Please explain Penn as "social ivy"

Colleges & Universities University of Pennsylvania
1

<p>Does it mean:
a)People are friendly
b)People like to socialize in a moderate way on the weekend.
c)A minority “party” three nights a week to excess, especially at frat parties.
d)More than half the undergrads “party” (binge drink) several nights a week.</p>

2

<p>Penn gets that title ONLY relative to the other Ivies. By reputation:</p>

<ul>
<li>Harvard students are obsessed with studying and don’t really enjoy their undergrad experience (although they LOVE the prestige of the school)</li>
<li>Yale (active social scence) and Princeton are the most self conciously intellectual schools in the Ivies (to the point of pretense according to some)</li>
<li>Columbia students are too busy trying to get “into” NYC and away from campus</li>
<li>Cornell students are too busy studying, digging out of the snow or planning to leap into the gorge</li>
<li>Brown students stay “high”</li>
<li>Dartmouth…not sure what they do</li>
</ul>

<p>Penn is viewed as the study hard/party hard school. Students are viewed as having a much better balance than the other Ivies between - the life of the mind and life in general. </p>

<p>Also, the diversity of Penn’s student body academically (preprofessional at Wharton, Nursing; intellectual at the College; both at Engineering) and individually feeds into a social scence with a large number of outlets for students.</p>

<p>The administation supports this partying in official ways (all schools do), but also pushes other social/learning environments (Kelly Writers House, Tech House, Civic House, etc.). </p>

<p>Penn tries very hard to allow students to have all the options (academically with the scope of its programs) and socially. They can also leverage Philly, which is the second largest city hosting an Ivy school.</p>

<p>BTW, binge drinking and frat boy partying are NOT big at Penn. Princeton and Dartmouth are much stronger drinkers. Cornell has a stronger frat scene.</p>

3

<p>“binge drinking and frat boy partying are NOT big at Penn”</p>

<p>Not a true statement.</p>

4

<p>There is a lot of school spirit at Penn that comes from having the football field right on campus and the students supporting the sports teams. There is also locust walk right on campus where the fraternities are and as you walk through campus especially on the weekends you can see fraternity members hanging out on the porches of the houses. The fraternity parties are usually open to the entire student body. When visiting the campus there is a sense that everyone is proud of their school wearing sweatshirts and t shirts that say Penn. Most people seem happy walking around campus. There are many parties and social events at Penn. Penn attracts very bright students who enjoy a good social life at college</p>

5

<p>“- Dartmouth…not sure what they do”</p>

<p>I think they mostly get lost in the woods…</p>

6

<p>Or get drunk and die in the snow, never to be found again. At least if you get drunk at Penn, you’re not 500 miles away from the other person and someone can come and save you.</p>

7

<p>Any other thoughts? So the frat presence isn’t repressive–males encouraged to join-- at Penn? Seems a bit old-fashioned and testosterone-driven for the 21st century.</p>

8

<p>I’m looking at UPenn, but I don’t drink because I’m a Muslims, and that is how I was raised. Do other students look down on you if you don’t drink? What percentage of undergrad students do you think drink heavily at parties and such?</p>

9

<p>Social Ivies

  1. Penn/ Dartmouth/ Princeton
  2. Brown/ Yale
  3. Cornell
  4. Harvard
  5. Columbia</p>

<p>Dartmouth actualy has an incredibly active social scene. Probably the largest percentage of the student body is out at Dartmouth among the Ivies. Its on par with Penn, but more inclusive because of the smaller student body. </p>

<p>Princeton is very social as well although not everyone participates. </p>

<p>Brown also is very social, but its more house party oriented. </p>

<p>A small part of Yale is social but that part is VERY social. </p>

<p>Cornell has a social scene but its more inclusive and definitely not the whole campus. For a big school its “okay,” its no UNC however (where there’s people out every night). </p>

<p>Harvard is incredibly cliquey but does have some parties at the residential houses. </p>

<p>Columbia has a social life for an urban school but its not nearly as active as the most social ivies.</p>

10

<p>Poor Columbia…</p>

11

<p>

</p>

<p>Per the latest Penn stats in US News, only 24% of male undergrads are fraternity members, and only 17% of female undergrads are sorority members.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drlife_3378_brief.php[/url]”>http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drlife_3378_brief.php&lt;/a&gt;
[see “QuickFacts”]</p>

12

<p>At Penn, they said 30% Greek. With Philly, there is lots to do if you don’t drink. If you don’t want any drinking what so ever and wish to go to an accredited university, I think you’re stuck with BYU. Mormons are nice people.</p>

13

<p>Penn does have the option of the city, although you’d be hard pressed to not find people drinking downtown! Drinking is such a part of college culture, the only difference is how people drink. At Columbia people drink in the city often, with a small group of friends or a clique of people. At Dartmouth, on the other hard, there are usually 3 huge parties on a weekend night that everyone goes to, and lots of little “pre-parties” or house parties. You’ll you see many of your classmates on a weekend night. </p>

<p>There are plenty of people who don’t drink and just hang out. In no way is it necessary, but others are going to be doing it.</p>

14

<p>I don’t have a problem with what anyone else does who is not [family-wise] related to me. If someone wants to drink then its his or her choice, and I’m respectful of that, but if that person gets out of control at a gathering that I’m also at, then I’m out of there or at least getting as far away from that person as I can. </p>

<p>I realize that drinking is a big part of college culture, but there are great people who drink, so it doesn’t bother me, as long as I don’t do it. I’m quite accepting about these things.</p>

15

<p>when i went to previews, they said that frat parties weren’t exclusive which appeals to me since i dont really see myself joining a frat at this point. i dont mind drinking/partying at all, but the traditionally exclusive nature of frats in most universities, i feel, has to hold true to an extent at penn, that the tour guide didn’t touch upon, and that i have to say is not appealing. any comments on this, any sort of hint of exclusiveness at penn frat parties?</p>

16

<p>It depends on the individual fraternity. Some are exclusive and secretive, others are much more open.</p>