#UPenn CAS vs. Williams (Undecided humanities major)

174 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

shut sun
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Just got off the UPenn waitlist, currently committed to Williams. Applied for political science, but actually undecided.

🔴 💙 UPenn (old dream school)
Pros:
Better name recognition (ivy league versus top LAC)
Better commute for family and bf (2 hours via public transportation vs. 3-4 by car)
City environment (walkable, what I'm used to as a NYC resident)
More courses and majors
More clubs

Cons:
May have to dorm with multiple people
Bathrooms are grosser I believe
I feel like I wouldn't fit in as easily
Huge school (10k vs Williams' 2k)
Higher conservative population
You have to apply to clubs
Possibly feeling outcasted due to large wealthy population?

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💜 🐄 Williams (school I fell for)
Pros:
Size (2k students)
LAC (professors care more, allegedly)
Most likely can get a single (60% of freshmen get singles)
Free textbooks, therapy, summer storage, kitchen appliances
Bathrooms shared by fewer people
Cows on campus
More left-leaning population (it seems)
More course flexibility and major change ability

Cons:
Less well known
Parents prefer UPenn
Possibly too small + rural, so lack of things to do
Gym requirement + swim test for graduating and most students are athletes of some sort (I'm sedentary as hell)
Gets real fucking cold in the winter

frigid dirge
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I think Williams would be a better fit for u, and prestige wise I honestly think u arent losing anything by going to Williams

Do consider how much the ruralness part of Williams bothers you however. I indirectly know someone who went there and really disliked that aspect of Williams.

shut sun
# frigid dirge I think Williams would be a better fit for u, and prestige wise I honestly think...

Part of me really worries I'll miss out if I go to Williams over UPenn -- I'm first gen and the UPenn name could get me far. Plus, there are more things to do there.

I actually sort of like Williams' ruralness, but people I know there also complain about that so I'm having second thoughts. Being around nature makes me feel less depressed weirdly (maybe because I grew up in the city) but even then I think Philly's a pretty green city, at least around and on UPenn's campus.

frigid dirge
# shut sun Part of me really worries I'll miss out if I go to Williams over UPenn -- I'm fi...

Hmm definitely dont worry about others complaints, if u like the ruralness thats great. Theres also many people who love exactly that about Williams.

Yes, upenn is a bigger name for most people and Im sure u feel a lot of pressure as a first generation student

But please dont just choose upenn for prestige reasons, especially because williams also has an amazing alumni network, grad school placements, and jobs as well.

For example, I know for finance at least (the major I applied for), I’d actually choose Williams over UPenn because while Wharton has more prestige, Williams also had really amazing placements and I think I would fit better.

So, its totally fine if u end up choosing upenn because u think id be a better match for u/career etc. However, you seriously dont need to worry about the prestige in your decision in this case. Plus Im pretty sure Williams does have a good poli sci program

stark umbra
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Hey! my choices were actually Upenn CAS, Williams, and two other schools and I wanted to share my thoughts in making my choice

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as someone whos visited both schools, Upenn campus is 100000x better in my opinion. Yes there is a huge appeal of being surrrounded in the middle of nowhere with 2000 liberal kids but current students say that the weather depression is actually so real. you have to like huddle to literally walk across campus in the winter. that actually sounds kinda fun but Williams is in my opinion too small to spend four years of my life. And also around half of the freshmen rooms are single for Upenn housing so if you dont put a roomate down you have a good chance of getting a single. its a lottery tho.

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the academia tho in both schools are phenomenal, every recruiter and job hirings and academics are gonna have an amazing perception of williams. I personally believe a Williams education is stronger than a Upenn one because of the oxford tutorials at Williams and the tight tight connections with faculty. But, I still think those close relationship with Upenn faculty are pretty easy if you are proactive.

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the Upenn campus is absolutely beautiful. also I feel like 10k is a perfect size? i wouldnt call it huge; thats like 40k at a state school. I think theres always new people to meet and exciting things brewing but when you walk down locust walk you're always gonna see people you know

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also upenn literally has connections that can carry you sososososo far in every interest you have. my current upenn student friend found a funny connection in his comedy club and is litearlly working as a comedy writer this summer. he says that theres connections at literally every job. also the Upenn name as a first gen student myself... sheesh it feels good when people congratulate me out of nowhere

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also I was at a williams welcome zoom idk if u were there but there was a big racist incident ON THE ZOOM that freaked the fuck out of me and made me so upset

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the hyper-career focus at Penn is really mentally taxing though from what I've heard. Williams i going to be the complete opposite and be very collaborative, but Upenn graduates say that everyone is lowkey fighting one another for opportunities, but theres so many oportunites for Penn students everywhere. I would say connectinos wise Penn is one of the strongest in the country bc they are so career oriented. To me it was so cool that the Penn network and Name can carry me pretty well. also the bathrooms u get used to, and the vastttt majroity of kids at Penn are insanely left leaning. check the upenn 2026 roomies page where people list their political leanings and its all gonna be left leaning LMAO ive never seen anyone conservative. honestly from my social media research williams seemed a little more conservative??? lots of rich old money white men who go..

