I'm so serious. I had a class in there this morning, and there was nothing, not even in the female bathroom. When I asked the front desk, they said they "don't provide those." I swear, if it wasn't for me being prepared, it would have been incredibly stressful. They need to really match what the other buildings are doing with providing those things for people in a pinch, because it matters SO much. I'm sure they have the funding for it---after all, they're doing major renovations.

Want to experience an ivy dining hall. Can I eat at any of the dining halls as a non-student?

Hi everyone! I am a freshman and I was pretty excited to come to Penn and make new friends. I would consider myself decently extroverted and able to talk to most people. But I still have absolutely zero friends so far. I feel like I’ve tried everything: going to NSO events, asking people to do things, going to club events, basically anything I could think of. No matter what I do though, nothing works. People either just stare and ignore me or are just flat out rude. I don’t get to say anything beyond very basic conversation. Ever since I got back from fall break though, I get tons of anxiety before leaving my room and talk to people. Now I feel like everyone is judging me before I even talk. I have been trying to move past it but it kind of is difficult when you begin shaking before leaving your dorm. So far I have been able to push it down to go to classes and clubs but it’s been really hard.

I am just scared that it will be this way for my whole Penn career so if anyone has any advice it would be appreciated!

Hi everyone,

I’ve been considering ED to Penn CAS, but I’ve been really concerned about the pre-professional culture, cutthroat/hyper-competitive environment, and the cold, harsh winters.

Do you guys feel like this plays a big part of your everyday life on campus? How is the social life?

I want a collaborative environment. Genuine, nice people. Good food. Warm, sunny days. Is that there in Philly? For context, I’m from the south.

Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks!

Can you recommend any buildings with a one-bedroom for a grad student in the following area? Ideally, it should be between the 34th and 15th streets, east to west, and between the Arch and Washington streets, north to south. Outside recommendations are also appreciated!

Hi all! What are some accessible emotional support resources on campus if I am having a difficult time at this time of the semester? I’ve done three midterms and they have been the lowest marks I’ve gotten in my academic life thus far, so definitely somewhat discouraging.
Any advice is appreciated!

I'm traveling to Philly to visit Penn this week but I'll be arriving to campus on Friday around 7am. I'm attending an information session and campus tour scheduled to start at 9:30, so I'm just wondering what I should do for those couple of hours. Any recommendations for cafes/parks/libraries/other places to explore in the area would be great. I like places with chill, artsy vibes, if that helps at all (I'm not expecting much to be open at that hour, so obviously don't worry about this if it's not achievable). Thanks 🙏

Hey everyone! I’m applying to Penn ED soon, most likely to SEAS, and if I get in (please), I’m trying to figure out what path to take.

A little about me: I’m super curious and love learning new things, but I’m not really a hardcore technical studier. Penn has been my dream school since I was a kid. I’m into AI, startups, business, space, and all that cool tech stuff, and I’d love to become a tech entrepreneur someday, plus do misc. internships and try a bunch of things out.

On the skills side, I’ve built a couple of moderately SaaS businesses and won MANY competitions around a variety of my tech projects, but I wouldn’t call myself technical. I have a good sense of tech and AI and definitely have a builder's mindset, but I’m not really a coder (I’m more of an avid Claude user). I do learn fast, though. I know APs aren’t exactly rigorous these days, but I got 5s on the physics and math ones. I’d say I’m a decent student who can survive at Penn, but definitely not a prodigy by any means.

The reason I’m sharing all this is that I don't want to do a crazy hard BSE at SEAS. I want time for clubs, college life, electives, building my own stuff, and interning, and I worry a super rigorous engineering major would eat up all of that.

What I’m looking for is a degree that’s respected for jobs, looks good on a resume, and lets me explore paths while staying grounded in technical rigor. My plan at SEAS is a BAS in computer science with a mix of Wharton and other electives. That way I can figure out what I like, keep the workload flexible, and take advantage of Wharton.

My biggest fear is that CS is kind of dying (correct me if I'm wrong; I do not know the comp sci scene at Penn).

If you have advice on what to look out for at Penn or a path you’d recommend based on my background, I’d love to hear it.

Thanks for taking the time to read!

Hey everyone!

I'm a first-year international grad student at Penn GSE, originally from China.

I've been feeling a bit socially disconnected since coming to Philly, and I'd really love to meet some new people and make genuine friendships!

English isn't my first language, so sometimes I struggle to express myself as naturally as I'd like. I'd love to meet people who are patient and don't mind that, or fellow non-native English speakers who can relate!

