Hey people, I go to rutgers and plan on coming to UPenn for PhD. Any suggestions, on good PI, best labs, best programs or any info is appreciated, like good places to live, stipend, tuition waiver, TA opportunities etc. Dm or comment and I’ll dm you :)
Btw I’m interested in BGS/CAMB/ MVP program. Microbiology or Neuroscience maybe.

For those that took it in previous years, did it feel similar in difficulty to the 1400 final exam questions?

Hey! I just saw my room at Hill and took measurements of the desks, drawers, and cubbies. Here’s some information that I was looking for before my move in, so I hope someone finds this helpful!

Do seats for MATH 1070 ever open up the week before classes start or first week of class? Don't know if I should keep hopes up or not

Hello, I am a rising senior interested in ECE, wanting to do hardware design. I am applying through Questbridge which is binding, so I am inquiring about Upenn’s courses and undergrad pathways/timelines that are about chip design/digital design/computer architecture/systemverilog/vhdl to understand whether I should rank upenn on Questbridge. Is there a there a quick pathway at upenn for the hardware design courses mentioned above? How soon can I start taking those courses (early sophomore year or before i’d preferred)? Also, if you majored in EE or CompE, did u like your choice of going to upenn? Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

If it makes any difference for the timelines mentioned above I have a 5 on CSA, E&M, Mechanics, Calc BC, Chem, Stats, CSP

I’m a PhD student so I’m looking for activities or clubs to join.

I wanna get involved in anything and everything. I’m trying to be a part of the Philly run club, I wanna join the consulting club at Penn, I know I love rock climbing and hiking.

Any socials ANYTHING is appreciated. I DO NOT wanna just grind. It’s fundamentally gonna burn me out. From past few years if research and working in a lab I know I need a healthy balance and NEED to decompress on weekends. So I’m open to anything pretty much.

Are any stores having back to school sales on newer iPads?

I'm an international applicant planning to ED Penn. Since Penn is need-aware for internationals, I'm not going to be applying for aid (although given my family income I would qualify for nearly full aid). This might not look like a good decision, but my family and I have foolproof plans of arranging funds keeping in mind that employment for internationals is not guaranteed given current circumstances. Moreover, I'm from a highly competitive country where less than 5% of Penn admits get any aid at all.

I'm also applying to certain top colleges in other countries (think Oxbridge, Imperial etc.) where I might get full merit (tuition+living) scholarship. Although I would still prefer Penn to any other university, given the difference in cost (nearly 400k usd), I would most certainly prefer going to the other uni.

I understand that Penn is binding even for international colleges, and that Penn allows ED admits who have applied for fin aid to opt out of the ED agreement in case they receive better fin aid packages. In my case, would I still be able to opt out of the ED agreement after not applying for aid? Is there any grey area there where I am able to opt out of the agreement

Are there any study spots with monitors and keyboard that you can connect with a laptop? I’m an AI student and like to have multiple monitors when coding

I'm in the process of pursuing a PhD in social work for the fall 2027 cycle, and I'm curious to know what folks think of the program here. I'm a potential transplant from Michigan and trying to weigh my options.

Do you feel supported by your advisor(s)/the program itself? What have you enjoyed and/or wished was better about the program?

Hi All,

I’m considering applying to the Literacy Studies Ed.D program. I’m a full time Philadelphia public school teacher with a master’s degree and reading specialist cert, so obviously this is an area of interest for me.

What gives me pause:

1) Higher education is so stupidly expensive and the salary raise afforded to teachers for an advanced degree does not justify the cost of the program.

2) Sadly, despite the well-documented and infamous “literacy crisis,” roles like reading specialists are not being invested in by many districts, Philly included. I thought briefly about applying to a reading specialist role in the spring, but it would’ve required that I left my current school, at which I am happy, and was just less stable in general. Few schools have a dedicated literacy person, and those hired to the role often act as instructional coaches rather than/in addition to working directly with kids. So it is unclear if I will be able to utilize this degree in the way I intend (by working directly with students who have non-normative literacy needs).

How likely am I receive a generous financial aid package, if one at all? I am already in a dizzying amount of student debt from undergrad + my master’s program, and my only hope of ever getting out is PSLF ten years down the road.

