Maybe my experience is dated, but I am very surprised at how little credit people give to "brand name" schools, especially if you are studying something not specifically job oriented. I was a liberal arts major at Brown in the 80's, and went to Yale Law in the early 90's, and those names alone have opened many doors for me.

Obviously it does you no good if you go to Penn undergrad, spend all that money, and then jerk around for four years. But if you do well, you are way ahead of the game.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never met anyone from Penn who wasn't either a jerk, an HYP reject, or both.

Sounds bitter.

+1. So the graduating class of 2500 each yr consists of all jerks or HYP rejectees or both? Seems like a stretch. I'm guessing you know 5 people from Penn that you dislike and/or you or your own kid couldn't get in and hence -- every graduate of the entire school sucks.

Anonymous wrote:Never met anyone from Penn who wasn't either a jerk, an HYP reject, or both.

Sounds bitter.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes! My kid could lucky or off to Michigan or UVA (OOS) he will go!

Yeah, right.

Your crystal ball is cracked so lighten up.

Exhale.

Unclench.

Breathe.

Anonymous wrote:Never met anyone from Penn who wasn't either a jerk, an HYP reject, or both.

Not my experience at all. I work with several Penn alums and they are great people. Two are nurses who (obviously) didn't think to apply to HYP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Penn professors have commented on grade inflation issues at Penn. My guess is that's going to cause problems some time in the future. Haven't heard any other negative comments about Penn, but that one concerns me, since the source is a highly-credible one. To DCUM, I'm just another anonymous commenter, so it's understandable if you dismiss this post.

Harvard is notorious for grade inflation (Princeton deflation). Doesn't appear neither Harvard or Princeton's reputation is suffering too much.

+1

Also doesn't UPenn have a pretty tough grading curve or is that only in certain departments? I know there's a lot of weeding out that happens in pre med, and departments like finance are capped at 25% As as they're very conscious of not diluting the value of certain degrees. Is that not true across the board?

Anonymous wrote:Penn professors have commented on grade inflation issues at Penn. My guess is that's going to cause problems some time in the future. Haven't heard any other negative comments about Penn, but that one concerns me, since the source is a highly-credible one. To DCUM, I'm just another anonymous commenter, so it's understandable if you dismiss this post.

Harvard is notorious for grade inflation (Princeton deflation). Doesn't appear neither Harvard or Princeton's reputation is suffering too much.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Spent it for Wharton undergrad myself and would do it again in a heartbeat. Didn't realize how much that degree meant to employers when I went there, but it's proven true time and time again in my career.

We can hear over and over that the degree doesn't matter after a few years, but no questions Wharton will open eyes, even in your 60s.

I will say I went to Wharton - thinking yeah this is a great school but who is going to care in 5-10 yrs esp since I knew I didn't want to be in investment banking. Turns out I was wrong as I've been able to make career transitions not bc of the experience on my resume but bc if a degree from over a decade ago. I imagine the students going there/applying now know how much more that degree means than I did - probably since they have parents who went to those kinds of schools and researching schools is now different due to the internet.

Penn professors have commented on grade inflation issues at Penn. My guess is that's going to cause problems some time in the future. Haven't heard any other negative comments about Penn, but that one concerns me, since the source is a highly-credible one. To DCUM, I'm just another anonymous commenter, so it's understandable if you dismiss this post.

Anonymous wrote:Spent it for Wharton undergrad myself and would do it again in a heartbeat. Didn't realize how much that degree meant to employers when I went there, but it's proven true time and time again in my career.

We can hear over and over that the degree doesn't matter after a few years, but no questions Wharton will open eyes, even in your 60s.

Anonymous wrote:EA for both Michigan and UVA. I bet UPenn will offer a better FA package if we get to that point. Kid needs aid.

Congrats! Both great schools!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes! My kid could lucky or off to Michigan or UVA (OOS) he will go!

Yeah, right.

Your crystal ball is cracked so lighten up.

Exhale.

Unclench.

Decades ago, Penn was a bottom feeder Ivy in a post apocalyptic part of Philly. Things have changed. A spruced up area and much better rankings.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes! My kid could lucky or off to Michigan or UVA (OOS) he will go!

Yeah, right.

Your crystal ball is cracked so lighten up.

Exhale.

EA for both Michigan and UVA. I bet UPenn will offer a better FA package if we get to that point. Kid needs aid.