Hi there! I’m Diana Lim, a current freshman at the University of Pennsylvania planning on majoring in computer science and minoring in engineering entrepreneurship/fine arts. I’m from the Bay Area, California, and chose Penn because I wanted to expand my horizons.
When I got to campus, I knew I had made the right choice. I consider myself an extrovert and love Penn’s reputation as the “Social Ivy”––I’m involved in greek life (I’m in Alpha Phi!) and I live for Penn’s work hard, play hard culture.
With that in mind, all the recommendations I made about housing are certainly biased because I am very social and have really emphasized meeting new people in college. However, I tried my best to make my descriptions objective.
If you have questions, comments, or concerns about housing or this doc, feel free to contact me!
: Reddit Threads, videos and other resources that may be helpful when making your housing decision!
🤔 Why Read this Doc?
All freshman students at Penn are required to live in on campus housing. There are many freshman housing options and they can be super overwhelming so I made this doc to break down each college house and provide recommendations for how to approach freshman housing at Penn.
While this doc is targeted at incoming Penn students, if you’re a prospective student, incoming student, or even current student––this doc is for you! Prospective students, this doc will give you insight into whether Penn is a good fit. Incoming students, this doc will help you hit the ground running when you arrive in the fall. Current students, this doc will at the very least provide you with a laugh.
made which contains everything you need to know to win college move in! Also, stay tuned for my Freshman’s Guide to UPenn Coda doc which will contain everything from recommendations for best study spots, to dining hall rankings, to Penn jargon + definitions.
What housing options exist for freshman at Penn? Here’s an overview: