Inna Lifshin

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.

When College senior Abby Huntsman stands next to Sen. John McCain, she can see the scars on his face from his days as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. For her, these scars are tangible evidence of how much he's sacrificed for his country. In fact, he's the most patriotic person she's ever met, she said.

When Wharton sophomore Dennie Zastrow was applying to Penn, his parents encouraged him to select Wharton to boost his chances of finding a good job. Two years later, it's that career-minded focus that's driving him to get out. Zastrow, who is currently trying to transfer into the College, said he was turned off by Wharton's emphasis on finding the right internships and jobs as early as freshman year.

Do you know of the Heavenly Mother? Many students do now, after recent encounters with teams of missionaries on campus. Members of the World Mission Society Church of God have been proselytizing on campus over the past few weeks, approaching students on various street corners and outside University buildings.

Early-application rates may have dropped, but have no fear, admissions officials say - regular decision is right around the corner. The next round of applications should get a boost from the introduction of the Common Application, they say, and that could make up for the smaller early-decision pool.

Early applications to Penn dropped slightly this year, admissions officials announced yesterday.

For college students, beer, pizza and bowling are a winning combination. At least that's what College Pizza owner George Ballouz is banking on. The pizzeria will move from its current location - which it was forced to leave due to a planned construction project on the 3900 block of Walnut Street - into the mezzanine of Strikes Bowling Lounge over winter break.

They may not be industry moguls or top executives, but Penn professors are certainly willing to shell out money in support of their favorite political candidates. Penn ranked fourth in a study measuring the sum of education-industry employee donations to federal campaigns this election cycle.

A newly elected Democratic majority in Congress could spell changes for college affordability, experts say.

Study-abroad participation at Penn was the seventh highest among American colleges last year, according to a report released last week. The University jumped five spots - from No. 12 to No. 7 - in the annual study-abroad participation ranking by the Institute for International Education, which promotes educational ties between the United States and foreign countries.