I like basketball, football, calligraphy，Cooking.And also I like linguistics, language, sociology, art, and any other topic around this.

I'm always down to grab coffee, explore Philly, get food, or just hang out and chat about random stuff.

Feel free to DM me if you're interested! :)

I really want to find some people to play commander with, but I’ve been really struggling to find anyone. Even going to the tabletop club I can’t find even 4. Please hmu if you want to/can play!

hey! does anyone happen to know if there’s a hyrox team/club at Penn?

Hi! I'm subletting my private Radian room (4BR/2BR) w/ female Penn roommates from January-May. Also May-Aug if you're interested.

It's the closest off-campus Penn housing (3925 Walnut St) and I'm offering it for $1,250 /month (originally $1,400. Utilities + WiFi + furniture and decor included)

Details:

- In-unit washer and dryer
- Kitchen and shared living room
- Gym and study rooms
- On campus
- Etc

Please PM me if you're interested! I'm studying abroad and need a subletter before I go :) More pictures at https://theradian.com/photo-tour/

Hi! I’m currently applying to Penn from the uk, and I’ve been worried about the situation with ICE in the US.

Whenever I talk to people about studying in the US or look online, I of course come across a lot of discussion about ICE/immigration enforcement. As a Filipino British person, I’m wondering how much of this is something I should genuinely be concerned about if I were to attend Penn.

For current international students at Penn, has this affected your day to day life at all? Do you generally feel safe/comfortable as an international student in the area and on campus?

I know this makes me sound a little paranoid but it’s a genuine concern for me :(

Any plans for UPenn vs Yale ?

I got a job offer for a research position at HUP! The salary isn’t determined by the PI or manager. Rather, HR writes an offer letter that includes a salary they determine.

I got the offer letter today and I’m hoping to negotiate 2-4k more… anyone have success with this? Tips on how to go about it? Or is their determination pretty much set in stone?

Hi everyone! I’ll be coming to Penn as a visiting PhD student for the Spring 2027 semester, starting around January and staying for roughly one semester.

Ideally, I would prefer to live on campus, but I’m having some trouble understanding whether visiting PhD students are actually eligible to apply for Penn residential housing.

I understand that first- and second-year undergrads have priority, followed by upperclassmen and other eligible students. Does anyone know whether a visiting PhD student can apply at all, even with low priority or through a waitlist if rooms become available for the spring semester?

If so, I’d be very grateful if someone could explain:

• when I should apply for Spring 2027;
• how the process works for visiting graduate students;
• when Penn normally knows which rooms are still available for the spring.

If on-campus housing isn’t an option for someone with my status, my alternative would be to find a furnished sublet close to campus from January to May/June.

When is usually the best time to start seriously looking for Spring sublets? Is November / early December the main period when students going abroad start posting their rooms? And where would you recommend looking?

One complication is that I’m coming from abroad and still need to go through the visa process, so I’d rather not commit to a lease/sublet too early before I’m reasonably sure about my arrival date. I also won’t be able to visit apartments in person beforehand.

Any advice from visiting students, international PhDs, or people who have sublet a room for the spring semester would be really appreciated. Thanks!

We are recruiting participants for a study on visual perception. The study pays $30/hour (+$50 for referring a friend who also completes the study) and takes place on Penn's campus. Experimental sessions last 2-2.5 hours in total and can be arranged around your work schedule.

Participants must be 18-40 years old, have normal color vision (glasses / contacts OK), and no eye disease or recent concussion. We especially need control participants aged 30-40 who do not typically experience headaches or migraines.

During the experiment, you will wear glasses that record video while performing a set of simple, everyday activities (e.g. reading on a computer, sitting on a bench, walking outside). Eligibility is determined by completing an online survey which takes about 10-15 minutes, and we will contact you a few days later if you are eligible. Please complete the survey (including your email address) if you are interested, and share this with anyone else you know who might participate!

Survey link: https://upenn.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4PCM0t2sWN1P5Y2 

Questions? Contact us at: [gkaguirrelab@sas.upenn.edu](mailto:gkaguirrelab@sas.upenn.edu)

hi! I'm looking to connect with the exchange students here a penn - I'm in one of the grad schools rn (but I'm an undergraduate) so I lowkey feel q disconnected from the undergrad community. jw if there might be a group chat for exchange students here!

Does anyone have any consolation about the midterm for this class? Everything is so hard. Any resources/exams, ANYTHING. I'm so scared and terrified.

is it even possible to come back from a 29/60 midterm #1 😭 honestly aiming for an A-