|
|
Comparable Schools'
Diversity Grades:
College Prowler Take
Although Penn students come from a range of economic and racial backgrounds and have varying political viewpoints, there are underrepresented groups whose increased presence would perhaps enhance the cultural breadth of the community. Hispanic and African-American students each make up a meager six percent of the student population. Some students find this to be a problem, asserting that the large Asian and non-Christian populations do not make up for the fact that other minority groups are not adequately represented. Students are not the only ones who believe that certain minority groups should have a stronger presence on campus. The admissions office has stated that they take race into account when deciding whether or not to grant admission to a high school student. Last year, the school launched an initiative to attract more African American students to apply and matriculate as undergraduate students at Penn. At the school where Sadie Alexander, the first African-American women to receive her PhD, studied, and John B. Taylor, the first black American to win an Olympic gold medal, graduated, a larger African American population would also serve to remind today’s students of Penn’s rich cultural heritage. However, students are granted a rich and eye-opening experience if they are open to exposing themselves to people with backgrounds dramatically different from their own. Students Speak Out
Love your school more than free food? Hate your school more than term papers?
Somewhere in between? Show the world what YOU think of YOUR school:
Anonymous says:  |
A lot of the diversity comes from...
A lot of the diversity comes from within Wharton and the engineering school, as they both having big Asian and Indian populations. But the campus in general is very diverse. |
Anonymous says: |
There is an African American...
There is an African American interest dorm that I find rather segregated. But if you’re open and you seek out people of different backgrounds, you’ll find them. I have a really diverse group of friends, not only ethnically, but also in terms of where they’re from regionally and what kind of interests they have; I love it! It’s another benefit of a large school. |
Anonymous says: |
The campus is pretty diverse. I...
The campus is pretty diverse. I would say that Jewish and Indian students are the two biggest groups on campus. The only disappointment is that sometimes each ethnic group tends to ‘flock together.’ |
Anonymous says: |
It’s not incredibly diverse . . ....
It’s not incredibly diverse . . . but it’s not completely white, either. There’s also a student union or club for just about every nationality you can think of. |
Anonymous says: |
The crowd here is very diverse....
The crowd here is very diverse. You will probably meet some of the craziest people here. What I always appreciated is that, although people party hard and get carried away, they are very intelligent and goal-directed. Work always gets done, but not at the expense of social life. |
FactsEconomic Status
There are students of all economic means at Penn. However, many, if not most, undergraduate students enjoyed a relatively privileged upbringing.
Gay Pride
There are many on-campus groups run by and for the gay community of Penn. In fact, there are probably more groups than most people realize. Although the majority of students are very accepting of the gay community, students do not tend to be extremely aware or involved. Nevertheless, Penn has one of the longest-standing LGBT centers of its kind, having been built in 1982. It is widely considered an excellent resource for those who make use of it.
Minority Clubs
Penn’s minority organizations contribute to the social character of Penn’s campus. Many throw parties and cultural activities usually welcome the entire community, no matter which race, to participate.
Most Common Religions
Judaism is a very popular religion among Penn students. Hillel’s membership lies in the thousands, and there are services offered for all Jewish denominations. Christianity is also common, although there is a much lower percentage of Christian people on campus than at most other schools. There is a church on campus, as well as many other local places of worship. There are also Christian clubs including a Christian á cappella group.
Political Activity
On a campus with almost 10,000 undergraduate students from 50 states and countries all over the world, almost every political viewpoint is represented, and the campus is pretty much evenly split as far as conservatism and liberalism. Liberals often feel that students tend to have conservative viewpoints, while conservative students feel the opposite. Penn is a liberal school overall, but considered one of the more conservative universities of the seven Ivys. Many students are relatively apathetic and, although they may have strong opinions, choose not to be an active force for any cause. However, there are decent amounts of activist groups who are very passionate and dedicated to covering environmental, social, and governmental issues.
Write for Us! College Prowler is actively seeking talented students to be "Contributing Authors," and assist with updating
the College Prowler guide to their school. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain internship experience, be a part of a nationally
recognized company, gain tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is
really like at your college. Read more >
|
|
