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Philly represents a different school
of thought – one that views the city as a classroom.
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Whatever
your major, extracurricular interests or idea of a good
time, you will find your niche in Philly
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Imagine a college campus where distances are measured in miles,
not acres. Where the classrooms are state-of-the-art nanotechnology
labs, world-renowned theaters and mahogany paneled boardrooms.
Where the student body is comprised of every culture imaginable,
and everyone feels at home.
Unlikely as it sounds, such a college experience does exist.
It’s called Philadelphia. Nowhere else do college students
play such a major role in the geography, culture, economics
and personality of the city, making it quite literally one big
campus.
Philadelphia is a veritable patchwork of over 80 college campuses,
where institutions of higher learning not only work together;
they partner with cutting edge industries.
 A
Philadelphia education is not something you tackle two hours
a day in lecture hall. Here, education means learning firsthand
how to live and work in the hustle and bustle of a world-class
city.
Whatever your goals, a Philly education will help you to accomplish
them. You can learn the ropes at a Fortune 500 company like
Comcast, land an internship at WXPN, the radio station that
helped start the careers of Dave Mathews and Sheryl Crow, or
conduct experiments for top pharmaceutical firms like Merck.
And these are just a few of the countless options available
to Philadelphia undergraduate and graduate students alike.
For history majors, the city is a window into the past. It is
easy to imagine yourself transported to another time while strolling
down cobbled alleys or standing in the hall where the Declaration
of Independence was signed.
 Aspiring
artists will find inspiration studying the masterpieces at one
of the renowned museums along Ben Franklin Parkway (imagine
America’s own Champs Elysée), or at The Barnes Foundation,
where an extraordinary number of masterpieces by Renoir, Cezanne,
and Matisse provide a depth of work unavailable elsewhere.
Students can also secure wall space at 19th century warehouses-turned-trendy
art galleries in the Old City district.
Would-be virtuosos can showcase their talent in musical venues
like the Khyber and Tin Angel, or witness one of the world’s
top orchestras or opera companies performing along the Avenue
of the Arts.
 Whatever
your major, extracurricular interests or idea of a good time,
you will find your niche. But while the opportunities are boundless,
Philadelphia itself is not at all intimidating. In fact, it
may well be the country’s most accessible big city. It’s
easy-to-navigate street grid, cleverly envisioned in 1681 by
William Penn, is a welcome change for anyone familiar with Boston’s
tangled one-way streets or Los Angeles’ endless freeways.
Philadelphia’s accessibility, however, is not limited to
geography. The city pioneered William Penn’s “holy
experiment”; embracing religious freedom and welcoming
immigrants from around the globe. The open-minded hospitality
of Philadelphians continues to allow people from all over the
world to feel at home.
Throughout the city students find examples of every culture
possible, from the golden gates of Chinatown to the fresh produce
in the Italian Market to the vibrant wall murals located in
nearly every neighborhood. Hardly a week goes by without the
celebration of one cultural festival or another, from the Islamic
Heritage Celebration to the Odunde African New Year.
With so much going on, it is not surprising that Philly isn’t
dominated by one personality like Washington D.C. or New York
City. But the City of Brotherly Love does have its own distinctive
style.
Part of Philadelphia’s diverse persona stems from the city’s
passion for innovation, which has given rise to entrepreneurs
since Ben Franklin, including many of today’s high-tech
and biotechnology giants.
Then there is Philadelphia’s celebrated vivacity, which
can be seen in the colorful crowds that throng the funky boutiques,
clubs and hangouts of South Street and the out-of-this-world
annual Fringe Festival, a two week artistic celebration of groundbreaking
music, art, dance and theater.
 One
should not forget the joie de vivre that seems to drive all
Philadelphians. You can find it while jogging around the Rodin
statues in Fairmount Park (nine times larger than Central Park),
driving along boat-house row, fabulously lit up every night
of the year, or watching the bike messengers congregate at Rittenhouse
Square.
Most importantly, however, Philadelphia is whatever you need
it to be. For one person it is a haven of artistic splendor.
For others it’s a wealth of scientific research, a sports
Mecca or financial hub.
Philadelphia is an environment where opportunities and learning
experiences are abundant, both on and off campus. Here, colleges
recognize that the city is as much a learning ground as the
classroom, and students discover the world is at their fingertips,
all within Philadelphia’s one big campus.
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