<p>my brother is on the distance team at penn and could not be happier. the coach is an amazing coach and person who has coached many national-caliber runners. his teammates are his best friends and he enjoys the challenging academics and sports scene. while there is not as much competition in the ivy league as would be at uva, michigan, or ucla, there is still enough that you would not walk in as a freshman and be bored for 4 years with no one to challenge you. as for your concern about everyone studying all the time, it’s not true. yes, they take academics seriously, i am not suggesting that penn students are slackers. but upenn is known as the “social ivy.” they are known for partying more than other ivies and i mean, all of the schools listed take academics pretty seriously. that shouldn’t be a deciding factor - there is plenty to do on upenn’s campus in terms of parties and off the campus, because well, you’re in philly! and one reason to go to penn is franklin field. now i know that is not a reason to choose a school, but pertaining to your concern about the lesser competition at penn, the penn relays are held at penn! so obviously there will be some very competitive meets. </p>
<p>and, on a side note, my brother met el guerrouj yesterday at franklin field while on a casual morning run. pretty sick if you ask me.</p>