Why does UPenn get no respect (from the public)?

[Lests55]

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1. Ivy league school
2. USNews #3 med school & #4 undergrad (so it's not like they are a one hit wonder)
Bonus: Anything associated with Ben Franklin is cool

Everyone knows Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, etc. but why not these guys? I'm as guilty as anyone. I had no idea they were Ivy until I got to looking at USNews rankings. But, what happened 100 years ago such that they started getting overlooked?

 

[Mr. Tee]

wtf? who do you talk to?

 

[ryandote]

1. Ivy league school
2. USNews #3 med school & #4 undergrad (so it's not like they are a one hit wonder)
Bonus: Anything associated with Ben Franklin is cool

Everyone knows Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, etc. but why not these guys? I'm as guilty as anyone. I had no idea they were Ivy until I got to looking at USNews rankings. But, what happened 100 years ago such that they started getting overlooked?

I'm not sure that I agree. I grew up in Sacramento, CA. I am now finishing up my undergrad in Provo, UT. I have thought that UPenn would be a great school to attend ever since I first had MD ambitions, and I think that they get a lot of love on the east coast. Just my $.02

 

[coralfangs]

lol actually i had no idea that dartmouth was an iv

 

[rouge et noir]

The reason is because UPENN has "Pennsylvania" in the name, sounds more like a state school not and Ivy. All the other Ivy's have those catchy names, you know?

 

[CptCrunch]

Some people get it confused with Penn State.

 

[Lests55]

wtf? who do you talk to?

I'm from Appalachia...I guess that explains it

 

[Lests55]

Appalachian friends: "Oh Mr. College Man, you must think you're better than everyone else"

 

[JonnyG]

Some people get it confused with Penn State.

Try alot of people. My favorite is "I didn't know Penn State had a philadelphia campus". So nto only does it get confused with penn state, it gets confused as a branch campus.

 

[Chrissy]

Try alot of people. My favorite is "I didn't know Penn State had a philadelphia campus". So nto only does it get confused with penn state, it gets confused as a branch campus.

I hope nobody gets mad but I'd like to go on a tiny rant for just one second to relieve some stress....i'm sitting here studying for a midterm I have tomm and feeling a bit overwhelmed. I'm in the Penn post-bacc program and to be as honest as I can....I feel like Penn is incredibly hard. Maybe it's just me i don't know....and I, in no way, intend to start a "does your undergrad matter" thread....but having taken classes at several different schools, Penn is infinitely more difficult....have I shot myself in the foot by coming back here to take classes?! do adcoms consider that schools really do differ in difficulty?.....ok i'm done. back to the books.

 

[nibrocli]

Some people get it confused with Penn State.

that's totally true. a friend of mine did her undergrad at penn, and people out here in cali are always thinking she went to penn state. she's so modest, she never corrects them! i'm always saying, "no she went to PENN!! big difference!!" nothing against penn state though, they have a great engineering program.

 

[riceman04]

Some people get it confused with Penn State.

yeah...alot of people do

here on campus there is even a shirt the students wear that says: "Not Penn State"

 

[science_boy]

I hope nobody gets mad but I'd like to go on a tiny rant for just one second to relieve some stress....i'm sitting here studying for a midterm I have tomm and feeling a bit overwhelmed. I'm in the Penn post-bacc program and to be as honest as I can....I feel like Penn is incredibly hard. Maybe it's just me i don't know....and I, in no way, intend to start a "does your undergrad matter" thread....but having taken classes at several different schools, Penn is infinitely more difficult....have I shot myself in the foot by coming back here to take classes?! do adcoms consider that schools really do differ in difficulty?.....ok i'm done. back to the books.

From what I've heard, there's no statistical evidence that adcoms consider something like grade inflationwhen they make their decisions.

 

[Duchess742]

I hope nobody gets mad but I'd like to go on a tiny rant for just one second to relieve some stress....i'm sitting here studying for a midterm I have tomm and feeling a bit overwhelmed. I'm in the Penn post-bacc program and to be as honest as I can....I feel like Penn is incredibly hard. Maybe it's just me i don't know....and I, in no way, intend to start a "does your undergrad matter" thread....but having taken classes at several different schools, Penn is infinitely more difficult....have I shot myself in the foot by coming back here to take classes?! do adcoms consider that schools really do differ in difficulty?.....ok i'm done. back to the books.

haha, FINALLY somebody agrees w/ me that penn is freakin hard! 😉

good luck, chrissy! and i have 3 things to say that might make you feel better:

1. the ppl i know who did penn post-bac program (or post-bac courses but not the prog) also thought it was really hard, so it's not just you.

