Day One (6/28/11)

7:30

We weren’t ready to leave yet.

8:10

After some last minute packing, breakfast, and showering, we finally got on the road. The drive to Philadelphia was pleasant, without enormous amounts of traffic, and we made it to U Penn without any more hitches. We drove up and parked in the hospital area, and then walked to the campus. The city around the campus was very accessible for walking and biking, and looked pretty clean and nice.

The campus was beautiful and shady, with lots of large trees and charming old buildings. We were directed to the information desk by a helpful student, and then the woman there pointed us to the room where students and their parents were sitting. We came into the information session late, so we only heard about the last fifteen minutes of it, where the admissions lady was talking about what to write in the essay and stuff. Then we divided up into groups and walked with our guides on a campus tour.

It was raining at that point, so while waiting for our ponchos (which the school very helpfully provided), the students went around the circle and told our names to everyone, and learned a little about U Penn. Some interesting factoids: 

- University of Pennsylvania is one of the only Ivy League schools with a large percentage of foreign and international students.  
- Over 100 languages are offered there, and if they don’t happen to have a language available, they’ll send for an expert who can teach in that subject.

After we donned our complementary ponchos and all looked like large plastic bags, we set out in the rain and walked along the main thoroughfare (which was unfortunately under construction, so we weren’t able to experience the full beauty of the green). We visited the residential buildings, where most freshman live, the engineering school, the Wharton school of business, the college of arts and sciences, and finally the athletic stadium, learning about Penn traditions and academics. Overall it was a very enjoyable visit, and going through the buildings we were able to imagine what college life would be like, studying with friends, sleeping in the dorms, and participating in the famous Penn toast throw.

After the tour, we thanked the tour guide and made a large contribution to the school in the form of souvenirs from the Penn bookstore. For lunch, we indulged in some Philly cheesesteak and meatball subs, and then we were on the road again.