Hi...
I am unaware of whether most Penn State students live in the on-campus housing, although certainly a large number do. The advantages and disadvantages are those of most any other program:
Advantages
-live close
-near other students; good for studying, fellowship, etc.
-if living alone, may be cheaper than own apartment
Disadvantages
-living close; will you ever leave the campus grounds?
-near other students; will they keep quiet when you want to study (there are also non-med students there)
-may not be cheaper, especially if sharing a 2 bedroom apartment with someone
There isn't a lot to choose from in Hershey proper if you want a more upscale apartment complex. There is the new Hershey Heights which is literally 3 minutes down the road; most of the other complexes in town are older without as many amenities. If you choose to live in Hershey, they have the highest occupancy tax of any of the surrounding cities (about $550/year I believe).
I chose a place in Harrisburg, about a 12 minute drive from campus - which might seem like a disadvantage but it has so many other things I like that I found it better for me. I'll probably regret it when I rotate at the VA.
If you are new to the area and don't know anyone, living on campus might be a good way to get started - you can familiarize yourself with the town and surrounding areas, meet your classmates and make friends, and then later decide to get an apartment off campus. Then again, you may love it on campus and decide to stay.
I know this isn't much help - I haven't seen any Penn St med students who live on campus post here - but we can hope can't we? 😉