2. penn post-bacs get some sweet hook-ups (linkage + the program is apparently looked upon very favorably).

3. summer courses are the worst for post-bacs b/c they have all those pesky, competitive undergrads 😉...just wait until the fall when undergrads aren't allowed to take post-bac pre-med courses, and it'll be much better.

 

[xanthomondo]

Penn is so outrageously overrated its not even funny. The students are a tad lofty, even to other Penn students - its kind of irritating... its all a perception thing.

Sometimes I think some of the people at Penn try to avoid putting their pants on one leg at a time.

 

[Chrissy]

Penn is so outrageously overrated its not even funny. The students are a tad lofty, even to other Penn students - its kind of irritating... its all a perception thing.

Sometimes I think some of the people at Penn try to avoid putting their pants on one leg at a time.

so being academically humbled somehow translates into arrogance?

what about Penn went you went there led you to believe what you said?

 

[xanthomondo]

so being academically humbled somehow translates into arrogance?

what about Penn went you went there led you to believe what you said?

Just talking to some of the students there... the way they walk, talk

Many won't even hold the door open for you if you're a single step behind them. Other students make it known that they came from Harvard or some other big-named school.

My favorite of course are the T-shirts... "NOT PENN STATE... UPENN"...give me a break

 

[Hard24Get]

Penn is so outrageously overrated its not even funny. The students are a tad lofty, even to other Penn students - its kind of irritating... its all a perception thing.

Sometimes I think some of the people at Penn try to avoid putting their pants on one leg at a time.

Hopefully you're referring to Penn undergrad, as I have found Penn Med to be VERY down to earth.

People definitely confuse UPenn with Penn state. Sorta sucks because some people back in California think I'm here because I couldn't get into a UC! Even when I applied, though, I thought it was a quaint little state school.. imagine my surprise when I arrived for my interview 😱 What we need is a generous donor to name the school after....

 

[durfen]

Pretty much everyone from the east-coast is that way (j/k). Come to the west! Where the girls are plenty and the camaraderie and marinated tofu abound!

 

[Duchess742]

Just talking to some of the students there... the way they walk, talk

Many won't even hold the door open for you if you're a single step behind them. Other students make it known that they came from Harvard or some other big-named school.

My favorite of course are the T-shirts... "NOT PENN STATE... UPENN"...give me a break

🙄 gotta love people who stereotype based on meeting a few students who aren't at all representative of the general penn population. i've had several more doors held open for me here than in the south (which is supposed to be a good place for that).

the t-shirt's awesome! don't be a hater. i'm sure penn state students don't like it when their school gets confused for penn.

in the future though, just to please you personally, i'll try to walk and talk a tad less "penn."

p.s. your mom's outrageously overrated

 

[DrBowtie]

Just say Wharton and anyone who is in the loop knows that Penn is top notch.

 

[riceman04]

From what I've heard, there's no statistical evidence that adcoms consider something like grade inflationwhen they make their decisions.

actually I have heard differently directly from an adcomm's mouth. If you want the university I will say that she was on the committee (for last cycle) at Temple

 

[riceman04]

🙄 gotta love people who stereotype based on meeting a few students who aren't at all representative of the general penn population. i've had several more doors held open for me here than in the south (which is supposed to be a good place for that).

the t-shirt's awesome! don't be a hater. i'm sure penn state students don't like it when their school gets confused for penn.

in the future though, just to please you personally, i'll try to walk and talk a tad less "penn."

p.s. your mom's outrageously overrated

Actually since I am now at Penn (first time in Philly) and since I completed my undergrad down south, I feel like I can honestly say that people are mean or just too damn serious up here.

