JotCast | Admitted Graduate Student Chat - 8AM-12PM, June 1, 2019

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Will Fenton, Asst Dir

8:43

Thank you, Jason.

9:00

Jason, I've reviewed the letter am replying to your email.

Nico

9:08

Hi Will, it is near selection deadline, and I want to ask you a general question...that which school is more prestigious in US, Cornell or Penn ?

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

9:12

Nico, what program were you admitted to?

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

9:11

Nico, these are two very different schools in multiple ways. US News ranks Cornell at 14 and UPenn at 17; but the environments you'd be in at Penn in Philadelphia are drastically different than what you'd experience at Cornell in Ithaca, New York. This includes the weather as well as that one is in the 6th largest city in the US and the other is in a relatively small city/rural area.

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

9:13

Of course, my easy answer is PENN is BEST, but that would be a bit biased on my part, haha.

Nico

9:16

Thanks for your suggestion :)

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

9:17

You're welcome. There's also faculty to consider - there are different faculty, with different specialties, at both schools.

Nana

9:19

hello Will, I hear from that Philadelphia is quiet dangerous, with lots of crimes and thieves. Is that true ?

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

9:21

Nana, good day. Like all large cities in America, there is some crime in Philadelphia. However, most crime in the city is at near record lows over the last several years and it is a pretty safe city overall. UPenn has their own police force, there are escort services that can take you all around campus if you do not feel comfortable walking alone and there are shuttle services that can deliver you from campus to your home throughout much of the University City area and parts of Center City/Downtown.

9:24

I've lived in Philadelphia for 17 years now, in multiple different neighborhoods and the only real issue I've encountered is having my bike stolen a couple of times. I recognize that as a relatively tall, white male, my experiences may be a bit different from others, but I will attest that you'll be pretty safe if you come to UPenn and Philly.

Lorie

9:55

Hi Will,
This is going to be an awkward question. I have ultimately decided to defer this years' graduate offers to stay at work for an extra year to receive a promotion.

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

9:55

Hi Lorie, nothing awkward about that - congratulations!

9:57

If you're asking how to request a deferral, you first need to accept the offer and, if you're a master's student, submit the deposit. Once done, you can send an email to us, requesting to defer your start date for a year. Please be as detailed as possible in the email. What program were you admitted to?

Lorie

9:58

Hi Will,
Oops, did not finish my question
-----------------------------------
This is going to be an awkward question. I have ultimately decided to defer this year’s graduate offers to receive a promotion at work.

I fail to decide between Penn and Yale. Is it against the rule to defer offers from both? Thanks and sorry for the trouble.

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

9:59

Lorie, if you are receiving funding from one or both, then yes, you should only commit to one program. However, if you are not receiving funding, you can commit to both and then decide later to change your mind about one of them.

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:02

Does this make sense?

Guest

10:02

Hi Will,
I have deferred my admission from last year. Can i know the last day to confirm my admission for this fall.

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:03

Hi Guest, We would ask that you confirm by July 1. However, if you're an international student, we recommend confirming much earlier, because the visa process can take a good deal of time to go through and we wouldn't want you to miss the start of school in August.

Ayankas

10:03

Hi Will, I would just like to verify how long today's chat will be? Also, if I may, will there be representatives of other departments joining in?

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:04

Ayankas, we will be chatting until 12PM EST. And no, there will not be people from other departments joining us. What questions do you have?

Guest

10:07

Will, as I came to know that class of 2021 EMBS is the last batch, can I know how many students have accepted admission for this fall?

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:08

Guest, I'm sorry, but we don't give out that information until after the acceptance period ends, which is today.

10:12

Where would you plan to live?

On campus (50% | 1 vote)

Off campus, but near UPenn (50% | 1 vote)

Off campus in West Philadelphia/University City (0% | 0 votes)

Off campus in Center City (downtown) (0% | 0 votes)

I have no idea, help! (0% | 0 votes)

Total Votes: 2

Ayankas

10:12

Thank you Will.
One of my queries was regarding on-campus housing. It might be a bit inappropriate, but I found some negative reviews regarding Sansom Place East. Since my top choice is on campus housing, I was wondering if anyone could clear them out?

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:13

Hi Ayankas, do you have any specific questions/concerns? Without knowing what your specifically referring to, it's a bit difficult for me to address them.

Lorie

10:13

Hi Will,
Yep. Makes total sense. Thanks for you understanding.

I did not receive funding from either school. I have already officially deferred my offer from Yale. Would you kindly let me know how can I do the same for Penn? Thanks

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:15

Lorie, as I mentioned above, you would need to submit your acceptance form and deposit, and then email us with the specific reasons as to why you're requesting to defer. What program admitted you?

Ayankas

10:17

Sorry Will for being ambiguous. My chief concern was maintenance. Some reviews seem to point out that the maintenance was not timely and while some others seem to have checked into rooms that were unclean and with broken furniture.

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:20

Ayankas, I am very sorry to hear about that. I worked in Sansom Place when I was in graduate school here at Penn and that is not something that we would have allowed to happen, as we literally checked every room before students were scheduled to move in. I can't guarantee that it wouldn't happen, because that's not an area that I am responsible for, but I can do my best to assure you that shouldn't ever happen. You can also email Miranda Stewart, the Coordinator for On-Campus Housing, at mstewar@upenn.edu, with any concerns.

Lorie

10:20

Hi Will,
Cool. I see. It's the CS-MS program.

I will accept and deposit by the end of today.

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:20

Lorie, that's great. Then you'll want to send the email with the deferral request to admissions2@seas.upenn.edu.

Lorie

10:22

Will do.Thanks for your help and understanding my friend!

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:23

My pleasure! We hope you end up coming to Penn Engineering!

Lorie

10:24

Same. My parents are a fan of Yale but I am all about Penn. Thanks again

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:24

Well, there's also New Haven vs Philadelphia to consider, not that I'm biased or anything :)

Ayankas

10:24

Thank you, Will. I will address my questions to Miranda Stewart henceforth. Your reassurance helps me put these worries to rest.

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:25

Ayankas, you're welcome!

Lorie

10:25

New Haven sucks :)

Will Fenton, Asst Dir

10:25

Lorie, I can neither confirm nor deny your statement.

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