Rachel Finkel
Recent articles
Flinging through the years
For 39 years, Penn students have put down their books, set aside their homework and flocked to the Quad for the Quakers’ most holy weekend — Spring Fling.
Service projects at home and abroad raise question of impact, effectiveness
Three to four times a week, College senior Kristen Jackson takes a break from her life at Penn to interact with a completely different set of students — West Philadelphia public school students. Many of the students Jackson mentors bounce from home to home, sleeping at different places every night.
Interdisciplinary majors gaining popularity in College
For some, interdisciplinary majors offer a unique opportunity to learn about a wider variety of subjects, while others believe these majors are too simplistic and not specialized enough.
Penn community responds to UA hazing
Students across campus have offered mixed reactions to the Undergraduate Assembly’s violations of the University’s Antihazing and Alcohol and Drug policies.
Early decision admit rate drops slightly
This year, Penn’s early decision acceptance rate declined by almost 1 percent, from 26.1 percent last year to 25.4 percent, Dean of Admissions Eric Furda announced on Friday.
Class of 2016 early admissions decisions to be released Friday
Today, more than 4,500 early decision applicants will find out whether they have a place in Penn’s Class of 2016.
Obama's push for diversity unlikely to dramatically affect University policies
Last Friday, President Barack Obama’s administration urged higher-education institutions to promote diversity on their campuses — a move that Penn administrators say will benefit the University, as well as colleges nationwide.
Loan refusal pledge faces mixed reactions from administration
Occupy Wall Street’s nationwide student loan refusal pledge proposes that debtors stop paying off loans when the petition reaches one million signatures. Some administrators oppose the plan, arguing students have a legal obligation to repay loans.
OccupyPenn shows solidarity following arrests
After Occupy Philadelphia’s encampment was evicted by police on Wednesday morning, over 75 people gathered at a teach-in outside Van Pelt Library.
Occupy Philly joins OccupyPenn for CUNY speaker
Occupy Philadelphia protesters will march to campus Wednesday to hear City University of New York Graduate Center professor David Harvey speak about their movement.
International students spend breaks at Penn
In addition to securing housing for the school year, some international students have the added burden of finding a place to stay during breaks.
Drop in early apps at Penn, peers may be tied to Harvard and Princeton
This fall, the reinstatement of Harvard and Princeton universities’ early action programs, which were eliminated in 2006, may have contributed to diminished applicant pools for many of their competitors, including Penn.
Two Penn students win Marshall Scholarship
Wharton and College senior Corey Metzman and 2009 College graduate Michael Poll were two of around 40 students who won the scholarship, which pays for two years of graduate studies in the United Kingdom.
No Penn students receive Rhodes Scholarship
“We’re extremely disappointed. Penn put forward several stellar candidates,” Aaron Olson, assistant director for communications at the Center of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, wrote in an email.
Penn enters 'Top U.S. Producers of Fulbright Students' list
While Penn made The Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Top U.S. Producers of Fulbright Students” list this year for the first time since 2008, it lagged behind 16 other universities.
Professors turn to mid-semester reviews for feedback
More professors are using mid-semester reviews at Penn, as well as across the nation.
Minority of engineering, science majors pursue related careers
A Georgetown University study found that less than half of undergraduates with engineering or science majors pursue a career in the field of science. These students may be attracted to business career paths because of salary and location.
Penn sees slight drop in early decision applications
Penn received 4,510 early-decision applications this fall, a 1.3-percent decrease from last year’s total of 4,571 applications.
Snow stalls early decision applications
Since many students were affected by last week’s storm, Penn’s Office of Admissions extended its early decision deadline from Nov. 1 to Friday, Nov. 4.
Feeling link to U.S. culture, Canadian student applies early
In the third part of a series following students applying early decision to Penn, we caught up with Ontario high-school senior William Xiao, who started preparing to apply to an American university in tenth grade.