And the students, for the most part, are far from down to earth...half of them walk around with pink preppy a$$ polo shirts with the collar popped up and plaid pants with loafers...all they need is the sweater and either a polo stick, golf clubs, or a tennis raquet and they could look like they are going to a country club somewhere. I thought the kids at my undergrad were uppitty!...damn I was wrong...I will say that the students seem nice...just a little out of touch though...half of them think that people are there to pick up after them and cater to their every need.

But its all good.

In H-town...people were fairly nicer (not sure if they were hiding their true southern racist feelings or not...but anyway...and people said mam and sir...and held the door open.

 

[Hypothalamus]

1. Ivy league school
2. USNews #3 med school & #4 undergrad (so it's not like they are a one hit wonder)
Bonus: Anything associated with Ben Franklin is cool

Everyone knows Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, etc. but why not these guys? I'm as guilty as anyone. I had no idea they were Ivy until I got to looking at USNews rankings. But, what happened 100 years ago such that they started getting overlooked?

"University of Pennsylvania" is certainly the least glamorous name within the Ivy League. Penn is extremely well-regarded in the east (I am not familiar with its reputation in the west).

 

[riceman04]

"University of Pennsylvania" is certainly the least glamorous name within the Ivy League. Penn is extremely well-regarded in the east (I am not familiar with its reputation in the west).

It is highly regarded in the west as well

 

[shnjb]

Maybe it's just me, but the people I've talked to who were either U Penn grads or going to U Penn thought they were all that even though they weren't that smart.

But then I haven't met that many U Penn people so I guess it's too small a sample to draw conclusions.

 

[wwspeeds]

i went to penn undergrad

it's a gigantuous school. it's hard to sterotype a school that has so many thousands of undergrads. I don't know anything about the med students. the fraternity scene is heavy there, though, which is what people may be focusing on. Penn definitely did have an inferiority complex though (which was not so subtlely displayed by those t-shirts)

ww 😴

 

[wwspeeds]

... and by my experience, most people here in the midwest (chicago anyway) don't know penn. People I talk to inevitably ask, "wait, Penn state?" I really should stop correcting them, as I don't think it's helping my cause... 😀

 

[modelslashactor]

the only "prestigious" schools you hear about all over the country are harvard, yale, princeton, mit, and stanford. the same thing happens with the university of chicago, everybody can't tell the difference between it and uic. for whatever reason these schools have recognizable names, probably related to all those that have already been listed. at any rate, the people who will actually be hiring you in medicine, business, law, etc will all have heard of penn, and in the end that's all that will matter.

 

[infiniti]

The "Pennsylvania" in the school name definitely causes some confusion. It is one of the reasons they are trying to get the moniker "Penn" out there a little more.

For those complaining about attitude amongst Penn (emphasis on undergrad here) students, I am guessing you are not very familiar with Ivy league schools. The attitude some of you complain about is similar to what you will find at Harvard, Yale and the other Ivy's.


That being said, graduate students seemed more matured, laid back and friendly. I think the lucky few who get invited for an interview will fall heads over heels for penn. I surely did (those words aren't easy coming from a californian with multiple acceptance to Cali med schools).

 

[Duchess742]

Maybe it's just me, but the people I've talked to who were either U Penn grads or going to U Penn thought they were all that even though they weren't that smart.

my eyes are filling up with so many tears that i can hardly see the screen 🙄

seriously people, penn is a wonderful place! come visit and find out 😀

...on second thought...maybe all these negative stereotypes will lower penn med applicant #s and improve my chances 😉

 

[JustBreathe]

You can't really trust public perception. Half of my friends and family still think that I'm going to medical school in Washington State.

 

[Duchess742]

You can't really trust public perception. Half of my friends and family still think that I'm going to medical school in Washington State.

hahaha! conversation yesterday with my mom...

whitney(me): "i'm filling out my app for washington university."
mom: "you can't go to the west coast!!! that's too far away!"
w: "simmah down, woman! it's not that washington..."
m: "oh no, you can't live THERE!! too much of a terrorist target!"
w: "hush yo face, foo! it's washington university in ST. LOUIS"
m: "oh! they have a great 5-star italian restaurant, and daddy loves the cardinals!"

gotta love the southern mom 🙄

 

[riceman04]

a window into the world at Penn!
talk of 5 star eatery during casual talk.... 😛 😛

