Issue date: 2/5/08 Section: News

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During junior year, everyone wants to know where you're studying abroad.

But for around 75 percent of Penn's junior class each year, the answer is "nowhere."

Whether for obligations on campus or to stay on-track with coursework, a majority of students have legitimate reasons for remaining in Philadelphia all four years.

Though Penn Abroad director Geoffrey Gee cites the advantages of an international education, he understands that the decision to go abroad is a big one that must ultimately be made by taking individual circumstances into consideration.

"If you are approaching study abroad from the perspective of, 'I'm going to have to give something up to do it,' then that may already be a sign that you really like what you're doing here," he said.

During the 2007-2008 school year, 678 Penn students - most of whom are juniors - have already studied or are currently studying in a foreign country, either for a year or a semester.

The most popular destinations for study-abroad students this year were the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, France and China.

But most juniors who decided to stick around West Philadelphia - be they athletes, campus leaders, Engineering majors, or just students without a particular interest in a foreign destination - say they are happy with their decision and see several advantages to not going abroad.

The Class President

As junior class president, Brett Perlmutter has tackled the task of maintaining class unity, even though juniors might be scattered geographically for the year.

"A huge part of our constituency is all over [the world], and others are like, 'We're here. What do we do?'" he said.

To address these issues, the junior class board started a "Photos From Abroad" competition. More than 100 students have posted pictures from their foreign studies on the Class of 2009 Web site, and a winning photo will be selected in a few weeks.

The competition has allowed all members of the class to see what everyone has been up to while not at Penn, Perlmutter said.

For juniors who did not go abroad, the junior class board held an "Abroad in West Philadelphia" event in October, featuring music, giveaways and traditionally Philadelphian foods.

Continued...

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