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@shut sun wait i dont want to type up a whole page if u already made a decision LMAO

shut sun
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also I was at a williams welcome zoom idk if u were there but there was a big racist incident ON THE ZOOM that freaked the fuck out of me and made me so upset
What!? tell me more?

shut sun
stark umbra
shut sun
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thats really all good to know though, things i hadnt considered

stark umbra
stark umbra
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guys im actually not okay. I was in the Williams admitted student zoom and there were like three students running the zoom and someone (TW: Really bad racism) joined and named themselves (name of a student who was helping out) is a dirty (racial slur) and then played a video of the cops brutually arresting someone and everyone was in shock and the girl had to act like she was okay and keep on going and i literally felt so so fucking bad. I'm just so upset that this happened and now my whole night is ruined

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also are you low income?

shut sun
shut sun
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thats so disgusting

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mannnn

stark umbra
stark umbra
shut sun
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thats awful

stark umbra
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it ruined my week

shut sun
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ill def have to consider that

stark umbra
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im sure thats not like

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a good representation of williams

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but it was definitely a current student at williams who did that

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have you visited both campuses?

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also if u wanna dm thats chill too

shut sun
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I haven’t been able to visit either :(

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I’ve been swamped with tests so i couldn’t attend previews for Williams and I missed UPenn’s admitted students day because I was waitlisted

balmy verge
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@shut sun Williams student here. Feel free to DM w questions if you are still deciding

stark umbra
shut sun
clear shoal
stark umbra
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i’m curious too

stark umbra
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@shut sun bestie?

shut sun
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My financial aid came in yesterday

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75k at Penn versus 22k at Williams.. it seems like Williams is my best bet but I’m working to appeal it rn

stark umbra
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hoping the best for you

hybrid abyss
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such a big discrepancy between williams’ aid

lilac glade
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Yeah this should be a no brainer ngl

shut sun
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if the aid doesn't go down after my appeal im fs going to williams

hybrid abyss
shut sun
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I guess around the 22k williams is offering me, i cant see penn going lower than williams

hybrid abyss
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so you would go to upenn if aid was same?

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fyi expect little change to aid appeal unless it’s something big or a mistake on ur docs. had a similar experience with a t10

shut sun
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hmm

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if aid was the same, id probably go UPenn. both schools are great and initially I wanted to go to Williams as its a total change from my current environment, but once I got into Penn i began realizing how much I'd appreciate a more urban environment in terms of things to do, as well as a slightly larger student body

shut sun
hybrid abyss
shut sun
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no, he expects to recover later this year/early next year

hybrid abyss
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ok bcuz you gotta consider that aid is diff every year. so this year you might recieve a significant amount of aid , but once your income improves it might go up to the 75k that you mentioned

shut sun
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^^^ this is true, and i feel a little worried about it regardless of whether i go to williams or penn

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i had to negotiate williams aid as well, it was originally 58k

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so i dont really know how next year and the years following will look

hybrid abyss
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that is also much better than the 75k. this is def something you have to reach out to the office about. but are you gonna take out loans during your first year at williams if you decide to go there

shut sun
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i want to avoid taking loans in general

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so probably not

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also im hoping my brother beginning college in my junior year of college would help keep tuition lower, but im not sure if thats wishful thinking

hybrid abyss
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can your family afford the hypothetical 22k/year ?

shut sun
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yeah for sure, we've saved enough for three years if that 22k/yr stays consistent

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and the last year out of pocket is manageable

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but anything upwards of 30k is going to be unmanageable

hybrid abyss
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oh wow. so it seems like williams’ would be your best bet, financially speaking

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because even if penn decides to drop 75k to a lower price because of your father’s injury, who’s to say that they’ll keep it at that level. it would be too risky to go with penn

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also you wouldnt be at a disadvantage going with williams

