Student Stories

Photo of Alex Shpenev, PhD
Alex Shpenev, PhD

Senior Data Research Scientist, the Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics, University of Pennsylvania

Instructor, Master of Behavioral and Decision Sciences Program, University of Pennsylvania

“Penn offers a lot of really fun classes that can expand your horizons. I've been enjoying this program so much, so I don't see a reason to stop.”

Read Alex’s full story >

Nina Costanza
Nina Costanza

Faculty, International Programs, Harcum College

“Screenwriting was just like my workshops when I was originally studying at Penn. The feedback would be both from students and the teacher, and the professor was extremely knowledgeable, personal, encouraging, and incredibly detailed in her commentary.”

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Tong "Tori" Dang
Tong "Tori" Dang

Graduate Student and Graduate Research Assistant, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

"I was open to taking classes anywhere to further prepare for my PhD, but I think Penn was the best choice for me. As a Penn Engineering alum, I knew and trusted the curriculum, so I was really glad that I found the Penn Alumni Program."

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Maria Francesca Arruda de Amaral

Data Analyst at University of Pennsylvania Department of Criminology

“I trust Penn. I know how to navigate the school, having the same PennKey and PennCard. I knew some of the courses and their professors. The application process is really straightforward for alumni. I would have figured it out somewhere else, but it’s nice to already have some prior knowledge about the place and things to expect.”

Read Francesca’s full story >

Sage Rush

Clinical Research Manager, University of Pennsylvania Neuropsychiatry Program

“If there is any skill or topic you’ve always wanted to learn about, the Penn Alumni Program is a great opportunity. My goal right now is to become fluent in French, but every time registration rolls around I do like to browse. There are so many classes you can choose from in art, language, and science—really, the options are endless.”

Read Sage's full story >

Mike Weaver

Wharton School of Business ‘02

"Upon deciding to register for my first class in years, I sought advice on how to proceed and Jaime introduced me to the Penn Alumni Program. There was no application fee and I received a positive decision within the same week. I began attending a summer class in June just a few weeks later."

Jeffrey Moore

Swarthmore College, Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience ‘15

"As a graduate of a Liberal Arts College on the path of reassessing my options, Penn's post-bacc program gave me the opportunity to select from a wide range of courses to bolster my background, while offering the resources of a large research university. Penn's relationship with the Quaker Consortium made for a painless application process and allowed me easy access to friends and connections that I had made in the Philadelphia area over my years as an undergraduate."

Erin Healy

School of Arts and Sciences, Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies ‘12

"After graduating and working for a few years, I decided I still had some unfinished academic business. Penn was the easiest choice to come back to school—I knew the campus, the people and what to expect. The Penn Alumni Program gave me the opportunity to completely reroute my professional career. I am starting a PhD program in physics this fall at Princeton."

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