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Penn State University Park Visit Report by SpringfieldMom
Visit to Penn State University Park in February 2007 by SpringfieldMom (Parent of Student, HS Class of 2007)
(Member since January 27 2006 with 759 posts)
8 of 10 people found this visit report helpful
Visit Activities:
Information Session: Yes - Info session for Accepted Students to the Dept. of Communications
Campus Tour: Yes - Campus Tour geared towards the Dept. of Communications
Campus:
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Campus Visit Notes for Penn State University Park
Visit Description:
Attended an Accepted Students day for the Communications School in University Park on a bitter cold weekend in February.
First representatives of the Comm. School gave a presentation to the whole group of students and their parents with a Q&A session afterwards. The presentation ran rather long, so the Q&A at the end was cut short. After that, the whole group had lunch at Findlay Commons. Then the groups split up with Parents attending a Financial Aid session and the students attended a Q&A session with students from the Comm. School.
We were assigned tour groups (students and parents together) and were shown different areas of the campus that are not shown to general tour groups. First we traveled by bus to Innovation Park, site of the Broadcast Journalism facilities. Current Comm. School students showed us the different areas of the building that the future students would be learning in, including the radio and TV production studios. While these were very impressive, we were most impressed by the Comm. School students and what they said about why they chose Penn State. They gave us all the time we needed to ask questions. Next, we boarded the bus again and traveled to the main part of campus where we toured the Carnegie Building, where the main Comm. School offices and print journalism facilities are. We also saw many of the other campus buildings form the outside, but did tour the HUB. After that, we went back to the East Halls area and saw a typical dorm room, inhabited by real students, who answered our questions about residence hall living. Again, they took the time to answer all of our questions.
After the residence hall tour, our visit was over. My group then visited the nearby Creamery for delicious ice cream and hot chocolate! We also walked around campus some more and visited the bookstore in the HUB. Unfortunately, it closed at 5:00, so we didn't get to shop as much as we'd like.
One word about our tour: we had someone who was handicapped in our group. Both of the tour guides were excellent; they knew exactly where all of the elevators were in the buildings. I'd give them an A+. Same for the students in dorm room; they took the time to answer our questions honestly. However, the bus driver was surly and acted like it was an imposition to raise and lower the lift; I'd give her a D.
State College was very lively and most shops seemed to be open late on Fri. night; however we did see some that closed at 5:00 or 6:00. It seemed to have everything a college student could want; plenty of chain stores and local shops, bars and restaurants, a movie theatre and a performance venue. Most students would not need to get in a car or bus to find what they want. My daughter also commented that the town is spotless. The weather was probably atypical for February; I should warn anyone from a warm weather climate that Penn State is not for the faint of heart. If you're not used to the cold, it can wear you down. My advice is to visit in winter to see what it's like.
Hotel/Lodging Recommendations or Comments:
Nittany Lion Inn-pricey but right on campus. Excellent stay! There are many other lower priced hotels within a mile or so of campus.
Dining/Restaurant Recommendations or Comments:
Panera on Beaver Ave. or The Diner on College Ave. for breakfast; G-Man for dinner. We ate both lunches in Commons (dining halls). All were excellent.
Other Comments (Transportation, local attractions, parking, etc.):
The loop buses run regularly but are crowded at peak times. Parking is a nightmare at admissions...don't use lot 44 unless you want to walk 1/2 mile!