood, prevents us from building one of our own.

Your social media reveals more than you think

By Seojin Lee · July 12, 2026

Columnist Seojin Lee argues that Penn students should be more intentional about their social media usage and digital footprint. 

Move-in day has become a myth

By Tracy Xie · July 6, 2026

Columnist Tracy Xie argues that social media has shifted the college experience to begin long before move-in day, replacing uncertainty with connection but also fueling comparison and pressure. 

You got into Penn, now what?

By Idia Enoma · June 28, 2026

Columnist Idia Enoma reflects on the emotional disorientation of achieving a long-pursued goal, and what it means to want something truly your own. 

You’re probably not who you think you are

By Luna Bouhairi · June 21, 2026

Columnist Luna Bouhairi encourages incoming Penn students to prioritize exploration over premature specialization. 

Editorial | Nothing is ‘need-based’ when tuition is $100,000

By The Daily Pennsylvanian Summer Editorial Board · June 15, 2026

The Daily Pennsylvanian Summer Editorial Board argues that Penn's commitment to “need-based” financial aid falls short when the total cost of attendance continues to climb.

Penn is risking student safety to cover its own mistakes

By Mritika Senthil · June 7, 2026

Senior columnist Mritika Senthil explains how Penn exposed its “student-first” facade by firing Hill College House Fellows.

So now everybody wants to be Latine?

By Beatriz Báez and Mariana Martinez · May 31, 2026

Columnists Mariana Martinez and Beatriz Báez discuss the disconnect between many Penn students’ obsession with Latine culture and their limited understanding of the realities shaping Latin America.