UPenn or Northwestern? - Page 2

coolcat08 · 05-14-2008, 01:19 AM

thanks for the responses this is awesome!

i think i want to do pre-med but i'm not positive...i'm really into performing (theater and music) too...

i haven't visited penn but have visited northwestern and really liked the campus. i've lived in the midwest my whole life so i guess i'm a little uncertain by what you mean when you say "eastern" lifestyle. if someone could elaborate it would be much appreciated...

when people say that the upenn campus location is in a dangerous location and what not, is this just a misconception or is there some reality to the statement?

Sam Lee · 05-14-2008, 02:52 AM

NU is hard to beat in performing arts as the music and theater programs are both among the best; there are tons of quality shows on campus and it has the greatest college show in Waa-Mu. You will find many students sharing the same interests.

I've never been to Penn, so I can't comment on its surroundings. I did go to Philly last September; compared to Chicago, it's smaller and grittier IMO. I stayed in Center City; it's in downtown and supposed to be one of the nicer areas in Philly but still, I sensed that it was not safe at night. I don't know why I sensed that; it's just gut feeling. It also seemed to have a significant litter problem; even in Center City, there were quite a bit of trash and cigarettes on sidewalks. It's worse in other areas.

Alexandre · 05-14-2008, 03:13 AM

Those are peer institutions. Chose based on fit. You should probably visit Penn before deciding.

Sam Lee · 05-14-2008, 03:25 AM

EtTuBrutus,
While Chicago has its share of gritty areas in the southside, the northside is generally much nicer. Philly's Rittenhouse Sq reminded me of some of the northside neighborhoods in Chicago; the difference is Rittenhouse Sq is a very small area while those nice neighborhoods in Chicago cover a much larger area. For example, between the Loop and Lakeview, the length is about 5 miles. Those neighborhoods are also the most vibrant areas of Chicago; many northsiders almost never venture to the southside.

^I totally second Alexandre's suggestion.

ilovebagels · 05-14-2008, 12:52 PM

Definitely go with Penn. It's just flat-out awesome and you won't regret it. One University, Toast throwing, Philly, Hey Day, Walnut Walk, Spring Fling, dodging flyers on Locust, crushing Princeton...it's an amazing experience. I still have a week until I graduate and I already miss it

kk19131 · 05-14-2008, 01:44 PM

All things considered, I'd say that unless you LOVE Northwestern, you should go to Penn.

Northwestern is great for what it is, but I think Penn would offer a better social/college life.

08seniors08 · 05-14-2008, 03:24 PM

Coolcat08: I've lived next to Penn my entire life and I think people mistaken many black people for being dangerous. It's sad but true. The area seriously isn't that bad at all. I mean there's crime, but that's true anywhere. The campus is GORGEOUS and it's unbelievable how much greenery there is, considering its urban environment. The security is great, and I've never heard of problems on or near campus as long as I've lived there.

45 Percenter · 05-14-2008, 03:43 PM

To follow up on what 08seniors08 said, Penn's campus is really a "best of both worlds" situation. The unified 260-acre campus has lovely greens, shaded walkways, courtyards, and plazas, and is mostly closed off from city streets to create a kind of cloistered feeling. Yet it's only a mile or so from the hustle and bustle of Center City Philadelphia, with all of its world-class cultural attractions, historic sites and neighborhoods, incredible restaurants and dining (over 200 sidewalk cafes, the enormous Reading Terminal Market, etc.), entertainment, and nightlife.

MidwestMom2Kids_ · 05-14-2008, 06:38 PM

If it were my choice, I would go to Penn in a minute.

Milkmagn · 05-14-2008, 08:19 PM

I would honestly choose Penn without hesitation

Bala · 05-14-2008, 09:10 PM

Agree with Alexandre. Academic peers except for specialized programs (Wharton at Penn, Medill (journalism)/Music/Theater/SESP at Northwestern - engineering is for another discussion). Settings are very different. Northwestern has a great campus with very safe environs. Penn has a great campus with a "watch your back" understanding. Chicago probably trumps Philadelphia in almost every way other than weather. Big Ten sports vs. Ivy League moniker. Some difference in Midwest vs. East Coast mentality/pace/attitude.

Agree you need to visit. Go where the fit suits you best.

08seniors08 · 05-14-2008, 09:58 PM

Keep in mind Bala went to Northwestern.

I live in Philly and the mentality is not "watch your back," but "don't do anything that you wouldn't do in any other city" such as walk around at 3am with a fashionable suit on and twenty dollar bills overflowing from your jacket.

Ivy rivalry is tons of fun and Philly's culture is hard to beat. I don't know if you're much of a partier, but Penn definitely is #1 in that department.

Notice I didn't bash NU at all in this, because I don't know too much about it.

Bala · 05-15-2008, 12:14 AM

"The security is great, and I've never heard of problems on or near campus as long as I've lived there."

08seniors08: It is hardly "bashing" to suggest that Philadelphia has a crime problem or that Penn is a school that faces big city realities. The security on campus is great but it's there for a reason. No "problems" is just not the historical reality. I could provide endless links to national coverage of Philadelphia's crime issues. The problems on and just off campus at Penn have fortunately been very limited in scope. There have already been inumerable threads on this topic I see little need to rehash. Again, I'd argue that the campus is generally safe but to argue that vigilance is not a part of the game is simply denying reality. Again, I'd argue that the OP should "Go where the fit suits you best."

gd016 · 05-15-2008, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Penn also offers its vaunted "One University" policy. Under that policy, all undergrads are encouraged to take courses in more than one of the undergrad schools (the College, the top-ranked Wharton School, School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the top-ranked Nursing School)

Mmm, that really isn't something unique to Penn. In fact, I thought most top privates did this. At Northwestern too you're allowed to take classes at any of the schools you want. I'm in the McCormick Engineering school majoring in Mat Sci Engineering, but I've taken Communications Sciences and Disorders classes and Radio/TV/Film classes in the School of Communications, Integrated Marketing classes at the Medill School of Journalism, a few community development classes in the School of Education and Social Policy and obviously numerous literature, behavioral science courses in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. I think the only school, I haven't taken classes from would be the School of Music, but I'm aware that you can fulfill your Lit/Fine Arts distros by taking music classes as well.

You can easily, and I mean very very easily double major in different schools, do a minor or work for a certificate in any of the schools on campus including the Kellogg School of Management. I do wish we could take classes at the Feinberg School of Medicine, but I guess that would be asking for too much.

Edit:

Oh right, but we don't have nursing school like Penn. Big loss...

Sam Lee · 05-15-2008, 12:40 AM

I don't know what the big deal of "one university" either. I mean NU students have been double-majoring or even triple-majoring across different schools for years (thanks for quarter system making this easier). Heck, some schools don't even have separate divisions (e.g. Chicago, Dartmouth), it doesn't make them even better. I believe almost all students in just about any top-50 school take at least one or two classes outside their own school.