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University of Pennsyvlania Profile

Philadelphia, Pennsyvlania

The Basics

Founded in 1740, the University of Pennsylvania is a large Ivy League institution located in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. The school is actually situated geographically within the University City section of Philadelphia, which starts at the 30th Street train station on the eastern edge, and proceeds west to 43rd Street. U-Penn is unique because it has a large urban campus within a major northeastern city. The university itself owns a large amount of real estate within the area with approximately 269 acres, which starts at Powelton Avenue to the northern border, and Civic Center Boulevard to the south. The university cityscape also extends to 41st Street to the west, and 32nd Street to the east. The campus has approximately 151 buildings including lecture, residential, research, and dining facilities. The internal campus setting provides students and employees with several types of student services including health, physical fitness, library, and cultural meeting places.

The overall physical layout of the campus is unique for a city college because the campus observes a maze of pedestrian sidewalks with several large grassy meeting places within these sidewalk areas. The school is situated within an urban environment, but the campus feels like a park with numerous benches for students, employees, and visitors to enjoy. The pedestrian flow of traffic within the facility was centered on Locust Walk during my daytime visit. Students use this main sidewalk to travel through the campus from east to west. Locust Walk is unique because students can walk to academic, or residence halls without actually setting foot on city property.

Students use the sidewalk on a regular basis because both sides of the campus have student life meeting areas. I also observed heavy foot traffic in, and around 38th Street, and the Locust Walk footbridge (Generational Walk). This bridge allows students to walk over 38th Street to the residence halls within Hamilton Village. These open spaces allow students the ability to interact with each other in a non-educational manner due to the high number of observed meeting places on campus. University students, faculty, and employees not only enjoy a community, within a community lifestyle on U-Penn’s campus; they enjoy University City in regard to on, and off campus activities and resources.

The published demographic information for the university describes a culturally diverse student population with students from all across the world. U-Penn has developed a large campus facility to offer students a comprehensive educational format in Liberal Arts and Science, Business Administration, and Engineering to enhance it’s commitment to different types of career endeavors. U-Penn has also developed independent affiliates with several local universities including Swarthmore, Bryn Mawr, and Haverford Colleges of Liberal Arts, which are located in the Philadelphia area. Below is a description of demographics for the University of Pennsylvania.

Admissions information

The school is home to approximately 4,735 male, and 4,810 female undergraduate students. The University also has 170 male, 126 female part time, and 4,461 male, and 4,512 female graduate students enrolled. The average age of a freshman is 18 years old. 82% of students are from out of state, mostly the Middle Atlantic. Students on campus provide a diverse multi-cultural makeup including students from all 50 states, 109 foreign countries, and Canada. 49% of students are White, 16.2% Asian Americans, 5.1% are Hispanic, and 6.8% are Black.

Published Academic Standards for Admission Programs

The University of Pennsylvania has a large educational system that offer a comprehsive programs in Liberal Arts & Science, Business Administration, and Engineering. Below is a specific list of under graduate admission requirements.

Freshman Class: 22,645 applied, 3,628 accepted, 2,397 enrolled. SAT Verbal 700, SAT Math 720. ACT 31 Application Deadline: January 1.

Student Housing

The purpose of student housing is to provide safe and reasonable accommodations for students living away from home. The issue of housing and dormitory life is a critical element of overall campus life because students spend a large amount of time in their rooms. Student housing units historically come in 3 different styles including traditional corridor, suite, and apartment style units.

U-Penn doesn’t guarantee housing for all undergraduate students who has filed their intent to reside on campus by the stated deadline but the university does provide housing for 63% of it’s students through a lottery system. New students should be aware of the first come, first served housing application format. The school has started developing housing resources for upper classman through it’s capital improvement initiatives within Hamilton Village The University apartments are new, and beautiful, but only upper classmen can rent them. Students who belong to Fraternities and Sororities have Houses on Spruce Street between 39th & 40th Streets.

Off Campus Housing: The University of Pennsylvania has been described as a large Ivy university within a student friendly mixed commercial/ residential community. The reason I have mentioned the overall community is to re-assert the point that U-Penn’s network of facilities has encapsulated it’s real estate holdings within the area. The campus footprint allows almost every student to have housing within walking distance to the campus. University City residents who require a roommate during the year can usually find one quickly through school web sites. Information about available resources at U-Penn can be found on the quick links page.

Campus Life

The University of Pennsylvania is a multi-cultural campus environment that provides students with an outstanding social, and educational atmosphere. The admissions demographics paint a picture of a very diverse community with students from all over the world. The local community of University City only adds to the universities international status because the community has multi-cultural roots as well. U-Penn also addresses the issue of ecology in a positive way. The physical environment is clean and well maintained and the economic conditions are favorable to students and local residents due to the available services in walking distance to the school. The emotional climate of the entire community is positive because students are involved with local community groups

This issue of school culture is also a very important part of campus life because everyone wants to have a connection and emotional fit to their new school and community. U-Penn has done a great job developing positive social systems with it’s students by providing a series of coordinated programs including workshops and seminars for freshman students. This type of process provides a foundation for learning and personal growth providing over 450 academic clubs, student organizations, and over 22 intramural sports activities. The university also has a large Greek system with 21% of male students belonging to 32 national fraternities, and 17% of women belonging to 14 national sororities.

