Dartmouth vs. UPenn

zarbockc
Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:09:31 +0000

I’m a transfer student having a hard time deciding between two great schools: Dartmouth and UPenn. Below are my top reasons for attending/ not attending each school:

UPenn:

Pros:
More technical programs which match me better (e.g. bioengineering)
Outstanding access to the culturally-rich city of Philadelphia
Great undergraduate research opportunities
Wonderful career services/ alumni groups provide many opportunities for finding a job

Cons:
Located in a poor part of Philadelphia
While there are more resources available to undergraduates in terms of research, they are often more difficult to secure as more people are vying for the same opportunities
Harder to meet with professors outside of the classroom

Dartmouth:

Pros:
Smaller school with subsequent smaller class sizes that places the emphasis on undergraduate
Pristine outdoor location - provides many outdoor recreational outlets
D-Plan allows for amazing flexibility and study abroad opportunities
Great language program

Cons:
Fewer technical majors (how good are the basic science majors as compared with other top-tier schools?)
More difficult to reach a larger city - for reasons of transportation to and from home and social outlets
Drinking is huge

I grew up in a more rural community and don’t know how big of an issue it would be to live/ study in a larger city. If there are other germane items I left out which would help anyone analyze my current situation better in order to provide advice, please let me know. Thanks for any and all help!