University of Pennsylvania Reviews

"The graduate business program at UPenn is exceptional. The students are incredibly impressive and enhance your learning within and outside of the classroom. The rigor of the coursework is hindered somewhat during recruiting, however, the network and recruiting pipeline are not something you should take for granted. It is a worthwhile trade of to take advantage of the pipeline, and then dive back into academics."

"The Unviersity of Pennsylania is an amazing institution situated in an urban campus. While it is in a urban area, the campus is all on one spot so it still has the feel of a non-urban school. Students have access to all that Philadelphia, the tri-state area (PA/NJ/DE) and the mid-atlantic region (NY to VA) have to offer. There is a large, robust graduate student community on campus comprised of both full time and part time students, so it is easy to find a peer group. The university at large has aa great number of activities/clubs/etc available as well. The faculty are also extremely knowledgeable and supportive."

"Penn was a great experience. Coursework can be tough but in the grad program classes were small and so you could have great interactions with the professors."

"The University of Pennsylvania created a very comfortable, friendly environment for its students. The school encouraged and facilitated communication among different departments and schools, and this greatly enhanced my personal and professional experience. It was rigorous and rewarding and I'm thankful to have attended."

"I wasted a ton of money for the prestige of attending an ivy league university. I was 24 when I got my MSW. I worked full time, so I had to do the 3 year part time program, and was limited in what internships I could get. When I graduated I was underqualified in experience and overqualified in education. I never got a job "using" my MSW. When I was going through school I used credit cards to live cause I didn't make enough to pay my bills, thinking the ivy leave MSW would land me a job to pay it off. I fell into a cycle of debt, and had to go bankrupt to get my life back together. I still have the student loan debt though, it's about $120000. I work full time at a non profit (not using my masters) and I do stand up comedy on the side. I still do weird side gigs to make money as a safety net since I went bankrupt. So unless you have rich parents, don't go to upenn, unless you like being trapped in a pit of your own financial prison with only jokes and cheap wine to pull you out of it from time to time. "

"The University of Pennsylvania is a great place to learn, live and meet others. There are endless opportunities to develop as an individual and grow within the Penn community. The school challenges you to think outside of the box and push yourself to achieve a high level of resolution."

"Studying public health at the University of Pennsylvania was a terrific experience. The University of Pennsylvania's founder, Benjamin Franklin, also founded the nation's first hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital. This meant that as an undergrad at UPenn, I had access to historical medical documents dating back to the 1700s. I believe that being in such a historically rich environment added context to my classes of public health, in a really unique way."

"I feel that the largest driving forces for deciding to pursue a master of architecture degree in this university is its prominent interdisciplinary programs; in a discipline undergoing immense changes as time progresses, institutions ought to be grounds at which different professions merge to evolve along with the rapid development the world is going through. More and more students are pursuing additional degrees and certifications alongside their main masters programs to strengthen their skill set and ultimately make a bigger impact in the professional community; I have colleagues pursuing various breadths of professions, mostly related to constructed space, which consequently pushes me to better my own palette. Being able to jump between the boundaries in majors, being versed in more than just one professional concentration is something more readily achieved in an institution with a workable interdisciplinary system such as Penn."

"I enjoyed my time at Penn. I loved the combination of academic quality and an urban but organized campus and community."

"I would like to start off by saying I am a recent graduate of this school and am very proud to be an alumni member . They overhauled everything from how the building would be cleaned to the curriculum. They prepared me for state board testing and how to conduct myself in a professional manner as a Nurse. As to date everyone of my classmates who graduated have all passed their state board testing and are all employed. Great place to learn and to be apart of , I wish them nothing but the best !!!"

"I found my college to be big enough to offer a lot of resources but with plenty of opportunity to feel like you are part of a community and supported"

"For the number 1 rated university for nursing (by US news world report), I was highly disappointed. Most days were filled with frustration at the incompetence of lecturers, disorganization within the program and un-relentless busy work that did little for my actual education. I want to know how US news world report finds their criteria.... Go to community or state college! Don't waste your time and money."

"UPenn's Teacher Education Program is a one-year Grad program to get your Master's Degree in Education. It is a rigorous year but completely rewarding. Before the program, I had zero classroom teaching experience. Just a week shy of graduation and I now feel completely prepared for running my own classroom."

"Studying at Penn Graduate School of Education was overall a great experience. I was in the Teacher Education Program, which gets a little less attention and support than the rest of the programs in GSE. The focus of TEP is urban education, and our classes and full-year teaching placements do as much as any school possibly could to prepare you for the realities of the profession. It's a small cohort with pretty great people, so my experience was definitely a positive one."

"Fantastic alumni network. The social and networking experience is the primary draw. Quality of class depends wholly on individual instructors and has generally been under whelming. The school attracts top tier employers, although career services for my particular industry has not been particularly helpful."

"I love Wharton. It's a very inclusive community in which people of all backgrounds support each other's academic and professional endeavors. There is also non-grade disclosure so that students can learn alongside each other without competing. The main cons are the enormous price tag and the large classrooms."

"I believe that an education in dental medicine from the University of Pennsylvania is an invaluable experience; the students and faculty are all extraordinarily diverse and friendly, pushing me to study and perform at my peak each and every day. Additionally, it is located right in Philadelphia, a very young and food-friendly city. However, it is one of the more expensive dental programs in the country, making it the only drawback of the program."

"My experience with the MSW program at UPenn has been very positive. I appreciate that first year students are able to gain ample experience in their field placement. Additionally, students have the academic support needed to reinforce what they are learned in the field with what they are learning in the classroom. I also value the flexible that students have to pursuing variety in their graduate education."

"The strength of UPenn is it's extensive network, both in the city of Philadelphia and perhaps even more so in New York City. The professors are at the forefront of their field and are excited about educating the next generation of thinkers. The school as an overall system however, could use some streamlining and modernization. Outside the academics the way the school is run can feel a little disorganized and outdated at times."

"Pros: Overall, the Masters BE program at Penn is great, and I would highly recommend it. Faculty are supportive and willing to help. Research opportunities are expansive. Program is malleable to one's interests. Career services is excellent and will go the extra mile to aid you in preparing and finding employment. The graduate student organizations often have happy hours, parties, and other events, providing an accessible social scene (including inter-college mixing). Students are generally fun and sociable outside of academic demands. Never felt unsafe on campus, there are safety patrollers throughout nearly 24/7. Plenty of valuable networking opportunities. Large diversity in student body, a number of international students and students from all over the country with differing backgrounds. Cons: Cost of living can be high. Some students can be competitive, although I would say the majority are collaborative. No financial aid for Masters students, but it is possible to find a paying research position. Workload can be demanding, but that is expected in a graduate program."