Tips: The university life here is very much different from that in India. At least in engineering, students spend most of their time completing assignments and completing lectures. UPenn doesn't offer scholarships to Master's students but you can apply for part-time job as soon as you are on campus which will help you meet your living costs. Though the city is great, I would advise anybody who is coming to definitely give it a second thought as the job market right now is not good and doesn't look like will be better soon.

Likes (Public transportation): Philadelphia has buses, inter and intra-city trains, subways as well as trams. Also, it is easy to get cabs. Philadelphia as a city is small, hence, it is easy to go from one place to another through public transport. Furthermore, the university is located in the heart so one can go to most places by walking or cycling.

Dislikes (Value for money): Being an IVY League, the fee for the program is a lot. But compared to other universities UPenn doesn't have affiliation with the working industry. So the students don't get any benefit while looking for jobs in the market. At least in the US going to cheaper universities would be a better choice

Reviewed on 9 Feb 2024Read more

Rajnish Gupta Verified Icon

Scientific Computing, MSE - Batch of 0

3.5

Best learning experience.

Tips: The University might not exactly be what you expected. It is a great learning experience, and there are a lot of things to do, that it can become overwhelming and stressful at times. But if I were to choose to do it again, at some other time, with a better job market, I would. Try not to get distracted by a lot of things you see around you, as that can happen initially.

Likes (Public transportation): Philly has great and affordable public transport, you can reach pretty much anywhere in 30-40 mins, and most places of interest, downtown can be accessed in 10-15mins through the subway from University, and the transport runs at longer hours, although not the safest way to travel during certain hours the day if you're alone, but that comes in safety as per the city. The connectivity and timing itself are great.

Dislikes (Indian Food): There are no Indian food options in University dining, and in general Indian food options around Philly are although not limited, but are not excellent, or anywhere close to what you can find in cities like NYC, Jersey or Chicago. There is a lot of frozen food at Indian Stores, but that is not the most healthy option out there.

Reviewed on 5 Feb 2024Read more

Rohan Nagesh Verified Icon

Master of Science in Engineering in Electrical Engineering - Batch of 2025

2.7

The university has a good campus and loads of resources to live a wholesome student life.

Tips: The university is expensive and the city is not really that safe. The workload is high with a lot of assignments. The university offers a diverse range of courses but lacks concentration on one. Prospects of engineering jobs are low with not many university recruiters approaching students for post-study options.

Reviewed on 12 Feb 2024Read more

Anonymous

MSE Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering - Batch of 2024

3.6

Biotech research powerhouse. Amazing opportunities.

Tips: For the CBE department, most research is in the biotech sector and so are the jobs and internships. Professors are very nice and will help you if you ask for it. The courses are tough but are of very high quality. However, the CBE courses are very theoretical.

Dislikes (Safety): Philadelphia is not a very safe city. There are lots of break-ins and thefts. Cycles parked outside will get stolen even if locked. The Penn campus is very safe with good security. Penn also has shuttles that run at night and walking escorts for student safety.

Reviewed on 2 Feb 2024Read more

Anonymous

Robotics, MSE - Batch of 2024

4.3

Lots of work and hard courses but great program. Effort is respected

Tips: The classes consist of diverse ethnicities and you hence experience an initial cultural shock. Scholarships are not available for MS students. RA opportunities are also very selective for MS students. TA opportunities are much easier to come by. Quite happy with my choice of university.

Likes (Student Life): Regular socializing events are conducted on campus. Study environment is not too stressful. Happy hours are organized once a month by every department and apart from that all the festivities also have an associated event. Regional festivities are dealt with by the Pan-Asian community and it depends on their yearly budget.

Dislikes (Permanent Immigration): Hard to find a job that sponsors H1B. The green card process is another big headache. H1B is got through a lottery system and is then renewed every 3 years until you are eligible to apply for a green card. And you need to hold the green card for a certain number of years before you are eligible for citizenship.

Reviewed on 6 Jan 2024Read more

Anonymous

Master of Science in Engineering in Electrical Engineering - Batch of 2024

Challenging and Stressful but equally rewarding experience at this college.

Tips: There are no scholarships available and there is no significant cultural shift. Transitioning with respect to weather may take time. Overall, university courses are good but challenging, and finding jobs and internship can be difficult. While on-campus jobs are available and helpful, they do not offer any tuition fee waivers.

Likes (Quality of faculty): The faculty at this college are highly approachable and knowledgeable. They employ an intuitive teaching method and assign practical tasks. The teaching faculty is mostly of Asian and American background representing all types of specializations in Electrical engineering. The courses are rather challenging and not easy.

Reviewed on 6 Feb 2024Read more

View All 6 Reviews

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