Once Domus is completed I am sure all those kids who claim to be struggling over there in west philly will be on the waitlist to move in to that place...so they can pay that $2000/month rent

 

[Duchess742]

a window into the world at Penn!
talk of 5 star eatery during casual talk.... 😛 😛

Once Domus is completed I am sure all those kids who claim to be struggling over there in west philly will be on the waitlist to move in to that place...so they can pay that $2000/month rent

well i'm sure they only ate there b/c mcdonald's was already full and no longer taking reservations 😉 besides, i'm perfectly happy with olive garden (which i think should also be considered 5-star).

is that that place being built around 34th and chestnut? heaven forbid penn students get too close to drexel 😱
haha!

 

[MSTP?]

Everyone knows Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, etc. but why not these guys? I'm as guilty as anyone. I had no idea they were Ivy until I got to looking at USNews rankings. But, what happened 100 years ago such that they started getting overlooked?

Simply - U Penn's name makes it sound like it's a state school. Wash U, as other people have mentioned, also suffers a similar identity crisis. BUT - what makes both of these schools awesome, is that their school administration does their best to woo prospective students and then listens to students once they get there. They try to over-compensate for the potential name confusion and have really created outstanding programs (undergrad and med school). Trust me - that's a totally different feel than a school secure in its worldwide prestidge (ie big H) where they don't have to try nearly as hard (and some cases, it feels like not at all) and they are confident that they'll get top students. Anecdotal evidence from people I know who interviewed at U Penn and some other top schools said it was amazing how much effort U Penn put into their day--this effort, for a few, made it their absolute top choice.

 

[Duchess742]

Simply - U Penn's name makes it sound like it's a state school. Wash U, as other people have mentioned, also suffers a similar identity crisis. BUT - what makes both of these schools awesome, is that their school administration does their best to woo prospective students and then listens to students once they get there. They try to over-compensate for the potential name confusion and have really created outstanding programs (undergrad and med school). Trust me - that's a totally different feel than a school secure in its worldwide prestidge (ie big H) where they don't have to try nearly as hard (and some cases, it feels like not at all) and they are confident that they'll get top students. Anecdotal evidence from people I know who interviewed at U Penn and some other top schools said it was amazing how much effort U Penn put into their day--this effort, for a few, made it their absolute top choice.

...so much for my hope that this thread would lower the # of applicants to penn med. thanks a lot, mstp?

 

[MossPoh]

Side note....isn't darmouth the only "college"...I heard with animal house that is what the "college" shirt actually stands for. Also everyone confuses it with Penn State simply because of our enormous frickin alumni association. The odds are you will run into 50 Penn State grads that are gung ho about it before running into 1 timid Upenn person. I remember on TechTv back in the day Martin Sargent or however you spell his name was saying he was educated "in the ghetto on the streets" and on and on and on...then the girl goes "Martin..You went to Cornell.....that is an ivy league" He just screams back "Yea the GHETTO of the ivy league!"

 

[xanthomondo]

well i'm sure they only ate there b/c mcdonald's was already full and no longer taking reservations 😉 besides, i'm perfectly happy with olive garden (which i think should also be considered 5-star).

is that that place being built around 34th and chestnut? heaven forbid penn students get too close to drexel 😱
haha!

Ever eat at Carrabbas? Its like the same price as Olive Garden and mucchh better

 

[xanthomondo]

Also the medical school buildings at Upenn don't have their own wireless internet signal, are other med schools like this also?

 

[rup47]

well i'm sure they only ate there b/c mcdonald's was already full and no longer taking reservations 😉 besides, i'm perfectly happy with olive garden (which i think should also be considered 5-star).

is that that place being built around 34th and chestnut? heaven forbid penn students get too close to drexel 😱
haha!

I knew it, all those Penn students really were scared of being anywhere near us Drexel students 🙂

 

[MossPoh]

Ever eat at Carrabbas? Its like the same price as Olive Garden and mucchh better

Best part of carrabbas is the bread probably... but both places are delightfully stereotypical italian places that cater to the ever so tasty fake italian. Whenever I've been in italy I don't think I've ever eaten enter plates of pasta and what not..but whatever.