Campus life at U-Penn is more than academic excellence; it’s about school sports, fraternities, performing arts, history, cultural events, restaurants, and local museums. For example, the City of Philadelphia has hundreds of venues to enjoy the previously stated activities. The university also has several global education centers in the area for students to learn, and gather information about studying abroad. Sports activities on the U-Penn campus are centered around several facilities including Franklin Field, the Palestra Gym, and the new Weiss Pavilion which are located at Spruce & 32nd Streets, which is a short walking distance from Locust Walk. U-Penn participates in 33 NCAA Division I Varsity Sports for Women and Men.

Public Transportation

Campus transportation resources for U-Penn students are available through the City of Philadelphia’s transit system called SEPTA. This service is crucial to students who don’t have cars because it provides transportation to the entire University City community through the LUCY system that loops the community by bus. This vital bus service provides reliable transportation to students who don’t, or can’t have vehicles on campus. The university also has a very large number of out of state students who don’t know the streets and highways very well. Knowing the area is key because students who come from local states may know the area better and may be able to walk or drive to local destinations. Foreign, and out of state students might opt to take a bus or train to their destination because they don’t want to risk getting lost on local roads.

Community Profile

University City has been described as an intellectual enclave within the City of Philadelphia Pennsylvania due to it’s academic landscape. Philadelphia has been described as one big campus because the city has several schools located within the University City area including Drexel, U Penn, and the University of Arts & Sciences. These schools, along with several other universities are located within commuter distance to the city itself. The University City area has also been described as a young professional residential community within the city of Philadelphia due to its relationship with local universities, and affordable housing. The area is favorable to students and local residents because it offers several pedestrian walkways, which links local residents to a large number of restaurants and local shops along Market, Chestnut, and Walnut Streets within University City. The area also has excellent public transportation resources including SEPTA rail, bus, and trolley service, not to mention the massive 30th Street Station for Amtrak Northeast Corridor service.

The community has a small city feel to it when you are walking to neighborhood eateries on 40th, and 36th Streets because they are in the heart of the U-Penn campus. Residents and students also enjoy several social destinations when walking on Chestnut toward the Drexel campus because the area feels like one big campus. The only way you know you’re within a different campus is the signs. Drexel and U Penn have no metal fencing so you can walk wherever you want to get something to eat or to enjoy a student activity. Chestnut, Walnut, and Spruce Streets from 33rd Street to 40th Street, are main streets for students from both campuses. These areas offer bookstores, coffee shops, bars, and restaurants within walking distance to U-Penn’s campus. The walk from the center of campus to these above-mentioned meeting places is approximately 15 minutes.

The city itself is located within the northeastern area of the state, which makes it convenient to several suburban communities and highway networks. SEPTA provides local rail, bus, and trolley service in the Market Street area including LUCY, which provides loop bus service within the University City area. These transportation resources all link to the 30th Street Station that is a main transit hub to several different commuter trains within the northeast corridor. The 30th Street Station also links to Amtrak, New Jersey Transit, and the Philadelphia International Airport via the R-1 line. University City also has several main roadways that connect the community to major state highways including Route 76, and 676 that links to the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and Interstate 95.

The following demographics for Philadelphia Pennsylvania describe a multi-cultural community within a total population of 1,448,394 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Drexel University has a strong relationship with this diverse community. An example of this commitment can be observed through the university’s community services handbook that describes educational programs, health care programs and services, legal programs and services to local residents who may require community help.

A Census Bureau community survey highlights several characteristics to describe the population including: 47% of residents are male, 53% are female. 45% of residents are white, 43.2% are African American, 8.5% is Hispanic or Latino, and 4.5% are Asian. The median age of population is 34 years old. 25% of residents are 18 years old or over, 70% 21 and over, and 14% of city residents is over the age of 65. The issue of housing in Philadelphia is also interesting. 90% of all housing units within the city are occupied. 30% of housing units are renter-occupied, while 59% of units are owner-occupied. 10% of total available housing was vacant.

Local weather

Weather is also an issue to consider for students preparing for a college experience. Philadelphia enjoys all four seasons of weather including rain and snow. Northeast weather patterns sometimes allow for temperatures to drop below 32 degrees for a considerable amount of time during the winter. Pennsylvania also gets it’s share of rain during the spring and summer months as well.

University of Pennsylvania Quick Links Page

Restaurants in University City Section of Philadelphia

Below is a sample list of local restaurants, and hotels in the University City section of Philadelphia. These restaurants and hotels are in close proximity to several city universities including, U Penn and Drexel University. National restaurant chains & shopping resources can be found on Route 78, 476, 95 and 1. Complete information about hotels, restaurants, shopping, museums, and general tourism activities can be found in the document “ Everything Philadelphia” on the Your College Profile web site.

University City Hotel Listings

University City Area Restaurants

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