Piper Slinka-Petka | Consider choosing Penn (State)

Despite our many differences, Penn students are bonded together by one simple truth: Penn is different than The Pennsylvania State University. For many, admission into Penn means providing never-ending clarification for family members, friends, and even teachers that they’re two completely different universities. We often feel offended and resort to not correcting those who mistake the two — it feels elitist. 

Penn State sits approximately 193 miles from Penn. The sprawling campus is known for its lively athletics and school spirit: a far cry from our dear old Penn.

As someone whose home is on the outskirts of West Virginia University — one of the most fun-loving universities — there seemed to be a clearly defined college experience in my future. Yet, while siblings and friends chose long Saturdays of camaraderie and spirit, I was choosing four years of grueling work and a heavy price tag. Besides the Ivy League star on my resume, why Penn?

For Penn students, it’s a universal annoyance to hear an Ivy League acceptance equated with Penn State's much lower selectivity. Often, students joke about hometown friends who chose the less selective university from their acceptances. I made the same point to my parents: It’s nonsensical to choose WVU when prestige was being handed to me on a silver platter. But, it’s crucial that we pop the Ivy League bubble we live in and consider that other factors are equally, if not more, important than prestige when choosing which university to attend. 

In a article published in The New Yorker, Malcolm Gladwell examines what he describes as the “extraordinary emphasis on the Ivy League.” He starts at the root, deciding to compare students who were admitted to Penn with students who also got into Penn yet chose to attend Penn State. Within that group, he found that “it doesn’t seem to matter whether you go to the more selective school.” Gladwell claims that essentially, their success was not based on the school they attended but rather on their own capabilities. His general rule is that “if you are a hardworking and intelligent person, you’ll end up doing well regardless of where you went to school.” 

He further claims that “[y]ou’ll make good contacts at Penn. But Penn State is big enough and diverse enough that you can make good contacts there, too. Having Penn on your resume opens doors. But if you were good enough to get into Penn you’re good enough that those doors will open for you anyway.”

For students who are considering choosing Penn as their home for the next four years, weigh the value of other factors than prestige. I do not deny the amazing educational opportunities and connections that being at Penn will grant you. But, as Gladwell highlighted: If you have the drive, you can open these same doors for yourself at other schools with different offerings. 

Considering Penn means having a holistic understanding of the college experience you will get here. One factor warranting deep acknowledgment is the heavy cost commitment you won’t find at most in-state colleges. Even for those receiving sufficient financial aid from Penn, hidden costs are a financial burden. For students who have demonstrated the academic excellence required for Penn, state schools provide academic scholarships for grades, test scores, and essays. 

The culture at Penn, too, differs heavily from what you will find at state colleges. Penn has an incredibly competitive and sometimes draining academic environment. The “work hard, play hard” mindset is prevalent: From intense classes to ludicrous club applications and lively BYOs, the grind literally never stops. While the nightlife at Penn is far from struggling, balancing it with academics begets the nagging feeling that you could always be doing more. The results of a 2015 School of Engineering and Applied Science senior design project demonstrated that Penn had the highest depression rate of the United States’ top 25 universities. While this claim has been disputed and argued, the discourse around it is enough to warrant consideration. 

Much different than state schools such as the University of Michigan or The Ohio State University, Penn students do not spend their Saturdays tailgating and celebrating. At Franklin Field, you can see our opposing teams often rival us with fans in attendance despite it being an away game. Penn students demonstrate a general lack of school spirit, choosing to prioritize academics and social commitments rather than school sports. 

If Penn’s academic prowess outweighs these integral aspects of Penn student life, choose Penn. I myself did too. But do not base your choice solely on the Ivy League brand. 

It’s important that, as Penn students, we also alter our perception of what makes a “good” college. While the number of undergraduates in “Ivy-Plus” schools makes up fewer than 1% of U.S. undergraduates, many still consider colleges outside of this elite few as less than. We must reevaluate what we truly wish to get out of our college experience; being at Penn has to be more than the crest across our diploma. 

College is not just about attending classes and joining clubs for the sake of filling resume slots. College is a formative experience where for the first, and maybe last, time you have the freedom to discover yourself and how you wish to interact with the world around you without suffering the consequences. If, for you, this is best achieved at a state school, go there.

The next time someone mistakes Penn for Penn State, evaluate why this offends you. Is it because they should know the difference? What if they mistook Penn for Princeton University? Would that be different?

There are greater factors to consider than just prestige, ranking, or league. Success is not dependent on the university you attend. Your development, however, is altered by the environment you choose. Choose the school best suited for you and your development, not your diploma.

PIPER SLINKA-PETKA is a College first year studying health and societies from West Virginia. Her email address is pipersp@sas.upenn.edu.