I wrote the following in reply to an prospective Huntsman student, and felt this would benefit any prospective candidates as a personal opinion of an insider. Feel free to email me or to spread this to your friends. It was written in a rush so I might have failed to cover many aspects.

Great to hear from someone applying. I am a rising sophomore who worked for 3 years before entering Huntsman in the army and an economics consultancy. Just my personal perspective on the program:

The Good

Personal attention from academic advisor that you will not get in any other Ivy League (i.e. Inge)
If you like pragmatic stuff, Wharton is your place.
A close-knitted community that makes a large university seem a much smaller place

The Bad
[Some] Huntsman kids think they are all it
Wharton is all about banking and consulting (could be good or bad depending on you)

Why I chose Penn

I did LBW wayyyyyy back and lived in Bryn Mawr during that time. We bussed through North Philly everyday (it’s bad) and I wanted to return to make a difference to the community.

Bottom-line

what you make out of the Penn education depends on you, although it can be hard to escape the I must do Finance route.

Reply to someone not into i-banking:

I have the same interests as you both in terms of focus on practical issues, while also seeking a liberal arts education. Williams College was originally my top choice until Inge convinced me otherwise. In terms of courses, you can definitely get what you want out of it. Even the Wharton School has courses in Geopolitics, Business ethics, and the philosophy of markets (if Rawls and Nozick is your stuff). The key is to look at courses outside of what all your other classmates are choosing, although the finance courses at Wharton are also excellent and are worth looking at. Penn also offers the full range of liberal arts courses.

Personally, as someone older than the other freshmen, my undergrad experience is very different so I might not be able to provide the best advice. You might also want to get opinions on these from other students as everyone has a different perspective. You have a lot of parties (if that’s your thing) and the full range of extracurricular to participate in. I think in general, Wharton students (and Penn in general) are less intellectually-oriented (but still smart) in their pursuits and conversation. They are still fun people to be with, and I like working with them on projects because they are goal-oriented people. There are some stereotypically “Wharton” people (think over-competitive and lacking in empathy) who are a minority, but most people you meet are just normal hardworking students still exploring life. And ultimately, a big university will always afford you space to find people who share your interests.

As for competition, I never felt it to be particularly intense. Then again, I heard it’s toughest in sophomore year so maybe I won’t know yet. Personally, I think the core classes are not that hard (if you put in consistent work), and most people are willing to help you out even if it’s graded on a curve. I personally think its silly how much attention people put on the curve, since the courses aren’t particularly tough.

Lastly, just as general advice regardless of where you end up going to, I would recommend taking a gap year to explore your interests and the world. It helps a lot in determining what you really want out of school and life, who you are, and helps you stay on track once you matriculate in pursuing your goals.

Good luck and hope this helps.