Many members of Penn's Class of 2027 will arrive on campus with a number of questions on how to adapt to college life.
The Daily Pennsylvanian has prepared a guide on essential campus resources for physical and mental health, accessibility, and first-generation, low-income students.
Mental and physical health
Wellness at Penn’s Student Health and Counseling division offers professional primary care and psychological care resources for members of the Penn community.
Counseling offices are located at 3624 Market St., and during operating hours, those seeking urgent counseling support can drop in to see a provider without an appointment. Wellness at Penn can be reached at (215) 746-9355, with appointments and around-the-clock conversations with counseling providers being available at that number. Student Health and Counseling also offers group sessions and regular workshops for students to share their personal experiences.
Several student organizations also provide support, including Penn Benjamins — which offers drop-in peer counseling — and Penn Reflect, which holds monthly roundtable discussions to offer students the ability to speak and reflect honestly about life at Penn.
Penn’s Reach-a-Peer Helpline offers free, anonymous, and confidential phone calls and texts to student volunteers. RAPLINE’s around-the-clock text line can be reached at (215) 515-7332, and its phone line is available from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. every night at (215) 573-2727.
Student Health and Counseling’s Sexual Trauma Treatment Outreach and Prevention Team can be reached at (215) 898-7021 and offers confidential care, support, and advocacy to students who think they have been raped, sexually assaulted, stalked, or otherwise experienced an unsafe or confusing sexual situation.
STTOP also offers workshops on intimacy, boundaries, safety, and trauma within relationships.
Medical care offices are located at 3535 Market St. Members of the Penn community can receive 24/7 support by dialing Wellness at Penn's unified number of (215) 746-9355. Appointments can also be scheduled online.
Penn offers several hotlines for students who are feeling uncomfortable or experiencing emergencies on campus. The Division of Public Safety and the Medical Emergency Response Team's 24/7 hotline at (215) 573-3333 can be called for police, fires, or medical emergencies. Walking escorts can be requested at (215) 898-9255, and the HELP Line – which can be used for assistance navigating Penn’s health and wellness resources – can be reached at (215) 898-4357.
Access to student health and counseling is provided through Penn’s clinical fee, which is charged to all full-time students. Medical care includes gynecologic care, LGBTQ care, specialized care for sexual health, sports medicine services, and a dedicated travel team.
For the first time since 2020, Penn will not mandate COVID-19 and flu vaccinations for non-health care students arriving on campus. Wellness at Penn continues to highly recommend COVID-19 vaccinations and flu shots for all students, and its annual flu clinic will take place from Oct. 4-6.
Wellness at Penn advises that all students bring a thermometer, fever-reducing medication such as Tylenol or Motrin, a first aid kit, sunscreen, and a refillable water bottle with them to campus.
Accessibility
Disability Services, housed in the Weingarten Center in Stouffer Commons at 3702 Spruce St., is the central resource for Penn’s disabled students. The Weingarten Center will host an event detailing resources for students with disabilities in Houston Hall’s Golkin Room on Aug. 23 at 10 a.m.
Disability Services recommends that students register with them as early as possible, as the process of reviewing documentation and approving accommodations may take up to four weeks.
Disability Services works with students to coordinate academic accommodations and ensure access to housing, dining, and technological resources. During the fall and spring semesters, students can drop in and meet with Disability Services in the Weingarten Center or call (267) 788-0030, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays to discuss any questions.
Several student groups, including the Disabled Coalition, Disability Empowerment and Action League, and Disability Advocacy @ Penn advocate for disabled students and provide spaces for students to form connections with each other.
FGLI resources
Penn First Plus is the center of community resources for FGLI students. P1P opened an office on the ground floor of College Hall in 2020 and has a second office in Hamilton Village at 220 S. 40th St.
P1P invited many students to join the Pre-First Year Program, through which students engaged in a four-week academic-based summer program. P1P also offers separate orientation activities, which begin on Aug. 21.
While enrolled, P1P’s College Achievement Program offers a range of academic and personal support programs to FGLI students. This assistance includes consulting and advocacy, and each student is assigned a professional academic counselor, academic advising and support, workshops and information sessions, individual peer mentoring, and cultural enrichment activities.
PennCAP also includes Faculty Friday events with professors, a graduate school mentoring program, a laptop lending program, and summer grants.
Many student groups offer resources for FGLI students and spaces for students to connect and share common experiences with each other. These include Collective Success @ Penn, FGLIQ, and Wharton FGLI.
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