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social sciences at top LACs are STRONG

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especially for grad school

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my teacher who has a phd in polisci always boasts about how he recieves so many grad students from top lacs like williams and bowdoin

stark umbra
# shut sun Just got off the UPenn waitlist, currently committed to Williams. Applied for po...

also know that Penn will have an insaneeeee preprofessional culture that people consider super mentally deteriorating, and people around you (like me lmao) will chase for money instead of passion which is kinda sad and unmotivating. but they also have insaneeee and countless opportunities for you to go into a field like consulting or investment banking which is why the starting salaries at penn are sooooo high even though its not a stem oriented school like stanford or MIT

hybrid abyss
stark umbra
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fun fact more than 55% of penn graduates will go into consulting or investment banking 😃

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that number is crazy high

hybrid abyss
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damn wtf

stark umbra
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it goes to show not only the amount of opportunities for one to go into those highly desired field but also how lowkey toxic it is to go into those fields SDFHOUSD

hybrid abyss
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I also heard student culture is also rly pretentious

stark umbra
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super

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i mean obviously depends who u meet but theres a stereotype called the "penn face" where everyone acts super rich and spends insane money and acts like they know what theyre doing

hybrid abyss
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must be hard making friends

stark umbra
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penn is built for highly self motivated people who will network and be social and make connections and honestly present themselves better than they actually are

stark umbra
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that i've met

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but ya there are some super flexy people

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@shut sun lmk when u get ur appeal back!

shut sun
sly stone
sly stone
sly stone
stark umbra
sly stone
shut sun
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@stark umbra sooo i got my appeal back

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my tuiiton was halved

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37.5k/yr

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its still.. pretty high

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and williams is still 22.6k/yr

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so i dont know 😭

hybrid abyss
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@shut sun mhm did you ask about future tuition

shut sun
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we can do that?

hybrid abyss
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yep

shut sun
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omg how

hybrid abyss
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Just ask how much tuition will jump up once your situation improved

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thats what I asked to bowdoin n they told me

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and thats obv dependent on ur 2021 income

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too

shut sun
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mmmmmmm i see

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ill do that tyty

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my mom still wants me to physically go to penn's one stop financial aid center and get them to match williams to the dollar 😔

stark umbra
shut sun
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^^^

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its just still kinda high 💀 im waiting for my dad to get home to decide if we'll settle or somehow push for lower/choose williams

stark umbra
stark umbra
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also i dont think 13 k is a HUGE difference, like yeah thats a decent amount but its not super substantial where imo it should be a make or break

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if you applied as a poli sci student though youll probably be swept under the consutling hurriance 🥲

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but hey 110k average starting salary

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but in your case its super difficult because if you were choosing between like a random school vs penn it would be an easy choice but williams is literally top notch education and a williams degree is no joke at all

stark umbra
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@shut sun hey, are there updates,

shut sun
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heyy sorry for not responding!! finals and all

shut sun
stark umbra
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do u guys live near philly?

shut sun
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i cant believe it worked at that

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we live in manhattan

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my dad jus

stark umbra
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SDOIFJSDOFDJFSDJDO

shut sun
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drove there

stark umbra
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he ate wtf

shut sun
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💀

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^^^^^

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slayed tbh idk how he managed

stark umbra
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soooo whats it looking like bestie

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i wanna see ur thought process too

shut sun
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prolly upenn 😳

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i liked williams a lot but after getting into penn and thinking about it

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i do realize i worry about liek

stark umbra
shut sun
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not being able to do things in my free time

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bc williams is in the middle of nowhere

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and its a much easier commute to upenn than williams

stark umbra
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yes penn just has like an abundant of things to do but also the ability to do not much if u choose

stark umbra
shut sun
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^^^

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yeah but ill always have a soft spot for williams

stark umbra
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for sure

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omg waitttt

shut sun
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its kinda funny i only rlly fell in love with williams after getting waitlisted everywhere else

stark umbra
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so r u gonna commit soon??? so excited for u

shut sun
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maybbbb

stark umbra
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i saw ur college results post LSFMDSDMFLD

shut sun
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😳

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i use reddit too much for my own good tbh

stark umbra
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PJDFSDPDJI

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lmk if u end up committing! super hyped to mneet you

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if you also have questions about like registering for stuff and like just general penn stuff i'm also an incoming 26 but i did a lot of research so lmkkkk

shut sun
shut sun
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do u have any other socials 🥸

stark umbra
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dead

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ill dm

sly stone
stark umbra