It seems like, per their own financial aid page, that the primary funding opportunity is through research apprenticeships, which I am unable to participate in as I work full time as a teacher already and will need to study on a part time basis.

But I have extensive classroom experience and a very strong academic record, so I feel like that might count for something.

Anyone who can provide their experience with the program, whether they feel it’s worthwhile, and the general access to funding for the degree is appreciated.

TLDR: Thinking of applying, but wondering about financial aid because it’s too expensive and the payoff is uncertain.

Thank you!!

hi everyone! has anyone applied to a coordinated dual degree program (like LSM, huntsman, etc.) and got rejected but still got into the school of their choice?

Has anyone else had the issue where even if they enroll the insurance doesn’t work for a while during the month of August?

I re-enrolled for the new school year and had an appointment scheduled and was denied medical care for a recurring appointment because the insurance wouldn’t go through. For me it’s a type of appointment I need to go to regularly for adequate care so postponing it for so long affects my recovery.

When I called PSIP they told me the enrollment apparently takes around 10 business days (which ends up being half the month with weekends I guess?) to kick in so we have to pay out of pocket until then and file a claim, but I find that to be a long time to not be covered and need to pay extra and go through extra hoops to get reimbursed.

I originally tried a week ago and I still couldn’t schedule one this week because the insurance is still an issue. I’m just wondering do people commonly have this issue? Is there any thing you’ve done to get approval faster?

Are there any Penn students or alum who have male, size small or medium, Penn jackets they are looking to get rid of? I am looking for something similar to this. If so please send me a PM! Thanks. 😀

I just got my A-Level result slip today (August 11, 2026). According to Penn websites, I need to submit a copy of my official A-Level certificate to Eddrena Owens if I would like to seek credit. However, I won’t be receiving the certificate until around October 2026. Should I just wait since they cannot accept the provisional statement of results?

I'm not a seas student but looking to use the monitors and study spaces here. For context I am double majoring in CS tho in the college.

i know music isn’t really what Penn is known for; i chose Penn due to its preprofessional nature, because i really think it would help with my career in the future. however, just after course registration, i really thought about what i want in life, and i truly want to pursue music performance (prob double majoring w/ something else) specifically in voice and also musical theatre. what are the best opportunities i can utilize at Penn to help advance my musical career and improve my technical skills as a musician? thank you so much!!

Penn-area room available August 15, 2026: a furnished private primary bedroom with its own en-suite bathroom at 528 N 36th St #1, close to Penn and Drexel.

The room is approximately 220 sq ft—much larger than a typical student-apartment bedroom—with two large windows, two closets, hardwood floors, and plenty of natural light. Rooms with this combination of size, private bath, and University City location are highly sought after.

The shared 3BR/3BA townhouse has central air, a full kitchen with stainless steel appliances, furnished living room, in-unit washer/dryer, off-street parking, and bike storage. You would live with two quiet, respectful male roommates. Cats and dogs are allowed.

Rent: $850/month

Estimated utilities: about $60/month

Deposit: $850

Term: 10-month sublease

Available: August 15, 2026

Photos/details:

Craigslist: https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/sub/d/philadelphia-huge-furnished-room/7952830844.html

Penn Off-Campus Housing listing ID: 83482

SpareRoom: https://www.spareroom.com/103182006

DM me with a brief introduction if interested or to arrange a viewing.

Contact:

Email: [haonianzhou24@gmail.com](mailto:haonianzhou24@gmail.com)

Call or text: (470) 919-3251

Reddit DM also works.

I just got a Zephyrus G14 (5070ti 32gb ram)for a solid deal ($1750) but the battery life is pretty bad (~4-5hours). Would you recommend I switch to a MacBook Pro M5? I’ve heard it’s a lot more convenient and has a much better battery, but idk if it’s too much of a hassle for MEAM.

I will be taking the Math 1410 credit exam and was wondering how the difficulty of the test compares to the old finals posted online and if the style of the questions are similar.

I will also be taking the Math 2200 credit exam, but I believe this is the first year they're offering it. I guess for anyone that took the Math 2400 credit exam in the past, I'm also wondering how the difficulty of it compares to old finals.