Five Things to Know about University of Pennsyslvania

October 17, 2012 :: Admissionado Team

Thinking of applying to UPenn? US News ranks UPenn as the #8 school in the country. Here’s a cool breakdown of some of the coolest things about UPenn:

1. Books galore. The UPenn libraries hold 6.01 million printed books, 4.21 million microform items, 564,608 e-books, 89,041 e-journals, and 28,852 videos in nineteen university libraries and five associated libraries. Those stats are sure to keep any book or research fiend infinitely happy and busy. The Fisher Fine Arts Library itself is an architectural gem designed by Frank Furness—a beautiful place to read. Grab a book (though it may take you a while to decide on just one,) find a seat, and take in the quiet as you study.
2. Serving the Community. Approximately 13,000 members of the UPenn community participate in volunteer and service programs. (All those famous Philly cheesesteak sandwiches much make everyone feel so warm and helpful.) Civic House, Fox Leadership, and the Netter Center for Community Partnerships coordinate over sixty academically-based community service courses every year, such as Community Based Mathematics in Middle Schools and Mural Arts in Philadelphia. If you’ve got a humanitarian streak in you, you’ll find an outlet at UPenn, as well as a ton of like-minded folks to volunteer with.
3. Interdisciplinary studies. UPenn is comprised of four undergraduate schools: the College, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the School of Nursing, and Wharton. But you’re not limited to just your program—at UPenn you have the option to take an interdisciplinary minor that combines coursework from multiple undergraduate schools: American Public Policy, Nutrition, Urban Education, and Actuarial Mathematics, just to name a few. Explore your passions, whatever they may be.
4. Kelly Writers House. The Kelly Writers House, located on Locust Walk on UPenn’s campus, is an actual 13-room house run by students and faculty, serving as a center for writers from UPenn and the Philadelphia community. The house hosts 150 programs and projects every semester, ranging from workshops to  art exhibits to poetry readings to musical performances. Past visitors have included icons such as Laurie Anderson, Gay Talese, and Claudia Rankine. Take a creative writing class, or hang out and discuss T.S. Eliot with other writers over coffee and baked goods.
5. Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Feel like going to a museum? Well there’s a fabulous one right in the middle of campus. The UPenn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology has three gallery floors devoted to materials from Egypt, Mesopotamia, Canaan and Israel, Mesoamerica, Asia and the ancient Mediterranean World, and the native peoples of the Americas and Africa. The museum offers the Global Archaeology Field Project for UPenn students as well as Summer Field Research Grants. So take a day to walk the galleries, or roll up your sleeves and dig for ancient spoons over the summer. Either way, the museum is a great resource for UPenn students.

UPenn is a top U.S. university located in a city brimming with American history. To find out more about Philadelphia or the programs at UPenn, check out their website. Good luck on your application!